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Originally Børsen |
was a commodity
exchange. Every day corn and various overseas products were
exchanged. The ships were able to tie directy up at the wharfs
on both sides of the building.Today the waters are replaced
by the streets, Slotsholmsgade and Børsgade. At that
time the goods were transported up the ramp and into the large
exchange hall.
The whole building on the first floor was one big room, except
the writing rooms in the four small rooms in each corner of
the building. Through the whole building booths and shops were
arranged along the walls and on both sides of the gangway. Børsen
represented a kind of "walking street" where you could
get anything you needed. Especially the high society went to
Børsen to have a look and to be looked at. It was also
easier to walk through Børsen than on the street/the
wharf, where you could not avoid walking between barrels, bales
and other cargo. You also had to bend down to avoid the bowsprits
of the many ships that were tied up. Besides ordinary people,
the prominent merchants of that period visited Børsen
which also included skippers and stock brokers. They came to
do business and have a chat with people they had something in
common with. The first person you met on the ramp before entering
Børsen, was the tuck woman selling cakes and fruit and
during the winther, she got an extra income by renting out rush
shoes.
In files we have found, several merchants complain about loud
people and drunken sailors. Also the King's soldiers could paralyse
the trade totally, when they were going to cross Knippelsbro
by marching through the building with drumps and pipes. |
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Until 1857 the Merchants' Guild had rented Børsen, and
immediately after the committee had taken over the building,
they made comprehensive changes inside it. The architect Harald
Stilling designed the new Exchange Hall. Especially the large
Exchange Hall underwent huge changes, but since its completion
in 1858 only a little has been changed. It concerns the decoration
of the four corners of the Hall with charcoal drawings by Lorenz
Frølich. The drawings show work, justice, curage and
love. In the gallery above |
| the Hall
leaded windows were inserted. The windows have town arms from
European ports and some are from overseas ports. |
At the eastern part of the Hall, the mighty statue of Thorvaldsen's
King Christian IV is placed and surrounded by Dannebrog - superior
to every meeting in the Hall.
The floor in the hall is of historic value, as the parquet blocks
are made of the eucalyptus wood which is not used any more.
The floor is worn unevenly. According to history it was because
of the black boards for the daily stock notings that were placed
special places in the Hall. The floor in front of the black
boards were particularly worn. However, the most worn places
are in front of the benches along the sides of the Hall. |
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| Year
of establishment: 1857-1859 |
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| Architect
: Harald Stilling |
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| Builder:
Grosserer-Societetet |
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