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The Reception
The Exchange Hall
The Library
The Aisle
The Empire room
Room 13
The Tietgen Hall
The Committee Hall
The Chairman's Office
The Library was designed by

the architect, professor Kai Gottlob in 1957 when the Merchants' Guild had their 100 year anniversary in connection with the ownership of Børsen.

Originally the Library was a reading and a smoking room. In the reading room the merchants could read their daily newspapers and periodicals.In the smoking room which was the second half of the Library and arranged in four departments, you could have a nice cigar while discussing business without disturbance.

In the centre of the Library you notice the large fireplace. Originally it was decorated with a fresco representing the map of Denmark and painted by Vilhelm Andersen. But in connection with the Committee of the Merchants' Guild's 150 years anniversary in 1967, the map of Denmark was changed with a similar map in tiles, given to Børsen by merchant Hugo Evers.
The new "Børsbillede"
Opposite the fireplace you notice the Library's latest painting. In 1995 the young and promising artist Thomas Kluge was asked to immortalize the 13 members of the committee and the managing director of the Chamber by creating a new "Børsbillede". If you take a closer look, you actually notice 16 persons on the painting, because Thomas Kluge also painted himself and P.S. Krøyer on the two books, which are held by the present chairman and the member who is standing up.

Thomas Kluge har efter eget udsagn anvendt i alt 1.400 timer på maleriet og undervejs studeret over 600 fotografier af de forskellige personer på billedet. Komitemedlemmerne har ikke på noget tidspunkt været samlet for at ”stå model” til billedet, og alle er malt ud fra fotos fra kunstnerens studie.

Thomas Kluge said he totally spent 1.400 hours on the painting and during this period he studied more than 600 pictures of the various persons on the painting. The members of the committee did not once join to pose, because all of them are painted from pictures in the artist's studio.

The first "Børsbillede"
Thomas Kluge's painting responds to P.S. Krøyer's "Børsbillede" from 1895, which is placed on the opposite side and represents life in the Exchange Hall at the turn of the century. At that time it was customary to wear a top hat when you went to Børsen. All the persons on Krøyer's painting posed for the artist and everyone paid to be painted. The more you paid the closer you got in front of the painting.
According to merchant G.A. Hagemann's note from 1906, Krøyer wanted the humble price of dkk 20.000 for the painting. This meant you could pay dkk 800 for a place in front, dkk 500 for a place in a recess, and dkk 300 for a place in the background. The merchants and the gentlemen on the painting did not want to accept this, until merchant Isberg (manager of the trade house I.P. Suhr & Søn) offered to pay the price of dkk 5.000 kr. which made the price go down for the rest. The final result was then dkk 500 for a place in front, dkk 300 for a place in a recess, and dkk 100 for a place in the background. All the places on the painting were quickly occupied and Krøyer's famous "Børsbillede" became his first large group painting.

Christian Høyer's painting of Christian IV and Tycho Brahe (1810)
In 1997 Christian Høyer's painting of Christian IV was restored. It represents Tycho Brahe with the golden chains. At that time the painting was given to Børsen by titular councellor of state L.N. Hvidt, who was chairman of the Merchants' Guild during 1842-1856.

"Marinebillede" by Anton Melbye (1863) and "Søstykker" by Chr. Mølsted (1890)
In 1998 "Marinebilledet" and "Søstykkerne"( which are placed in the Library), were restored. In 1957 the architect, professor Kai Gottlob got the original golden frames removed and replaced them with ordinary wooden lists. In 1998 the golden frames were taken down from the attic and replaced on both paintings.

"Badende ved stranden" by William Scharff (1939)
You will notice a modern painting with naked bathing people hidden a bit compared to the other paintings.
Year of establishment: 1957
Architect: professor Kai Gottlob
The Library for rent:
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