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The nearest vicinity of the place, where nowadays the Atrium Tower is located, is the district of former Mirów. The name is grounded in historical tradition. It comes from the name of General Wilhelm Mier, who was the commander of the regiment of the Crown Mounted Guard. His soldiers were stationed in barracks, located in the six identical pavilions, which were called Mirowskie ("Mir's") in the second half of the eighteenth century (although it would have been more proper to call them "Mierowskie" - "Mier's"). They made up the western part of the Saxon Axis, and at the same time they marked the location of the Mirowski Square. They were built in years 1730-33. However, the history of Mirów did not start along with the development of the barracks. Its history goes back to the medieval times. Back then, the district was located in the vicinity of the oldest main route from the West, along present-day Ch³odna, Elektoralna and Senatorska Streets up to the gates of the Old Warsaw. Due to attractiveness of the location, the area of Mirów was settled already in the sixteenth century. It is confirmed by the archeological findings from the area of Krochmalna, Ch³odna and Elektoralna Streets. These are pots, jugs, bowls and frying pans made of grayware ceramics. Among the finds from the district of Mirów there is a valuable antique of the modern times - a pot, excavated near Krochmalna Street. It is one of a few earthenware products, found in the Mazovian region, and preserved almost intact. It is kept in the National Archeological Museum.
In the seventeenth century, when jurisdictions were established in the suburbs of Warsaw, the area of the future Mirów belonged to the jurisdiction of Wielopole and, partially, to the jurisdiction of Grzybów. It was precisely marked out by a network of streets, which emerged later: Ciep³a, Ch³odna, Elektoralna, Waliców, Grzybowska and Krochmalna Streets. Three of these, running towards the district of Wola, that is: Ch³odna, Elektoralna and Krochmalna, are former cart-tracks; Ciep³a, Waliców and Grzybowska are streets that were marked out and named in the sixties and the seventies of the eighteenth century. Their names are only seemingly abstract. It turns out that knowledge of history of this area explains a lot. For instance, the names of the streets: Waliców and Grzybowska commemorate the names of owners of Waliców and Grzybów: Bazyli Walicki and Jan Grzybowski; the name of Elektoralna Street was inspired by the status of a Saxon elector, obtained by August 2nd of Saxony; names of Ciep³a ("Warm") and Ch³odna ("Cool") Streets possibly refer to climatic conditions of the area; Krochmalna ("Starch"), which was formerly called Lawendowska or Lawendowa ("Lavender" - due to the fact that there were many gardens around here), got its later name after the starch factory, located at 1/3 Krochmalna Street.
Until the end of the eighteenth century, Mirów was located within the boundaries of the above mentioned jurisdictions. After year 1794, when the act regarding liquidation of these private towns came into force, the administrative situation of the Mirów suburbs changed. Their legal autonomy was abolished, and the areas were joined together and incorporated into the city. In this way, the area became
part of Warsaw.
The period of the Congress Kingdom, when a certain level of political stability was finally reached, dynamic development of the area begun again. The district was getting more and more of an urban look. Apart from wooden houses and manors, brick houses and tenements were constructed. They were often designed by outstanding architects, mainly in the first half of the nineteenth century, such as: Fryderyk Sessel, Antonio Corrazzi, Karol Galle, Józef Or³owski. Along Ch³odna, Ciep³a, Elektoralna Street, tenements of many stores and often many axes, with triangular frontages and attics, were built. Some of them were richly decorated with sculptures. The new houses were mostly owned by entrepreneurs, whose companies were located nearby. Around year 1819, houses were knocked down between the Mirowski Square and Elektoralna Street, and a marketplace was marked out. It was called "Pod Lwem" ("Under the Lion"), because there was a bas-relief with the title motif on a neighboring house. After liquidation of the marketplace, in years 1841-1849, the Church of the Saint Charles Boromeus was built, designed by Henryk Marconi. The building architecture resembled Roman churches of the Renaissance. It is humorously called "the smallest church in Warsaw, since the saints are standing outside the shrine."
On the turn of the nineteenth century, pulling down of four pavilions of the Mirowskie Barracks caused a major change in the urban look of Mirów. They were replaced by Mirowskie Markets. It became easier for people from other parts of the city to travel to this shopping center of Warsaw, when a tram line was established in 1908 along Ch³odna Street. During the two decades between WWI and WWII, the area got an even more urban style. It was expressed mainly through architecture. New buildings were emerging in a modernist style, and additional stores or attics were added to the existing ones. Ch³odna Street, where more and more elegant stores were being open, was becoming a representative promenade for this neighborhood.
