Built under the reign of Christian IV in 1619–1640, the building was considered a leading example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. It is a protected building for conservation purposes.
Denmark's Deputy Prime Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, called the 2024 fire "our own Notre Dame moment". The fire occurred five years and one day after the Notre-Dame fire in Paris.
The fire caused catastrophic damage, destroying its copper roof and iconic 56-meter spire, and causing parts of the outer walls to collapse. More than half of the building was destroyed.
Though a significant portion of the interior was lost in flames, there were no casualties.
The touching part was that several hundred historic artworks from the building's substantial collection, as well as historic furniture, were rescued by staff, emergency workers, and passers-by.