Centuries-old Artworks Saved from Copenhagen's Stock Exchange Blaze

Charred remains stand on the Old Stock Exchange building, following a fire in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Withers
Charred remains stand on the Old Stock Exchange building, following a fire in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Withers
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Centuries-old Artworks Saved from Copenhagen's Stock Exchange Blaze

Charred remains stand on the Old Stock Exchange building, following a fire in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Withers
Charred remains stand on the Old Stock Exchange building, following a fire in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Withers

Art conservators are assessing the damage to centuries-old paintings recovered from a blaze that destroyed Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange this week, the National Museum of Denmark said on Thursday.
As the blaze ripped through the 400-year-old Copenhagen landmark on Tuesday, passersby jumped off their bicycles to help firefighters, conservators and soldiers retrieve valuable paintings.
"It had to be fast," Nina Wajman, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark, told Reuters.
Conservators retrieved paintings from the half of the building that had not caught fire, while firefighters in smoke-helmets and soldiers of the Royal Life Guards recovered paintings from the part that was ablaze, hastily loading them on to trucks.
"They might not have done it in the way an art expert would, but that's minor, I think," said Wajman.
She entered the building to recover a portrait in oil of Christian IV, Denmark's 17th-century king who oversaw the construction of the building, which was originally built for trading in commodities.
"I wasn't sure that it had been rescued, so I went in to look for it and it was still there," Wajman said.
Some paintings were severely damaged by water or fire or because they were hastily torn off the walls.
Conservators are still inspecting the paintings, which were brought to a depot of the National Museum, and are trying to get an overview of the damage and what is missing.
"We had great focus on the valuables inside the building. But the problem was that I needed all my firefighters to contain the fire as long as we could," Jakob Vedsted Andersen, head of the fire department in greater Copenhagen, told Reuters.
"So we had to ask people for help to bring out the paintings and the sculptures," he said.
Employees at the nearby Danish Chamber of Commerce, including its CEO, helped to carry paintings as big as 3 meters wide into a section of the nearby Christiansborg palace.
Klavs Lockwood, a local, was at the site early on Tuesday.
"These paintings were very big and heavy, so I quickly offered my help," he said.
He said the painting he helped carry had been torn in several places.
"You could see it was taken off the wall in a hurry."



Saudi Arabia's Camel Year 2024 Initiative Participates in 'Banan' Week

The year 2024 has been named the Year of the Camel in celebration of the cultural and civilizational significance of camels
The year 2024 has been named the Year of the Camel in celebration of the cultural and civilizational significance of camels
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Saudi Arabia's Camel Year 2024 Initiative Participates in 'Banan' Week

The year 2024 has been named the Year of the Camel in celebration of the cultural and civilizational significance of camels
The year 2024 has been named the Year of the Camel in celebration of the cultural and civilizational significance of camels

The Year of the Camel 2024 initiative, a Ministry of Culture project, participated in the Saudi International Handicrafts Week (Banan) Exhibition at Riyadh's Roshn Front with a pavilion informing the public about the initiative and celebrating camels as a key component of Saudi culture.
The pavilion at Banan presents educational content about camels through panels and a display screen. It also features prominent rock engravings scattered across the Kingdom, reflecting the importance of camels from pre-Islamic times, early Islamic periods, and subsequent eras.
The pavilion also showcases some camel-related products typically made by craftspeople, such as the "shaddad," a wooden seat placed on the camel's hump for the rider, and the "khirj," consisting of two attached bags placed over the shaddad and hanging down its sides to store the rider's personal belongings.
This participation is part of the activities and efforts of the Year of the Camel 2024 initiative, through which the Ministry of Culture aims to celebrate camels in both local and international forums and introduce visitors to camels as a historical source of pride for Saudis.
The year 2024 has been named the Year of the Camel in celebration of the cultural and civilizational significance of camels and in recognition of their esteemed status in Saudi society and their enduring connection with the people of the Arabian Peninsula throughout history.