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
Location within Copenhagen
General information
Architectural style	Dutch renaissance
Town or city	Copenhagen
Country	Denmark
Coordinates
Construction started	1619
Completed	1640
Client	Christian IV
Design and construction
Architect	Lorentz and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger

Børsen (English: The Stock Exchange) is a historic building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built by Christian IV in 1619–1640 and is most known for its Dragon Spire shaped as the tails of four dragons twined together, reaching a height of 56 metres.

History

File:Børsen HGF Holm.jpg

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

File:Børsen - Højbro.jpg

Børsen 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.

19th century

In 1857, Frederick VII sold the building to Grosserer-Societetet for 70,000 rigsdaler.

The building was restored by Nicolai Eigtved in 1745 and internally renovated in 1855. It housed the Danish stock-market until 1974. In 1918, unemployed anarchists attacked Børsen, an attack that went to the Danish history books as "stormen på Børsen" (the storm at the stock exchange).

Current use

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

Gallery

• Børsen 1.jpg
• Børsen 3.jpg
• Børsen 2.jpg

See also

• Copenhagen Stock Exchange
• Slotsholmsgade