Tracing Polish Family Ancestry
AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE PAGE FOR Tracing Your Polish Family Ancestry
Tracing your Polish roots can be a fascinating journey into your family’s past, but it can also be challenging due to the history of Poland as a nation. Poland’s shifting borders and waves of migration mean that your family story may stretch across languages and nations, encompassing records written in Polish, German, Russian, or Latin. Understanding Poland’s historical geography is essential to locating ancestral villages, especially since towns may have had multiple names depending on the era. Today, online databases and regional archives have made it easier to connect with your Polish roots, uncover long-lost family ties, and gain a deeper appreciation of Poland’s remarkable history.
Tips for Starting Your Research
Find advice about the steps you should take when you’re starting your genealogy research on this page put together by the Polish State Archives.
List of Polish Genealogy Terms to Know
This document explains the meanings of many common words and phrases found in genealogy records.
Beginner Guide to Polish Genealogy
If you’re at a loss trying to figure out how to start researching your family roots, this guide can help you.
Figuring Out Where Your Ancestors Came From
Identifying the town in Poland where your ancestor was from is key to being able to find records that will allow you to trace your line farther back.
Tool for Interpreting Eastern European Maps
Read about how to use an online map tool that can help you figure out where a town is or was located and the other names it has gone by.
Polish Archival Records Search
Type in the location and type of record you’re searching for and click the “Search vital records” button to find documents in Poland’s National Digital Archives, such as birth, death, and marriage records.
Understanding the Slownik Nazwisk
This massive multi-volume work documenting all of the surnames of Poland is available online, but it can be quite tricky to figure out how to use it. In this newsletter, an expert on Polish surnames breaks down how to search this resource and interpret the results.
If you know where your ancestor is from, you can search this site for genealogical records and click the “SKAN” button to see a digital scan of each document.
Why You Aren’t Finding a Record
When you hit a brick wall in your research, this page might be able to explain why you’re having trouble.
Since parts of Poland have been under German control multiple times, it’s quite common to find that the records you need are written in German. However, until after World War II, most German records were written or printed in a style that’s hard for us to read today.
Requesting Records by Mail From Poland
If you trace your family far enough back, it’s likely that you’ll run into situations where the records you need aren’t online. In these cases, you’ll need to know where and how to write a letter requesting copies of the documents you need from Poland.
Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust
Millions of Polish people were killed in the Holocaust or persecuted but survived. This database maintained by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum can help you find documents about Polish victims of the Nazi regime.
This is the world’s most extensive collection of records related to the victims and survivors of Nazi persecution, and you can search their database online to find information including concentration camp records, prisoner transportation lists, and refugee documents.
How to Find Your Ancestors on Passenger Manifests
Find tips for where to look for ships’ manifests and what terms to search for in this document.
Gazetteers for Polish Genealogy
Gazetteers can help you better understand where your ancestors are from and the different names used for a place over time.
Researching Arrivals Through Ellis Island
Many immigrants to the United States arrived at Ellis Island, including plenty of Poles.
Civilian Exiles in World War II
Thousands of Poles were exiled from their homeland during World War II, ending up in countries all over the world.
Search this database to find records of Polish people who were deported to Siberia by the Soviets during or after World War II.
Tracing Your Family From Poland
Read through this guide to find advice on getting started with your search, including where to look for records before World War II as well as records from during the war.
Passenger Records at the National Archives
Immigration records including passenger lists for ships carrying Polish immigrants can be requested from the National Archives.
How to Apply for Polish Citizenship
Once you’ve documented your Polish roots, you may be able to obtain Polish citizenship by descent using this information.
Search this site’s resources to learn about the people, places, and events in Warsaw during World War II.
Death Notice Translation Guide
You can use this document to help you translate the text of death notices written in Polish.
Personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-47
This database contains information about the thousands of Polish air force members who served with the Royal Air Force during World War II.
This page was last updated by Marco Permunian
