Børsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Børsen |
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The building located in Copenhagen, Denmark, before the spire and roof were destroyed in the 2024 fire.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Dutch renaissance |
| Town or city | Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Coordinates | DK-84 55°40′32″N 12°35′2″E / 55.67556°N 12.58389°E |
| Construction started | 1619 |
| Completed | 1640 |
| Renovated | 1745 1855 |
| Client | Christian IV |
| Owner | Danish Chamber of Commerce |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Lorentz and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Nicolai Eigtved (1745) Harald Conrad Stilling (1855) |
Børsen (which means "the Bourse" in Danish) is a very old building in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is also known as Børsbygningen ("The Bourse building"). This historic place was built in the 1600s.
It stands right next to Christiansborg Palace, where the Danish Parliament meets. The building is on an island called Slotsholmen. Børsen is a great example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. It is a protected building, meaning it is kept safe for history.
Many people visited Børsen because of its special spire. This spire looked like the tails of four dragons twisted together. It reached a height of 56 m (184 ft). Sadly, on April 16, 2024, a big fire badly damaged the building. The famous dragon spire fell during the fire.
History of Børsen
Børsen was planned by King Christian IV. He wanted Copenhagen to be a major trading city in Northern Europe. The king chose a spot on the north side of a path that connected Copenhagen to a new town called Christianshavn.
The king asked Lorenz van Steenwinckel to design the building. But Lorenz died soon after. His brother, Hans van Steenwinckel, then took over the job.
Building Børsen started in 1620. Most of it was finished by 1624. The special dragon spire was added in 1625. The dragons on the spire were designed by the king's fireworks master. People believed these dragons would protect the building from enemies and fire.
The building had 40 trading offices on the ground floor. There was also a large room upstairs. Børsen was used as a marketplace in the late 1620s.
In 1647, King Christian IV sold the building to a merchant named Jacob Madsen. He sold it for 50,000 Danish rigsdaler (an old type of money). Later, King Frederick III bought the building back. He bought it from Madsen's widow, who could not afford to keep it up.
The building was repaired and updated by Nicolai Eigtved in 1745.
Later Years
The inside of Børsen was updated again in 1855. Architect Harald Conrad Stilling led this work. In 1857, King Frederick VII sold the building. He sold it to a group called Grosserer-Societetet for 70,000 rigsdaler.
Børsen was home to the Danish stock market until 1974. In 1918, a group of unemployed people attacked Børsen. This event is known in Danish history as stormen på Børsen (the Storm on the Stock Exchange).
Børsen Today
Since 2018, Børsen has been the main office for the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).
The 2024 Fire
On April 16, 2024, a fire broke out at Børsen. This happened during renovation work on the copper roof. The fire caused the famous dragon spire, called Dragespir, to fall. About half of the building was destroyed by the fire that afternoon.
Scaffolding around the building also caught fire. This made it hard for firefighters to put out the flames. Extra machines were used to remove parts of the roof. This helped water reach the fire. The building is mostly made of wood, so its outer walls were in danger of falling.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire. Many historic paintings and old furniture were saved. Staff, emergency workers, people from the nearby National Museum of Denmark, and even passers-by helped rescue these items. Among the saved artworks were From Copenhagen Stock Exchange by Peder Severin Krøyer. Another painting saved was Det danske handelskammer komite og adm. direktør 1995 by Thomas Kluge.
Brian Mikkelsen, who is the CEO of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, said the building would be rebuilt. Many people compared this fire to the Notre-Dame fire that happened five years earlier.
See also
- Nasdaq Copenhagen
- Slotsholmsgade
