Have you reached a “brick wall” in your genealogy research? Onsite genealogy research in Poland may just be the key to extending your Polish ancestry. We have genealogists in Poland that can help!
Challenges in Polish Genealogy Research
Polish genealogy utilizes mainly civil registration and church records—in either case, the exact town of origin needs to be known before proceeding. Knowing the religion of the family is also necessary to know which church records to search. While some church records have been digitized and made available online, there are still many records that are only accessible in person at various archives or are still held by the local parish priest. Likewise, civil registry records are usually still held at the local level and must be requested in person. Depending on the time period, some recent records require our onsite researcher to present a notarized power of attorney showing that the client has given permission for them to request the records, if they are restricted.
Our Team of Professional Genealogists Can Help
If you have Polish ancestry, our professionals can track down the city/town of origin of your ancestors, determine where that location actually is today, and identify where the records for that place are currently kept. Poland was once divided amongst the Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Empires, so knowing which empire once ruled your ancestor’s hometown is essential to finding their records. For those areas that don’t have records available online or on microfilm, our onsite agents can then visit that location to obtain any documents that are needed.
Onsite Archive Access in Poland
Our onsite genealogy researchers have access to the following archives, repositories, and libraries in Poland to help track down the records you need to extend your Polish family history:
- Archiwum Zabużańskie
- The State Archive in Lomza
- The State Archive in Torun
- The State Archive in Krakow
- The State Archive in Przemysl
