400 years of history up in flames.

The big talking point at work today was the fire in Copenhagen this morning, where the old stock exchange, simply known as Børsen, or The Stock, burned for several hours.

If you are not familiar with what I am talking about, it's this


It's one of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen, dating back to 1623, and it's been used as a stock exchange until 1974, where it was converted into an office building. It's also a tourist magnet. The part of the building on fire in the picture is the Dragon Spire, which dates back to 1625. It was shaped as the tails of four dragons intertwined, symbolizing the protection of the gold that trade would generate for Denmark.
The spire also had three crowns at the top, symbolizing the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Legend has it, that the spire would protect us from enemies and from fires.

To us Danes, this is a piece of our history being destroyed. Some say it's our Notre Dame, which is pretty accurate. A lot of people were shocked - some even cried, because it's a pretty big landmark going up in flames.

The building was under renovation, and it's highly likely that someone on the renovation crew started the fire, by accident. It's unknown at the moment what started the inferno, but the police are beginning their technical work. It'll take time, but it will be worth it.

Once the technical work is done, the parts of the building that has burned, will be demolished, and new construction will begin. How much will this cost? It's unknown, but a minimum of 200 million kroner. The CEO of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, has said that no matter what, the building WILL be rebuilt.

Fortunately, no lives were lost in this tragic disaster, which is the most important thing. Most of the furniture and artwork from the building was saved, which was a huge relief. If they were lost in the fire, it would have been a loss that you couldn't put an amount on.

To put even more salt in the wound - it happened on Queen Margrethe II's 84th birthday.

Of all days..

Now begins the job of building back better than before, but one thing about us Danes is: We're a determined bunch. If we see a task ahead of us, we complete it - no matter the price or duration.

A building might be gone - but our spirit isn't!