Warminsko-Mazurskie genealogy relates to the research of family history in the Polish voivodeship of Warminsko-Mazurskie, or the Warmia-Masuria Voivodeship. The territory is in northeast Poland.
Warminsko-Mazurskie stretches more than 24,000 square kilometers (9,300 square miles). Its population today is approximately 1.4 million people, though it is a sparsely populated considering its size and most of its citizens live in urban areas.[1]
The area has Prussian ties since it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia as part of the Partition of Poland in 1772. Today it shares a border with Russia and the Baltic Sea lies to the northwest.
The voivodeship was born in 1999 out of Olsztyn, Suwałki, and part of Elblag voivodeships. It borders the provinces of Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, and Pomorskie.
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History of Warminsko-Mazurskie
The province has its origins in two historical regions, Warmia and Masuria. A Polish dialect was commonly spoken among the mainly Protestant communities in Masuria, while Warmia remained mostly Catholic and spoke a High Prussian German.
One of the oldest cities in the province is Elblag, which was founded as a settlement by the Teutonic Order in 1237 and a castle was built there.[1] It served as a key port for both the Kingdom of Poland and later East Prussia that lied about 60 kilometers southeast of Gdansk, West Prussia. Its wealth grew significantly when it joined the Hanseatic League.
The presence of the Teutonic Order established Christianity in the region and the historic ties to Prussia led to German colonization. Other ethnic groups commonly found in the province are Poles, Lithuanians, Dutch, Jews, and Ukrainians.[2]
Both Warmia and Masuria were part of East Prussia prior to World War II. Along with the rest of East Prussia, these territories became part of the German Empire for some time. The land returned to Poland following World War II and its ethnicity changed considerably, as ethnic Germans were forced to leave.[1]
Warminsko-Mazurskie is home to the Museum in Elblag, built on the grounds of a former Teutonic castle, which has more than 115,000 items that are important to the history of the region.[3]
Geography of Warminsko-Mazurskie
The province is made up of thousands of lakes, including Poland's largest lakes: Sniardwy (114 square kilometers) and Mamry (104 square kilometers). Resorts like Gizycko and Mikolajki are a boon for tourism and frequent boat trips in the region. The Elblag Canal is a popular sailing route with a system of locks that connects six lakes.
Sailing, swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and hiking are all popular activities in the region due to its geography.[4] Besides tourism, agriculture is a major industry.
The territory is also known for a large number of forests. These are a factor in the excellent air quality which earned Warminsko-Mazurskie the nickname "the Green Lungs of Poland."[1]
Administrative division of Warminsko-Mazurskie
Warminsko-Mazurskie is made up of the following powiaty (counties):
| Elblag (city + land) | Ełk | Lidzbark Warminski | Ostroda |
| Olsztyn (city + land) | Gizycko | Mragowo | Pisz |
| Bartoszyce | Gołdap | Nidzica | Szczytno |
| Braniewo | Iława | Nowe Miasto Lubawskie | Wegorzewo |
| Działdowo | Ketrzyn | Olecko |
Identifying the powiaty can be essential for genealogy research, as records are often grouped by administrative district. In addition, towns, villages and parishes had many societal and familial connections within counties and with neighboring counties, so getting familiar with the geographical divisions can be helpful.
It is worthwhile to translate the names of these places into their German and Prussian equivalents. For example, Ostroda correlates with the Kreis Osterode when Warminsko-Mazurskie was part of East Prussia. The German equivalent of Olsztyn is Allenstein. A useful resource to find towns or cities that belong to Warminski-Mazurskie today is Meyers Gazetteer, but the places are listed under their German versions.
Surnames of Warminsko-Mazurskie
Due to its history, both Polish surnames and German surnames are found in the territory known today as Warminsko-Mazurskie. Common surnames in the region include:
Notable people from Warminsko-Mazurskie
The following well-known people are from Warminsko-Mazurskie:
- Wilhelm Baum, surgeon, university teacher
- Jan Antoni Blank, painter
- Pawel Burczyk, actor
- Wojciech Cejrowski, journalist, sociologist, writer
- Paul Dahlke, physician
- Gustaw Gizewiusz, folklorist
- Henryk Iwaniec, mathematician
- Marcin Kromer, writer, diplomat, historian, music theorist
- Erich Mendelsohn, Jewish architect
- Feliks Nowowiejski, composer, conductor
Types of records from Warminsko-Mazurskie
Church records and civil registration records are the primary source of genealogical information in Warminsko-Mazurskie.
The following collections on MyHeritage contain people from modern-day Warminsko-Mazurskie:
- Poland, Gravestones, 1800-2020 record collection on MyHeritage
- Poland, Military Personnel record collection on MyHeritageDigital archives that have indexes and image scans available for the Warminsko-Mazurskie province include:
- Szukaj w Archiwach: A series of Polish archives all in one database, including regional archives and records for the State Archives in Olsztyn, which includes Warminsko-Mazurskie. This site includes digital scans for parish records, civil records, photographs, and more. Learn more about what's available through the Polish State Archives website.
- Geneteka: This website covers church and civil records throughout Poland, and it contains more than 500,000 records specific to Warminsko-Mazurskie. Simply click on the province on the map to begin searching. A surname (Nazwisko) is needed at a minimum, but you can also filter results by date. Digital scans of original records are linked to when available.
- Namensindex der Standesamtsregister: Searchable list of names in civil records (birth, marriage & death) for East Prussia, including today's territory of Warminsko-Mazurskie, with links to digitized scans when available.
Search for families in Warminsko-Mazurskie
Explore more about Warminsko-Mazurskie genealogy
- Poland, Gravestones, 1800-2020 record collection on MyHeritage
- Poland, Military Personnel record collection on MyHeritage
- Warmia-Mazury Province (Warminsko-Mazurskie) on the WorldGenWeb
- Szukaj w Archiwach by Polish State Archives
- Using MyHeritage to research Polish family history and to find living relatives in Poland webinar by Zbigniew Stettner on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Polish genealogy online – portals and databases by Kinga Urbańska on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Warmińsko-Mazurskie | Lakes District, History & Wolf's Lair | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
- ↑ History of the Region of Warmia and Mazury (PDF based on reputable sources)https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/fs.siteor.com/trener-miedzykulturowy/files/Region_of_Warmia_and_Mazury.pdf
- ↑ "Archaeological and Historical Museum in Elbląg – 15th century". Warmia-Masuria Film Fund. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
- ↑ Piasecka, Magda (2024-05-12). "Places to visit in Mazury, Poland". Retrieved 2024-08-24.