AMN
Fire raged through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings destroying about half of the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange and collapsing its iconic dragon-tail spire.
The blaze broke out on the building’s roof during renovations, but police said it was too early to pinpoint the cause.
The red-brick building, with its green copper roof and distinctive 56-meter spire, is a major tourist attraction next to Denmark’s parliament, Christiansborg Palace, in the heart of the capital.
Bells tolled and sirens sounded as fire engulfed the spire and sent it crashing onto the building, which was shrouded by scaffolding.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote on Instagram that a piece of Danish history is on fire. She said it hurts to see the loss of such irreplaceable cultural heritage.
Among the pieces that had been on display in the building was a huge painting completed in 1895 by Danish artist P.S. Krøyer called, “From Copenhagen Stock Exchange.”
No information has been released about which works of art were saved from the blaze, although video footage appeared to show the Krøyer painting being removed.
The exchange was built in 1615 and is considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. The Chamber of Commerce moved into the building after Copenhagen’s stock exchange left in 1974.