Børsen

Børsen (

Børsen was planned by Christian IV as part of his plan to strengthen Copenhagen's role as a centre for trade and commerce in Northern Europe. A site on the north side of the embankment which connected Copenhagen to the new market town Christianshavn, which was planned on reclaimed land off the coast of Amager. The king charged Lorenz van Steenwinckel with the design of the new building, but Steenwinckel died shortly thereafter. The assignment was then passed on to his brother, Hans van Steenwinckel.^[3]

The site first had to be prepared since the embankment had not yet stabilized. Construction of the building began in 1620 and was largely completed in 1624 with the exception of the spire (installed in 1625) and details of the east gable (completed in 1640). The dragons that made up the spire, designed by the fireworks master of Christian IV, were supposed to protect the building from enemies and fire.^[4] The building contained 40 trading offices at the ground floor and one large room at the upper floor. The building was in use as a marketplace during the late 1620s.^[3]

In 1647, Christian IV sold the building to the merchant Jacob Madsen for 50,000 Danish rigsdaler.^[5] Frederick III later reacquired the building from Madsen's widow, who could no longer afford to maintain the building.^[3]

The building was restored by Nicolai Eigtved in 1745.^[6]

19th and 20th centuries

The interior of the building was renovated in 1855, and the interior was renovated by architect Harald Conrad Stilling.^[7] In 1857, Frederick VII sold the building to Grosserer-Societetet^[4] for 70,000 rigsdaler.^[5]

The building housed the Danish stock-market until 1974. In 1918, unemployed anarchists attacked Børsen, an attack that went into the Danish history books as stormen på Børsen (Storm on the Stock Exchange).^[8]

21st century

As of 2018,^{[needs update]} the building served as the headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).^[9]

2024 fire

On 16 April 2024, a fire during renovation work in the main building's copper roof destroyed about half of the building and resulted in the collapse of its iconic Dragespir ("Dragon Spire").^[10] There were no casualties.^[11]

The scaffolding around the building also caught fire, making it harder for firefighters to reach the flames,^[12] while the copper roof contained the heat.^[13] Military personnel were also on site to support firefighting efforts.^[12] Additional machinery was deployed to help remove the roof, as it was preventing water from reaching the fire.^[12][14] The facades were in danger of collapsing while the fire burned,^[13] as the building is mostly made of wood.^[15]

Historic paintings from the building's substantial art collection,^[16] as well as historic furniture,^[17] were rescued from the burning building by staff, emergency workers, and passers-by.^[18] Among them were From Copenhagen Stock Exchange by Skagen Painter Peder Severin Krøyer and Det danske handelskammer komite og adm. direktør 1995 by Thomas Kluge [da].^[19][20] The nearby National Museum immediately sent 25 employees to help retrieve the art.^[21]

Brian Mikkelsen, CEO of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building, said that it would be rebuilt "no matter what".^[22][23] Denmark's Deputy Prime Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, called the fire "our own Notre Dame moment". The fire occurred five years and a day after the Notre-Dame fire in Paris, another renovation fire which also destroyed the building's roof and spire.^[24] King Frederik X released a statement, saying the fire was "a sad sight [...] For 400 years, Christian IV's edifice Børsen has been a distinctive landmark of Copenhagen."^[25]

Architecture

Børsen was constructed by the architects

It was mostly known among tourists for its twisted tower spire, the "Dragon Spire," as it was called, which was from 1625^[26] and was designed as four intertwining dragon tails. The spire had three crowns atop, symbolizing the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 1775, a new spire was erected somewhat similar to the old one because there was a risk of it collapsing. The spire itself was reportedly meant to guard the house against enemy attacks and fires.

Børsen has survived several fires that have occurred nearby.

There have been some minor changes over time.[27]

• 
  Dragon Spire
• 
  Western end of Børsen
• 
  Statue of Neptune at the left side of the ramp
• 
  Statue of Mercury at the right side of the ramp
• 
  Entrance
• 
  Row of chairs in Børssalen
• 
  Børssalen
• 
  Door
• 
  Office
• 
  View to Christiansborg from the tower

Featured artworks

Børsen housed several artworks, including a large number of portraits, both individual portraits and group portraits, as well as

• 
  Detail from meeting room
• 
  Diligence
• 
  Wisdom
• 
  Courage
• 
  Justice
• 
  Fireplace
• 
  Fireplace

Gallery

• 
  Børsen painted by H.G.F. Holm, c. 1823
• 
  Børsen seen with Højbro Bridge in the foreground
• 
• 
• 
  Stock exchange hall
• 
• 
  1895 painting From Copenhagen Stock Exchange by Peder Severin Krøyer

See also

• Nasdaq Copenhagen
• Danish Brotherhood in America Headquarters
• List of building or structure fires
• List of destroyed heritage

References