Passers-by helped rescue some of Denmark’s most valuable paintings after Copenhagen’s 17th-century Polsen Building, the city’s former stock exchange, was destroyed by fire today (April 16).
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the building as the country’s “Notre Dame moment” after it caught fire during renovations, just a few days after the Paris cathedral blaze. Five years and one day.
The Bursen Museum, one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings, houses one of the country’s most important art collections, including works by 19th-century Danish-Norwegian artist Peder Severin Krøyer, which were brought to the attention of passers-by, security guards and local museum directors. safe place.
Danish Culture Minister Jakon Engel-Schmidt said it was heartwarming to see passersby helping emergency services “rescue artistic treasures and iconic images from the burning building”. The National Museum of Denmark sent 25 staff to the scene to assist in the evacuation of cultural relics and paintings.
A series of images show how the Dragon Tower in Polsen, Copenhagen, burned down before collapsing to the street below in the early 17th century AP/Alami Stock Photo
“We are doing everything we can to save everything,” Copenhagen Fire Department chief Jacob Widster Andersen told reporters. “Furniture, floor partitions and everything that could burn were affected by the fire,” he said . Camilla Jul Bastholm of the National Museum of Denmark said hundreds of works were rescued under escort and put into storage.
Built in 1615, the building is known for its famous 184-foot-long Dragon Tower, which consists of four intertwined dragon tails and symbolizes the gold reserves generated by the former stock exchange in the country’s financial center. Video on social media showed the spire being engulfed in flames before falling to the ground next to a fire truck.Ulla Kjaer, senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, said Reuters: “This minaret is absolutely iconic and there is no other minaret like it in the world.”
The 17th-century Bolsen (top) with its famous Dragon Tower, now burning, 2019 Linda Kastrup, Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix Photo credit: AP.AP/Alami Photo Agency
The building is currently the headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, and its president, Brian Mikkelsen, was one of those who helped rescue artifacts from the building. He said: “Everyone at the Danish Chamber of Commerce is crying now. This is their workplace and this is their history.
The cause of the fire, which was first reported at 7.30am, is currently unknown. Although ambulances were called to the scene, no injuries were reported. Parts of the adjacent parliament building were evacuated as a precaution.
The fire department told reporters that scaffolding erected around the building during renovations was making it harder for firefighters to reach the flames, and that the building’s copper roof was absorbing heat, making some parts of the building too dangerous to enter.
King Frederik of Denmark wrote on Instagram: “An important part of our architectural heritage was and still is burned in the fire. For generations, the characteristic dragon-shaped spire has made Copenhagen known as the “City of Towers”.
The mayor of Copenhagen has joined six district mayors in issuing a statement calling for the restoration of Dutch Renaissance architecture. They said in a joint statement: “This is an absolutely terrible day. The stock exchange is not just an important part of Denmark’s entire cultural history. The building represents so much more than that, not least the quality of craftsmanship and tradition.” They added : “Dragons are supposed to protect against enemies and fire, and to this day they have succeeded. We cannot do without the stock exchange. It is time to show our strength.
Engel-Schmidt said it was too early to talk about reconstruction, but he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he “will do everything in my power to make the Dragon Spire stand in Copenhagen again.”
