Main contributor: Kinga Urbańska

See also: Polish genealogy

Polish genealogy refers to the study and exploration of family history and ancestral roots specifically pertaining to individuals with Polish heritage. Historical records containing information about ancestors who lived in the region is an essential component of Polish genealogy. This article will explore important online resources for finding historical records from Poland.

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Historical background

The nation of Poland had its beginnings around 966 A.D., and since its founding has experienced many conflicts, wars, and uprisings. The kingdom of Poland, known as the “land without stakes,” was always a multicultural center of Europe, having a space for different cultures and religions. All seemed to collapse together with the partitions of Poland: 1772-1795. From that time until 1918, Poland did not officially exist as a country. The Polish nation was divided into three different administrative systems, which also affected the documents necessary to research Polish genealogy today.

Location

It is very difficult to look for one’s ancestors without knowing the name of the precise location where they came from. There are a few databases that may help to establish your Polish ancestors’ home and which state and church administration they belonged to:

Civil registry (USC) - personal data protection law

Registry offices in Poland are required to keep records of civil status: births for 100 years, and marriage and deaths for 80 years. After this period, the offices transfer the records to the state archives. Access to these civil status records is available only to direct descendants of the person in the record, or authorized on the basis of a power of attorney from a relative.

Polish archival system

There are different rules pertaining to the storage of records in the state archives and in the church archives. The State Archives network and the national archival holdings are managed by the General Director of the State Archives. The State Archives form a network comprising three central archives located in Warsaw:

  • The Central Archives of Historical Records, which stores the most important Polish state documents from the Middle Ages to the end of World War I
  • The Archives of Modern Records, which store records created by central authorities and country-level institutions and associations after 1918
  • The National Digital Archives, which store photographs and sound and video recordings created since the early 20th century

There are also thirty regional archives and their branches, which store historical sources related to the history of their respective regions that are of the most value for genealogical research.

The original vital records that used to be issued (and still are) in the parish archives are managed by the parish priests, who can choose whether or not to provide access. Copies of that documentation may be stored in the respective diocese or archdiocese archives.

Polish State Archives portal

The Polish State Archives portal (szukajwarchiwach) provides information on what is stored in Polish State Archives and where to view the documents. Thankfully, more and more records are being digitized and indexed, so it is highly possible you won’t have to physically visit the archive to get more information on your ancestors. Here you can search by location or the keywords which may be a part of archival unit description.

A list of all Poland databases

It is important to know that neither digitization nor indexing is a centralized process in Poland. Therefore, apart from searching through above mentioned szukajwarchiwach, it is worth visiting other databases:

Local Organizations

Thanks to the tremendous work of genealogy volunteers from all around Poland, more records are being indexed and can be found on the following websites:

Cemeteries

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Contributors

Main contributor: Kinga Urbańska
Additional contributor: Zbigniew Stettner