Denmark's King Frederik laid the foundation stone on Thursday to commence the reconstruction of Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange. The 400-year-old landmark was partly destroyed by a fire in April. Frederik placed a 60-kilogram sandstone with his monogram into a corner of the building, symbolizing the official start to the rebuilding efforts.
On April 16, a fire ravaged Boersen, collapsing its iconic dragon-tail spire and green copper roof. Despite the devastation, approximately 90% of the site's cultural objects were salvaged, thanks to efforts from locals. The three-century-old building's outer wall also collapsed two days later, and a subsequent clean-up operation removed nearly 1,000 tons of debris.
Owned by Denmark's Chamber of Commerce, the Old Stock Exchange will be reconstructed using original materials, an effort emphasizing historical accuracy. "Today we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Stock Exchange!" wrote Brian Mikkelsen, head of the Chamber. Reconstruction is anticipated to take several years, with no set end date or cost details. Meanwhile, Culture Minister Christina Egelund assured that current regulations will be reviewed to protect historic buildings, noting, "We must do everything to ensure that that tragedy does not repeat." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)