"Notre Dame moment"

Investigation after major fire at Copenhagen’s stock exchange

Before the eyes of passers-by, the characteristic pointed tower collapsed onto the street in the city center.(Bild: AFP)

The day after the devastating fire at the historic Copenhagen Stock Exchange, the cause of the fire remains unclear. The police are still investigating the cause of the fire. 

The fire department battled the blazing flames for almost a day on Tuesday. After a short time, the 56-meter-high spire fell from the roof of the 400-year-old tourist attraction.

"Terrible pictures from Børsen"
In the afternoon, emergency services were able to bring the fire under control. Around half of the unique building and important supporting structures had already been destroyed by then. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen wrote on X on Tuesday: "Terrible pictures from Børsen. Very sad. An iconic building that means a lot to all of us. Our own Notre Dame moment."

The fire raged particularly badly in the part of the building closer to Parliament, which was scaffolded for restoration work. However, the emergency services were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the other part of the building.

On Tuesday afternoon, emergency services were able to bring the fire under control.(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP)

Amount of damage cannot yet be quantified
The extent of the damage cannot yet be quantified. The Danish National Museum must first map the loss of cultural treasures from the historic stock exchange. According to the fire department, the emergency services tried to bring the cultural treasures to safety with the support of the royal army. Employees helped to rescue the art objects.

The historic stock exchange with its striking church tower is located on the eastern tip of the island of Slotsholmen and was completed in 1625. It was built on the orders of King Christian IV in the Dutch Renaissance style to transform Copenhagen into a financial and commercial center.

The building has not been used as a stock exchange in the proper sense for a long time. The ongoing restoration was intended to correct an improper renovation of the building in the 19th century and restore the façade to its original appearance.