King Frederik on Børsen Fire: "A Sad Sight"

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Today, April 16, one of Copenhagen's oldest buildings, Børsen, went up in flames.

The fire at Børsen, Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange, which dates back to 1625, is devastating. Per BBC, "Culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said 400 years of Danish cultural heritage had gone up in flames. Members of the public rushed to rescue historic paintings and it took hours before the fire was under control." The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Denmark's new monarch, King Frederik X, released a statement on Instagram, writing in Danish, "This morning, we woke up to a sad sight, as smoke over the roofs of Copenhagen gave evidence of the destructive fire at Børsen. An important part of our architectural cultural heritage was and continues to be in flames." The building contained countless historic artifacts and works of art.

He continued, "For 400 years, Christian IV's edifice Børsen has been a distinctive landmark of Copenhagen. Throughout generations, the characteristic dragon spire has helped to depict Copenhagen as the 'city of towers.' Until today, we have considered the historic building as a beautiful symbol of our capital and a structure that we, as a nation, have been proud of."

The Børsen building, which also served as a memorial to King Christian IV, had a spire shaped as the tails of four dragons, with three crowns at the top. The historic building was under renovation and covered in scaffolding when the fire broke out.

Frederik concluded by writing "The Queen and I would like to thank all of those who, since early this morning, have ensure that no one has been injured, and who have fought to save as much as possible of both the building as well as the many cultural treasures and works of art that Børsen holds."

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