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COPENHAGEN

‘Notre Dame all over again’: Fire breaks out at Copenhagen’s historic Stock Exchange

A massive fire engulfed the 400-year-old Stock Exchange building, or Børsen, in central Copenhagen on Tuesday morning, causing its iconic central spire to topple over.

Published: 16 April 2024 09:05 CEST
'Notre Dame all over again': Fire breaks out at Copenhagen's historic Stock Exchange
Copenhagen's old Stock Exchange building was in flames on Tuesday morning. Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The fire broke out at around 8am on Tuesday morning, with the spire soon completely surrounded by smoke and flames after which it collapsed at around 8.30am.

By 10.30am, the fire had spread to around half of the building and several parts of the roof had fallen in. 

“The fire is very violent, and it is on every floor,” Jakob Vedsted Andersen, the fire services’ director of emergency management, told Denmark’s public broadcaster DR, adding that parts of the building were now too dangerous for firefighters to enter. It is still not known what caused the fire and the blaze is expected to take at least 24 hours to extinguish. 

The Provianthus wing at Christiansborg, the nearby seat of Denmark’s parliament, has been completely evacuated due to fears that it could be affected by flames and smoke. All meetings and hearings at the parliament have been cancelled with employees being told to stay at home. 

 
The Berlingske newspaper posted a video on X showing the moment when the spire collapsed. 

“It’s horrible. It was one of the city’s most beautiful buildings. I pass by here every day It’s Notre Dame all over again,” a passer by told Denmark’s state broadcaster DR. “You just can’t take it in. It’s really raging. The flames are like 20m high.” 

The Stock Exchange, or Børsen, on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, was renowned for its spire, which is formed by four twisting dragon tails, and for the three crowns that top it off, symbolising the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. 

The building is located on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen and the spire was completed in 1625, making it one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings. It was built by King Christian IV, just like other iconic Copenhagen landmarks such as the Rundetårn Round Tower, and the Rosenborg Castle. 

The building is covered in scaffolding for a renovation funded by the A.P. Møller Foundation, which aimed to bring back the original facade following a now regretted 19th century renovation.

The spire of the Stock Exchange building collapsed at about 8:30am. Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix
Copenhagen’s fire services said that the building’s copper roof was making fighting the fire especially challenging.  

“The copper roof is like a lid on top of the building. It’s really nice to look at, but from a fire point of view, it holds a lot of heat, so we have to go under the roof and ensure that the fire doesn’t work its way down through the building,”  Andersen told DR. 

He said the scaffolding covering the building was also made the effort “somewhat more difficult than if it had not been there”. 

Copenhagen’s emergency services were working non-stop to put out the fire. Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix

Brian Mikkelsen, director of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, was seen running out of the building with firemen carrying some of the expensive art that decorates the building’s inner walls.

“We have lost our cultural heritage. It is a huge disaster,” he told DR. “This is one of the most important buildings in Denmark, and we were in the process of restoring it so that it could really shine and we could show what it has meant to Danish business for 400 years.” 

The Copenhagen Stock Exchange operated from the building until 1974. 

Passers-by were asked to keep away from the building, but the square outside was nonetheless filled with spectators. 

Passers-by observe the blaze from the surrounding square. Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix

Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, expressed her horror at the “terrible images we are seeing right now”, in a written comment sent to the Ritzau news agency. 

“The stock exchange is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic buildings, a symbol of 400 years of business history in Denmark. Irreplaceable cultural heritage. It hurts to see this,” she wrote.

King Frederik said that the burning building had been a “sad sight” to witness on Tuesday morning. 

“An important part of our architectural cultural heritage was and continues to be in flames,” he wrote in a statement published on the Royal Court’s website. “The Queen and I would like to thank all those who, since early this morning, have ensured that no one has been injured, and who have fought to save as much as possible of both the building and the many cultural treasures and works of art contained in the Stock Exchange.” 

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EUROVISION

How safe is it to visit Malmö during Eurovision?

It's Eurovision week in Malmö, Sweden, with tensions high due to Israel's participation in the contest. What should visitors be aware of during the week?

Published: 3 May 2024 14:12 CEST
Updated: 7 May 2024 16:15 CEST
How safe is it to visit Malmö during Eurovision?

What’s the situation like in Sweden in general?

Sweden’s terror threat level was raised from a level three (elevated) to a level four (high) on a five-point scale in August last year.

This is based on an assessment by the Security Service (Säpo) and Swedish police following a spate of Quran burnings last summer, combined with a global disinformation campaign which grabbed headlines the previous year after it alleged that Sweden’s social services routinely “kidnap” Muslim children to secularise them.

