A fire ripped through Denmark’s historic Borsen, destroying nearly half of the 400-year-old former stock exchange building yesterday. The historic Copenhagen landmark, currently housing the Danish Chamber of Commerce, was undergoing renovations when the fire started around 8:30 am local time. The cause of the fire remains unknown and no deaths or injuries have been reported.
The Borsen, which neighbors the parliament building, was known for its dragon-tailed spire, topped by three crowns representing the country’s close ties with Norway and Sweden—legend says the spire guards the building against attacks and fires. Officials said the fire was most intense around the spire, and emergency services faced challenges due to scaffolding from the renovations and the building’s copper roof, which must be removed to spray water from above. Several hundred historic artifacts were rescued from the building. See photos of the fire here.
Many are comparing the fire to the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire in Paris almost exactly five years ago, as its roughly $900M restoration nears completion.
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