Following the tragic fire that ravaged the historic Børsen building, the rescue operation is now in full swing to remove scaffolding, debris, and remains of the burnt copper roof. But amidst the destruction, a glimmer of hope has been found: a valuable statue that once adorned the building’s gable has been salvaged and is now handed over to the National Museum. The statue, discovered on Saturday afternoon, has suffered some damage but is overall in good condition. “All efforts were made to save the statue. And we succeeded,” said Jakob Vedsted Andersen, director of the Capital Emergency Services, during a press briefing on Sunday morning.
The National Museum will now assess the statue’s condition in more detail and decide on the best way to preserve it for the future. “It is important for us to preserve as much of our cultural heritage as possible, even in such tragic circumstances as these,” said a museum spokesperson. While the work of clearing the fire site continues, emergency workers have had to deal with sporadic pockets of fire that continue to flare up.
The outer walls of the damaged building have also suffered from the fire, especially after the scaffolding collapsed on Thursday. But as the scaffolding is slowly removed, it has been revealed that parts of the building’s masonry are less damaged than initially thought. “We thought that the entire facade facing the canal had collapsed, but it turns out that some parts of the masonry are still standing,” says Jakob Vedsted Andersen. This gives hope that some parts of the historic building can be preserved and perhaps even restored.
The work on site is expected to continue in the coming days, with emergency services ensuring that all necessary safety measures are in place to protect both workers and the remaining structures.