Børsen

Former Stock Exchange

Magnificent Old Building

Description

The Stock Exchange is one of Copenhagen's most spectacular and oldest buildings. Christian IV had it built in 1620, in an effort to turn Copenhagen into a financial centre to compete with Amsterdam. The Stock Exchange was built on top of water, on filled-in foundations. Because canals surrounded it on three sides, the building has managed to survive the various fires that have ravaged Copenhagenthrough the years. The Stock Exchange was originally built to be a meeting place for Danish and foreign merchants. It was filled with shops, and the first floor was converted into a warehouse where you could buy everything from books to grains. The long building is magnificently decorated with dormer windows, but the most characteristic thing about the Stock Exchange is the spire. Four dragons with their tails intertwined form the spire and topped by three golden crowns symbolise the three Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the nineteenth century, the building was converted into a modern stock exchange. Today, the stock exchange operations have moved to Nicolaj Plads square, but the Copenhagen Chamber of Commerce still uses the big hall for meetings.