The Børsen Fire

At 07:36 on 16 April 2024, the Copenhagen Fire Brigade received an alarm: Børsen (the old Stock Exchange) was on fire. For 400 years, the building had survived everything from devastating city fires to WWII air raids. But on that April morning, its luck finally ran out. 

It was craftsmen working on the roof who raised the alarm and quickly ensured everyone was brought to safety. For two years they had proudly restored the copper roof and façade—now they stood in the street, forced to watch as flames consumed their work. 

Within minutes, the fire services arrived, but despite extraordinary efforts the blaze soon reached the building’s iconic spire — a landmark of Copenhagen. While fire and ambulance crews rushed to the scene, staff from the Danish Chamber of Commerce worked desperately to identify the locations of artworks and artefacts inside. Brian Mikkelsen, director of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, sat on the pavement with a binder listing the artworks. Later, he would help carry P.S. Krøyer’s vast painting From Copenhagen Stock Exchange to safety. . 

Cultural Heritage Against the Flames 

Shortly after 8 o’clock, flames broke through the roof. Inside, the atmosphere turned frantic. Employees and passers-by scrambled to save whatever cultural treasures they could—from rare books in the library to artworks by Danish masters such as P.S. Krøyer, Thorvaldsen, and Jens Juel. 

A Joint Effort to Save Treasures 

For hours, firefighters battled the blaze while police, staff, soldiers, and ordinary citizens rushed to salvage items, carrying them to the National Archives, where staff from the National Museum of Denmark catalogued them. 

Moving the Immovable 

Not everything could be removed. Some artworks were bolted to the walls or simply too heavy. With crowbars and axes, rescuers tore Frølich’s towering charcoal drawings from their fastenings. Outside, crowds gathered as the smell of burning timber filled the air. 

Inside, firefighters held the line at a historic firewall built in 1806, a barrier now crucial in slowing the flames. 

The Fall of the Dragon Spire 

From the surrounding streets, onlookers watched in disbelief. Flames climbed higher, the four-dragon spire glowing white and orange, dripping molten lead. At 08:30, the tower’s timber frame gave way. The dragon spire, which had crowned the building for four centuries, collapsed in a shower of sparks and molten metal onto the street. For a moment, the city was lit up as if ablaze. 

The Royal Guard joins 

By 09:15, soldiers from the Royal Guard arrived, running from their nearby barracks to assist with the evacuation. They began clearing artefacts from the eastern wing while fire crews contained the blaze at the old fire wall. Water cannons doused both flames and firefighters. Just days earlier, craftsmen had completed a new fire barrier—this, too, proved vital in holding the fire back. 

The Scale of Destruction 

Despite monumental efforts, large parts of Børsen could not be saved. The fire burned for days. When the smoke finally cleared, more than half the building stood as a charred ruin. The spire, library, and central hall were gone.

Thorvaldsen’s statue of Christian IV had melted, too heavy to move. Old firefighting equipment from 1706 was destroyed, along with furniture, paintings, and most of the library’s rare books. 

Yet much was saved. Paintings were sent to the National Museum for freezing treatment to prevent mould. Busts and other objects were secured in nearby buildings. Days later, the upper fragment of the dragon spire was recovered from the rubble and handed to Brian Mikkelsen, who vowed it would one day crown Børsen again. 

Rebuilding Challenges 

Even as the embers smouldered, reconstruction was already being discussed. For the Danish Chamber of Commerce—the building’s owners—there was no doubt: Børsen must be rebuilt exactly as it had stood, and the authorities agreed. Børsen is Denmark’s first listed building, and although more than half was lost, it remains protected. 

The task, however, is enormous. Above all stands the loss of Børssalen—the great hall that for centuries had hosted trade, auctions, and grand ceremonies. Architects mourned, historians lamented, and the public shared memories of a building that had touched their lives. . 

The Historic Role of Børssalen 

For centuries, monarchs, business leaders, and statesmen had addressed gatherings beneath its vaulted ceiling. The hall had been a stage for both Danish and international history. 

Not everything was lost. Behind the firewall, rooms telling the stories of Denmark’s first National Bank, early entrepreneurship, and the country’s colonial past survived. Together with the salvaged artworks, they continue to tell the story of 400 years of Danish commerce and culture. 

A Symbol of Shared History 

The fire became a reminder of the power of shared history—and of how symbols can divide as well as unite. For some, Børsen is an icon of Danish achievement; for others, a monument to capitalism and inequality. Throughout its long history, it has been all of these things.

Many Roles Through Time

The building has housed market stalls, lotteries, restaurants, theatres, telegraph offices, auctions, and political gatherings. It has witnessed grandeur and chaos, royal celebrations and radical protests. Above all, it was where merchants and entrepreneurs financed the ventures that shaped modern Denmark—banks, insurance companies, stock trading, and the laws that governed them all began here.

Reflection on the Past 

Most of all, the fire underlined the importance of remembering—and re-examining—our shared history.