The Bank of Poland building was a temporary fortification for the insurgents during the first month of the Uprising, but the Polish underground had already been at work here long before…
During the Nazi occupation, the building’s function didn’t change, and became a Bank of Issue for the Nazi Germans’ General Government. A number of the bank’s Polish employees also worked with the underground, secretly passing on information about transports of money, leading to one of World War II’s largest heists against the occupiers.
During the Uprising, insurgents managed to storm the bank on the 3rd of August. However, due to its tactical position in between the Old Town and Warsaw’s centre, the Germans fought intensely to try and regain the building.
Bloody fighting went on for four weeks straight, with the occupiers even managing to get inside the building a number of times before being fought off again by the Polish Home Army.
It wasn’t until the 1st of September that the last remaining insurgents evacuated the building and escaped to Warsaw’s downtown through the city’s sewer system.
How to listen:
Unseen is available as a downloadable podcast, although it is best experienced through the Echoes geolocative storytelling app available for iOS and Android. After loading the app, search for soundwalks in Warsaw and you’ll find Unseen.