Archeological excavaction at the site of Simons' Passage arcade destroyed in WWII

Simons' Passage was built in 1900 at the corner of Długa and Nalewki streets. The construction was commissioned by a Berlin merchant Albert Simons. The five-storey and two-winged building had a very modern structure for its times, which was made of reinforced concrete. Inside, one would find parlours, shops, agencies and offices. After Poland regained independence, part of the building was used by a court.

The mall was heavily bombed in 1939 and only the parkside wing survived. The ruined building served as a backdrop for the famous Operation Arsenal - a successful ambush of a Gestapo van carrying Polish resistance members, including Jan Bytnar "Rudy". Later on, the building witnessed the liquidation of Warsaw Ghetto and heavy fighting during the Warsaw Uprising. It also served as a air raid shelter for civilians. As a result of German bombing of the place, some 300 people perished within its walls and the mall was destroyed. The ruins were demolished after the war.

According to "Gazeta Stołeczna", the archeological excavation at the site of the former mall has begun on March 28 and is to take four months. The works are being carried out by Archaios company.

"As expected, relics of the first, older part of Simons' Passage have been unearthed, the one heavily damaged in 1939 and demolished during the war. These include foundation ceilings and bricked-up steel pillars. Apart from this, no artifacts have been found, which suggests that the Germans plundered the basements before before burying them," Monika Sarnecka, who represents the investor - Serenus company, told "Gazeta Stołeczna".

The company plans to construct a building inspired by how the old mall looked like, however the exact project hasn't been made yet. The investor is currently in planning phase. As the plot has been listed in the archeological heritage register, it is necessary to carry out a research before moving on with the construction.

"The works have been launched after a green light from the voivodeship heritage preservation officer. We don't expect to find any relics of uprising stronghold at Simons' Passage because it was located in the newer wing of the building, which today is part of Krasiński Garden," Sarnecka said.

"The construction of Simons' Passage in the early 20th century largely annihilated the remains of earlier structures. But we hope to find some partial relics of former monastery and Bridgettines' church. All found artifacts shall be transferred to the National Archaeological Museum in Warsaw," the investor representative assured.