Sweden’s terror threat level had previously remained at three (“elevated threat”) since 2010, with the exception of a period in 2015 when it was temporarily raised to four (“high”). Level five, the highest level, has never been used in Sweden.

A level four means that there is a high chance that actors have both the intent and capability to carry out an attack.

At the time of the announcement, Säpo chief Charlotte von Essen stressed that the decision to raise the level was not linked to a specific incident, but should be seen as “a strategic and long-term assessment”. She urged the general public to keep living their lives as normal, but pay attention to information from Swedish authorities.

Police have been working together with government agencies and the event organisers to ensure that Eurovision goes smoothly. A national special incident (nationell särskild händelse) was activated on April 12th stretching until May 24th, in order to allow Swedish police to better allocate resources during Eurovision and other big events occurring afterwards, like Taylor Swift’s concerts in Stockholm later in May.

These are often set up to deal with sudden incidents, like wildfires or the refugee crisis in 2015, but can also be used for planned events, like the visit of then-US President Barack Obama to Sweden in 2013.

The police operation commander for Eurovision, Petra Stenkula, told a press conference in April that the police had “built a robust system with different areas of responsibility to ensure a safe and secure event”.

“The Swedish police are ready for Eurovision,” she added.

“One thing that we can almost certainly assume will happen is that rumours will spread about Eurovision, and possibly that more coordinated disinformation campaigns will take place. Do not believe everything you hear and do not spread information without critical thinking. If there is information on threats, let the police assess information that concerns the safety of the event.”

An example of a rumour that quickly spun out of control was the hunt for a snake in the Eurovision Village in Malmö’s Folkets Park last week, after it had been spotted by a security guard. Sparking concerns it had escaped from a nearby reptile centre, it quickly grabbed headlines, but in the end it turned out to be a so-called slow worm, a legless lizard which is not dangerous.

A banner at a May Day parade in Malmö, calling for the boycott of Israel and Eurovision. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Are there any rules I should be aware of?

In November last year, Sweden announced a ban on bags at all major events due to the heightened terror threat, with exceptions for people who have a medical need to bring a bag, on-duty journalists, or those with accompanying children who need a changing bag.

This means that you won’t be able to take a bag into any shows at Malmö Arena itself or into the Eurovision Village at Folkets Park, unless you can prove that you qualify for an exemption. If you are allowed to bring your bag in, security staff will check it before you enter.

Palestinian flags are also banned at the Malmö Arena shows – you can only wave flags of participating countries or the Pride flag. That rule has been in place at Eurovision events in previous years as well, so it’s not a new rule due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Malmö police are also bringing in reinforcements from Denmark and Norway during Eurovision week, promising that there will be “visible” security measures, including police with submachine guns. Swedish police write on their website that this is a precautionary measure and nothing to worry about.

What about demos or protests?

There are a number of demonstrations and protests which have been approved during the Eurovision week, with police saying that “most of them” are related to the war between Israel and Hamas, and the row over whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate. 

Malmö is a city with a large Palestinian population, and several protests have already been held in the city in recent months.

Police will be in attendance at protests coming up this week, both in order to protect demonstrators exercising their right to freedom of speech, but also to ensure that things don’t get out of hand if the demonstration presents a danger to those present, or disrupts traffic. 

The protests include two pro-Palestine demonstrations scheduled for May 9th and May 11th, both starting at 3pm at Stortorget and walking to Mölleplatsen via Pildammsvägen, and one pro-Israel demonstration planned for May 9th on the central Davidshalltorg.

Sweden’s Eurovision entry, Marcus and Martinus, taking selfies with a fan in Malmö on April 3rd. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Is there any specific advice for visitors?

Police encourage visitors to report anything suspicious to security guards or police officers, either in person or on +46 77 114 14 00, if it’s not an emergency situation. Sweden’s emergency number is 112.

There’s no specific advice when it comes to terror threats or protests, but general advice for visitors includes keeping phones and wallets safe, being aware of possible pickpockets and not leaving drinks unattended while in bars. Criminals may also target people who are visibly drunk.

General advice for visitors is available in English on the police’s website.

Israel has advised its citizens against travelling to Malmö during Eurovision week, defining it as a “moderate” threat.

“[There are] credible concerns that terrorist factions will take advantage of the demonstrations and the anti-Israel atmosphere to execute attacks on Israelis coming to Sweden for the Eurovision,” the National Security Council writes. “Swedish authorities have bolstered security measures in Malmö, but it is important to note that unlike the Israeli delegation to the contest, individual Israelis are not protected,” it writes.

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