Børsen

For the newspaper, see Dagbladet Børsen. For the modern Danish stock exchange, see Copenhagen Stock Exchange. For the Norwegian stock exchange, see Oslo Stock Exchange.

Børsen
General information
Architectural style	Dutch renaissance
Town or city	Copenhagen
Country	Denmark
Coordinates	55°40′32″N 12°35′2″E
Construction started	1619
Completed	1640
Client	Christian IV
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Lorentz and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger

Børsen (Danish for "the Exchange"), also known as Børsbygningen ("The (Stock) Exchange building" in English), was a 17th-century stock exchange in the center of Copenhagen. The historic building was situated next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, on the island of Slotsholmen. Børsen, a popular tourist attraction, was most noted for its distinctive spire, shaped as the tails of four dragons twined together, reaching a height of 56 metres.

Built under the reign of Christian IV in 1619–1640, the building was considered a leading example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. It was a protected building for conservation purposes.

History

Børsen painted by H.G.F. Holm, c. 1823

Børsen seen with Højbro Bridge in the foreground

Børsen was planned by Christian IV as part of his plan to strengthen Copenhagen's role as a centre for trade and commerce in Northern Europe. A site on the north side of the embankment which connected Copenhagen to the new market town Christianshavn, which was planned on reclaimed land off the coast of Amager. The king charged Lorenz van Steenwinckel with the design of the new building, but Steenwinckel died shortly thereafter. The assignment was then passed on to his brother, Hans van Steenwinckel.

The site first had to be prepared since the embankment had not yet stabilized. Construction of the building began in 1620 and was largely completed in 1624 with the exception of the spire (installed in 1625) and details of the east gable (completed in 1640). The building contained 40 trading offices at the ground floor and one large room at the upper floor. The building was in use as a marketplace during the late 1620s.

In 1647, Christian IV sold the building to the merchant Jacob Madsen for 50,000 Danish rigsdaler. Frederick III later reacquired the building from Madsen's widow.

The building was restored by Nicolai Eigtved in 1745.

19th and 20th centuries

The interior of the building was renovated in 1855. In 1857, Frederick VII sold the building to Grosserer-Societetet for 70,000 rigsdaler.

The building housed the Danish stock-market until 1974. In 1918, unemployed anarchists attacked Børsen, an attack that went into the Danish history books as stormen på Børsen (Storm on the Stock Exchange).

2024 fire

On the morning of 16 April 2024, smoke was reported rising from the roof of Børsen. The fire had spread throughout the building in the following minutes, resulting in the collapse of the famous "Dragespir" ("Dragon Spire") at around 08:32.

The fire had happened during an ongoing attempt to renovate the main building. The scaffolding around Børsen had also been caught in the fire. The exact cause of fire is currently unknown.

Current use

The building now serves as headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).

Cultural references

• Børsen is the location where Holm-Hansen hands the Bedford Diamonds over to an Arabian sheik in the 1974 Olsen-banden film The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang.

Gallery

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See also

• Copenhagen Stock Exchange
• Slotsholmsgade
• Danish Brotherhood in America Headquarters
• Construction and renovation fires
• List of building or structure fires
• List of destroyed heritage