Denmark’s Boersen Building Burned

400 years of Danish cultural heritage up in flames.

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").¹

The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city's oldest buildings and onlookers gasped as its iconic dragon spire tumbled into the street below. 400 years of Danish cultural heritage have gone up in flames.

Members of the public rushed to rescue historic paintings and it took hours before the fire was under control.²

World Monuments Fund (WMF) expressed deep sadness over the loss experienced by the people of Denmark after a major fire that destroyed the Boersen Building in Copenhagen on Tuesday, April 16. 

The Boersen building, which once housed the Danish stock exchange, is among the oldest buildings in Copenhagen and was an indelible part of the character of the so-called “City of Towers.” Its iconic dragon spire, a beloved local landmark, was consumed in the blaze. In addition to its architectural and historic significance, the Boersen building also housed an art collection of immense national importance, parts of which were likewise damaged in the fire.³

1. Milne, Richard (16 April 2024). "Denmark's historic stock exchange goes up in flames". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.

2. Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames. BBC. April 16, 2024.

3. Fire at Denmark’s Boersen Building. World Monuments Fund.