Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames
Observe the instance when the spire crumbles at the Copenhagen stock exchange.
The old stock exchange building that bears great historical significance in Denmark and is situated in the heart of Copenhagen is now in flames.
One of the oldest constructions in the city, Børsen, dating back to the 17th century, left the crowd in shock as its prominent spire fell apart during the fire.
All those who were present inside the edifice were able to evacuate, and individuals hurried to save a few of the valuable artworks that hold historical significance.
The Danish Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, expressed his sadness as he announced that four centuries worth of cultural heritage in Denmark were destroyed in a fire.
The construction, which goes back to 1625, is located really close to the Danish parliament called the Folketing. This parliament is located inside the ancient royal palace of Christiansborg castle. The media in Denmark shared that the square nearby the place was being emptied and the principal entrance to Christiansborg had to be closed due to smoke.
The ancient stock exchange is undergoing renovation and is currently concealed by scaffolding and protective plastic covering. At the moment, it is home to the Danish chamber of commerce, who found the view on Tuesday morning to be quite distressing.
Danish TV interviewed a skilled worker named Henrik Grage who expressed deep sadness about the unfortunate incident. He likened it to the devastating fire that occurred five years prior at the prominent Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, stating that this was their own version of it.
On the 15th of April 2019, a fire started at Notre-Dame in Paris. The fire started near the roof of the cathedral, which was covered in scaffolding for renovations. After investigating, it was determined that the cause of the fire could have come from either a short circuit in the electrical system or a worker's cigarette that wasn't correctly extinguished.
It is not currently known what started the fire in Copenhagen, but the emergency services have noted that the presence of scaffolding made it harder for them to put it out. The fire is believed to have caused severe damage to a large portion of the building, with the worst of it occurring in the tower.
While working on the scaffolding, one of the workers noticed a fire started on the roof. Ole Hansen quickly alerted his fellow craftsmen to evacuate the building and made sure the door was unlocked for the firefighters to enter.
A blaze swept through the old spire, causing it to crumble down.
According to Jakob Vedsted Andersen, who is the chief of the fire department, firefighters were presented with an exceedingly difficult task in accessing the section under the aged copper roof.
"I have no words - this is an unprecedented tragedy," a witness told Danish journalists in disbelief.
People from the community along with the emergency personnel and the director of the chamber of commerce, Brian Mikkelsen, took action and quickly ran into the Børsen building to protect its valuable art collection.
During a recent speech, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, expressed her dismay and sadness at witnessing "horrific scenes" of a significant aspect of Danish history being engulfed in flames.
According to Benjamin Asmussen, the inspector in charge of local museums, it was hard to witness the fire at the old stock exchange due to the fact that it housed paintings of notable Danes who had made significant contributions to society since the 17th Century.
The above photograph was taken by Ida Marie Odgaard and sourced through Ritzau Scanpix.
Brian Mikkelsen, the director of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, teamed up with ambulance workers to save the art treasures in the building.
According to the head of the fire department, they were able to retrieve all the valuable items, including paintings. One of them was a special 1895 portrait by PS Krøyer, which depicted 50 Danish businessmen wearing top hats while standing inside the building.
The ruler of Denmark, King Frederik X, expressed sorrow upon witnessing the destructive fire that ravaged a significant cultural symbol of the country - the dragon spire which was a defining feature of Copenhagen. He assumed the throne in January after Queen Margrethe II's reign. As the nation was planning to celebrate her 84th birthday on Tuesday, the celebration was adjusted to reflect the somber mood brought about by the fire.
The edifice in the Dutch Renaissance style situated on palace island, called Slotsholmen in the city, was requested by the ruler of Denmark, King Christian IV. His intention was to enhance the importance of Copenhagen as a significant hub for commerce.
The well-known apex displayed four mythical creatures with their tails intertwined to form a spear, along with three regal symbols that represent the strong bond between nearby nations, Norway and Sweden.
The picture is credited to Roberto Fortuna and it was taken at the Nationalmuseet.
Last Friday, a dragon at the bottom of the spire was captured by National Museum photographer Roberto Fortuna.
The photograph used in this blog post was sourced from Ida Marie Odgaard/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.
Spectators were shocked as flames engulfed the antique structure.
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