The historic Copenhagen Stock Exchange has been on fire since Tuesday morning. Smoke filled the sky over central Copenhagen and thick orange flames stood out in the middle of the iconic building surrounded by scaffolding.
Under the powerful fire, the imposing 54 m high spire in the shape of a spiral formed by the tails of four dragons collapsed. These are “400 years of Danish cultural heritage that have gone up in smoke,” responded the Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt. The institution, located on the island of Slotsholmen not far from Christiansborg Castle which houses the Parliament, was commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640. It has no longer hosted the capital's stock market activities since the 1970s. The causes of the fire are not yet known. Law enforcement and firefighters asked residents to move away from the area. The Borsen is not open to the public but often hosts gala dinners and various events. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city.