Copenhagen’s Beloved Landmark Destroyed by Fire—Here’s What You Need to Know

The Old Stock Exchange, a cherished icon of Copenhagen, was devastated by a large fire on April 16, which consumed much of the 400-year-old structure—most notably its signature spire, resembling four entwined dragons’ tails.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the fire, which ignited in the early morning and continued to burn for 24 hours, as noted by various news sources. The fire has caused significant damage to about half of the historic building, according to the BBC, but its cause remains under investigation.

The tragedy has left Copenhagen residents in shock, as the building—known locally as Børsen—was treasured for its historical importance and as a proud emblem of Danish culture. Built in 1625 under King Christian IV’s orders, it features Dutch Renaissance architecture, complete with a trio of crowns atop the spire representing the Scandinavian union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

“I woke up to my WhatsApp blowing up with everyone sharing their photos,” recounts Brooke Black, a public relations director living near the heart of Copenhagen. “For Danes, this is a shock. They hold a deep pride for such a significant structure in their city. Conversations were everywhere, and no one could quite believe it.”

On Wednesday, police initiated an investigation into the fire, as reported by several media outlets, including Reuters. Early, unverified theories suggest that the blaze may have originated in an area currently undergoing extensive renovations, according to a fire official's comments to the press.

City officials have already pledged to rebuild the cherished landmark, expressing their profound sorrow and disbelief over the incident.

“Horrific images from inside the Stock Exchange,” Danish Chamber of Commerce director Brian Mikkelsen shared on X. “It’s utterly heartbreaking. Our beautiful building is covered in black soot and water. I can hardly believe what I’m seeing.”

However, Mikkelsen also reaffirmed a commitment to reconstruct the Old Stock Exchange “at any cost.”

Artworks were saved

This historic building served as Denmark’s stock exchange until the 1970s and later became the headquarters for the Danish Chamber of Commerce. It was a popular tourist destination but was marked as “temporarily closed” on Google after the fire.

As the fire ignited on Tuesday, news reports and social media captured a scene of chaos, with thick black smoke rising from the building, which was surrounded by scaffolding due to ongoing renovations. Black mentioned that the charred structure was still smoldering as of Thursday morning, emitting a scent of “burned wood and chemicals.”

Some observers pointed out unsettling parallels to the devastating fire that occurred at Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, which took place on April 15, 2019—almost five years prior to the Old Stock Exchange fire. Like Børsen, Notre-Dame was also undergoing renovations when the fire broke out, and its distinctive spire collapsed as well.

On X, Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s deputy prime minister, referred to the Børsen fire as “our own Notre-Dame moment.”

A silver lining in the tragedy: some of the building’s historic paintings and other artworks were saved by both workers and bystanders.

Denmark’s culture minister, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, wrote on X that it was “heartwarming” to witness staff, emergency responders, and onlookers “coming together to salvage artistic treasures and iconic pieces from the blazing structure.”

Emerging from the ashes

As per Visit Copenhagen, the city's tourism board, local folklore suggests that the dragon-tailed spire was thought to protect the building from fires and enemy assaults. Over time, it had remarkably survived while surrounding structures suffered fire damage.

Nevertheless, local officials are determined that the iconic tails will once again soar into the skyline of the capital city.