On April 16, a devastating fire swept through one of Copenhagen's most treasured landmarks, the Old Stock Exchange, leaving a scene of destruction and despair.
The fire broke out in a historic area of the city, engulfing the 17th-century building, partially reducing its iconic structure to ruins and ashes. As flames engulf the copper roofs and spires, once symbols of Danish financial prowess and architectural magnificence, onlookers watch in shock as centuries of cultural heritage are reduced to smoke.
According to British media on April 16, the fire broke out in the early morning and quickly escalated into a raging fire, challenging the efforts of emergency services to contain it. Although firefighters and volunteers bravely tried to salvage valuable art and artifacts from the burning rubble, the intensity of the fire forced authorities to focus on preventing it from spreading to neighboring buildings.
Head of Emergency Operations Jacob West Anderson described the fire as "very, very widespread," emphasizing the danger of responding to fire from within the building. Faced with the challenge of the fire, firefighters had to remove parts of the copper roof to get better access, but the ferocity of the fire continued.
"Fires make it too dangerous to deal with fires from inside buildings," he said. Our plan is to stop the fire so it doesn't spread to the other half of the building. But we can only be sure that it was a very serious fire. ”
The cultural significance of the old stock exchange is beyond words. For more than four centuries, it has been a symbol of Denmark's rich historical and architectural heritage. The loss of this damaged landmark shocked the entire country, causing a surge of grief and disbelief.
Danish Culture Minister Jacob Engel Schmidt was saddened to see the devastating fire, mourning the loss of "400 years of Danish cultural heritage".
"It was touching to experience how the exchange's employees, the well-wishers of the emergency services, and the people of Copenhagen passing by worked together to save art treasures and iconic images from burning buildings," he said. ”
When asked about the future of the building, he continued: "It's too early to talk about the reconstruction of Bulsen because it's still burning. ”
As the fire raged, people compared the fire to the Notre Dame Cathedral that swept through Paris in 2019. Politician Martin Leadgard called for similar efforts to revive the old stock exchange, evoking the resilience and determination that emerged in the wake of the Notre Dame tragedy.
It is reported that part of the copper roof had to be removed so that firefighters could extinguish the fire inside. Fire Chief Frank Trier Mikkelsen told TV2: "We used machines to remove part of the roof to better extinguish the fire from the outside. Because the water will bounce off. ”
The Danish Chamber of Commerce said emergency services were doing their best to rescue the fire, given the fire. "I can't say anything I can't try again. We just do what we can to preserve what we can," a spokesperson said. "We're looking at our files to see which artworks should be prioritized. ”
Another journalist, Lars Dahlager, said: "It's crazy, I've never seen a fire of this magnitude in my life. The fire is getting bigger and worse and seems to be spreading to a larger part of the building. ”
A passerby told the Danish state broadcaster DR: "It's horrible. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. I pass by here every day, and it's Notre Dame Cathedral again. ”
The Danish Chamber of Commerce, the owner of the building, said: "We saw a terrible sight. The stock market is on fire. We ask everyone to stay away from the area around the Slotzhall Gate. The Danish Minister of Culture said that after seeing these "horrific photos", the country's 400-year-old cultural heritage was burned to the ground today.
The aftermath of the fire has left the future of the old stock exchange uncertain. While discussions of reconstruction have emerged, the immediate focus remains on extinguishing the fire and assessing the extent of the damage. With smoke still rising from the charred-black ruins of the once-magnificent spire, the road to recovery may seem difficult but not impassable.