During World War II, in 1940, the district became part of the ghetto, and it was peopled by force with Jewish population. During the first days of the Warsaw Uprising, the main assault of the German units was delivered along Ch³odna and Elektoralna Streets, from the district of Wola, heading to the Old Town. At that time, the buildings of the area suffered most damage. Also in these days, the inhabitants of the vicinity of the Mirowski Square were cruelly crushed by the Germans. Most of them were murdered in the area of the Mirowskie Markets. After the war, the sparse houses that survived were pulled down, and the Mirowski Square was cut through with the N-S route. In the sixties, on both sides of the newly marked out Julian Marchlewski Street (currently, Pope John Paul the Second Street), apartment buildings of the housing estate Za ¯elazn¹ Bram¹ ("Behind the Iron Gate") were developed.
People, who lived in the area of Mirów and the vicinity, were mostly protestants (this was due to the act of 1525, which allowed the non-Catholics to settle only outside the city walls). Most of them were craftsmen, skilled in many trades. Small-scale production of these inhabitants contributed to significant industrial and commercial revival of the Mirów suburbs. Particularly active were the brewers. Here, in Mirów, the greatest entrepreneurs of this trade took their first steps. There is information in the archives about a brewery at Krochmalna Street, existent at least since 1768. In year 1827, when it became the property of famous brewers, Schaefer and Glimpf, they employed Konstanty Schiele and Karol Haberbuach, which are the most renowned names in the history of Warsaw breweries. It is also known that the brewery of J.Suchocki, which was located at Krochmalna Street as well, was at the beginning of the nineteenth century one of the leading producers of beer in Warsaw. Breweries at Ciep³a Street were owned by well-known families, such as Kazimirus and Reych. Until today, labels and bottles of Reych company have been preserved by beer lovers. Collectors also value labels from the famous brewery of Karol Machlejd, who moved his brewery from Grochów to 45 Ch³odna Street, at the intersection with Wronia Street, in year 1869. According to the family tradition, this was the first brewer to make Bavarian beer in Warsaw.
A historical anecdote tells a story about Tomasz Dangiel, whose manufacture of carriages was located at Elektoralna 12 Street (Nowadays, in this place, in buildings formerly belonging to a hospital, Warsaw Center of Culture has its abode). He was known for outwitting Warsaw snobs, who were more eager to purchase foreign carriages than Polish ones. Tomasz Dangiel would send his own products to Gdañsk, and after putting English labels on them, he would bring them back to Warsaw as imported carriages. Also at the same street, at Elektoralna 16, the most famous factory of silver plates, owned by Józef Fraget, was located for one hundred years, from 1844 to 1944. Until today, the products of this company reach high prices at auctions and in antique shops. The same applies to products, signed by Norblin and Co. In years 1834-1886, Norblin's company was located at 3 Ch³odna Street. In the shadow of big, renowned companies, operating in Mirów, small-scale producers were doing business as well. They developed various areas of production. They were involved in manufacture of cotton wool, candles, vinegar, soap, linen, fireproof cash registers, electrical and technical equipment, tarpaulins and tents.
The district of Mirów, aside from intensively developing industrial production, was also home to dynamic trade. The tradition was initiated by the earlier mentioned marketplace, at the Square under the Lion. Numerous shops, located at the ground floor of tenements, participated in its cultivation as well. They disposed of a big assortment of many kinds of products, including: groceries, writing materials, textiles, and shoes. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the commercial tradition of this vicinity was continued thanks to the Mirowska Marketplace.
In one of Warsaw newspapers of the nineteenth century, a picture of a dancing hall in Warsaw has been preserved. It documents the existence of a well-known dancing place, located at Krochmalna Street, corner of Waliców. It was a room with a gallery, supported by columns, running around the hall, where the viewers were standing. The ceiling was decorated with an ornamental plafond. It was built in 1822, and, for some reason, it was called Wroc³awska ("of Breslau"). Since 1899, the residents were able to enjoy entertainment at the Folk Theatre, located at Ciep³a Street, in the former riding stables of the tsarist military police. The name pointed to the sort of repertoire, played there. Contemporary reviews of the shows, full of awe, point at their popularity among the audience. The stage of the theater at Ciep³a Street was the place of debut of the future famous actress, Mieczys³awa Æwiklinska.
Until today, there are little traces of its colorful past in the scenery of Mirów. The most important among these are the two lonely buildings of Mirowskie Barracks (now home to the Fire Department and a Museum of Fire-Fighting), and the church of Saint Charles Boromeus. In its vicinity, fragments of tram tracks at Ch³odna Street remind us of the fact that this was an important artery of communication one hundred years ago.
Apart from historic monuments of the area, something else has survived, something more transient, belonging to the sphere of people's customs, expressed in sayings, proverbs, anecdotes. There was a saying in the local dialect of Warsaw: "If I bash you, if I slash you, you'll end up at Krochmalna". Unfortunately, the Dictionary of Warsaw Local Dialect cites the saying without any comment that would explain its meaning.
Taking into consideration the history of this particular part of Warsaw, it can be said that the industrial character of Mirów has completely faded away. Only the tradition of trade is being revived. It becomes more and more popular to locate financial companies and banks in this area.
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