PAST-a building capture marks major Warsaw Uprising success

On August 20, 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising, the Kiliński Battalion of the Armia Krajowa successfully captured the Polish Telephone Joint-Stock Company building, commonly known as the PAST-a building. Located at Zielna 37/39, the structure was a critical German stronghold used for military telephone exchanges to coordinate combat in Warsaw and the eastern front.

Standing at 51.5 meters, the building served as a dominant observation and firing point, allowing German forces to suppress insurgents and civilians in the Śródmieście district. After several failed attempts to seize the heavily fortified reinforced concrete structure, the successful assault took place during the night of August 19–20. The capture of the building was considered a major strategic and moral victory for the Polish resistance.

The building, designed by Bronisław Brochwicz-Rogoyski, was one of the tallest in Warsaw at the time. Following the war, the site became the headquarters for the World Association of Home Army Soldiers.