Copenhagen and Paris mayors hold talks on rebuilding fire-ravaged landmarks

THE mayor of Copenhagen has been in touch with her Paris counterpart to see what can be learned from the reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral, after a fire destroyed half of Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange, which dates from 1615.

The Danish Chamber of Commerce, which was headquartered in the Old Stock Exchange and owns the building, wants the building to be reconstructed. However, no decision has yet been made about who will finance a reconstruction, a project that would cost millions, if not billions of kroner and take years.

Sophie Haestorp Andersen, the Danish capital’s mayor, told The Associated Press that she had been in touch with Paris mayor Anne Hildago to discuss how the French handled the reconstruction of the Notre

Dame Cathedral after an April 2019 blaze ravaged the 800-year-old landmark. Its restoration is slated for completion this year.

Ms Hildago gave “some good inputs on how to move quickly, how Paris handled donations and the restoration which must be done fast,” Ms Haestorp Andersen said.

“We stand before a huge task when it comes to rebuilding Boersen

together with the Danish Chamber of Commerce… but we know this can be done quickly,” she said, using the stock exchange building’s Danish name.

She added that Ms Hildago has invited a Danish team to meet those behind the rebuilding of Notre Dame’s spire.

Tuesday’s blaze was believed to have started on the roof during renovations, but the cause remained unclear.

Work continued yesterday to stabilise the building, with the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department expected to be present at the scene of the fire for at least another day. Many of the building’s most valuable contents, which included irreplaceable paintings and other works of art, have been saved.