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Getting Started in Genealogy – Sites and notes to guide your steps in developing and organizing your genealogical research
History of Polish Church Records – A quick history of Roman Catholic vital record keeping from inception in the 16th century and developments in Poland
House History for Genealogy – The history of family homes might add depth to your research
Locating the Ancestral Village – Tips and sources to help locate the unknown ancestral village
Researching Passenger Ship Data – Tips and links to find and use the documents
Polish Census Data – From Pre-Partition to Today – An outline of what was taken about whom and when
When Hiring a Researcher – A collection of questions to help you find the right researcher
Why You Might Not Be Finding That Record – Some reasons your searches have hit a brick wall, and a few new directions to take
Instructional Videos
Galician Ancestor Resources – 20 min, RootsTech 2021, Kinga Urbańska, Your Roots in Poland (see Researchers & Tour Guides in Poland under Research Sources)
Preserving Your Precious Documents & Photos – 24 minute video on the basic best practices to storing and protecting original documents
Where to Search for Polish Data – 20 min, RootsTech 2021, Kinga Urbańska, Your Roots in Poland (see Researchers & Tour Guides in Poland under Research Sources)
Language
Alphabets Latin Polish Polish-Pronunciation German Cyrillic Cyrillic-Pronunciation
Online Translation – Type, copy & paste, or drag entire files for translation Google Translate DeepL Translator
Vocabulary – Word list translations you will find very useful
Church & Cemetery Names – Names of churches and cemeteries translated: Polish > English
Family Relationships – Translation of words describing family relationships: Polish > English
Illness – Illnesses and diseases that afflicted our ancestors: Polish > English & English > Polish
Marriage Documents – Common words and phrases found in marriage records: Polish > English
Occupations – Common, and some not so common, means of support you will find in vital and other records (with word etymologies): Polish > English
US Polish Societies – Translation of society names and acronyms commonly found in US Polish obituaries: Polish > English
Village Life – Words and phrases (with word etymologies) about people, occupations, things, etc. you might find in letters and documents: Polish > English
Village Society – Terminology (with word etymologies) describing people and their socio-economic rank from serf to noble: Polish > English
Vital Records – Additional terms you will find helpful for navigating vital records: Polish > English
** Surname Mutilation – To break some brick walls, learn how surnames were formed, changed and mutilated here and in Poland
How To…
Find Living Relatives in Poland – Avenues by which to possibly locate living Polish relatives
Navigate Map Search Engines – Step-by-step instructions for: Geonames, Google Maps, Kartenmeister, Mapa Szukacz, Wikipedia
Search for Missing Deaths – Deaths do not always occur in the family village; here are additional search options
Use Cadastral Maps – Learn from examples how they apply to your genealogical research
Use Geneteka – Maximize your use of the Geneteka database and its various options
Write to Poland for Records – Guide to writing requests in Polish for birth, marriage and death records
What Are…
Sources beyond vital records in Polish genealogical research: Acts of Respect Records Alegata Records Family Council Records Family Estate Archives
Gubernia Journals Liquidation Tables Monographs Notary Records Prenuptial Contracts Property Inventories
Schematyzm Wills & Testaments
Cadastral Maps
Declarations of Intention
Gazetteers
Polish Central Military Archives
Wolas
Polish Culture
Dutch in Greater Poland – A short essay about Dutch and northwestern German immigration to Poland
German/Prussian Colonization in Galicia – The strange case of Prussian colonists recruited by Austro-Hungary for Galicia
Kaszubian Surnames – Information about, and a list of, Kaszubian surnames in Canada and the US
Podhale…Rural Life (Video) – A personal encounter with the old ways that are fading into memory
Polish Citizenship Application – An outline of what is needed to consider to apply for Polish citizenship based on ancestry
Polish Heraldry & Noble Databases – Learn about the unique nature of Polish nobility, heraldry and search szlachta databases
Polish Skansen – Links to 32 Polish open-air ethnographic and folk museums
Polish Traditions – Explore common and uncommon legends, traditions and holidays
World War 1 Research – Guide to researching US World War 1 records
World War 2 Research – Guide to researching US World War 2 records