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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…
Cadastral Maps
Declarations of Intention
Gazetteers
Polish Central Military Archives
Wolas
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 Russian Revision Lists
Schematyzm Wills & Testaments
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