Rosemary Chorzempa’s Polish Roots has been the leading guidebook for Polish genealogical research for over 20 years. During that time, there have been numerous advances in Polish genealogy research. As all of my reader’s know, the Internet has made the task of locating Polish ancestors much easier, as more information and images are made available online. In addition, there has been a marked rise in interest in genealogy in Poland itself, resulting in many more Polish genealogical societies and the amount of helpful information disseminated by them. The second edition of Polish Roots addresses these exciting developments, with a new Introduction, four brand-new chapters, one completely rewritten chapter, several new maps and charts, and numerous updates scattered throughout the original text.
Family Roots Publishing is now making this new book available for 15% off as an Exceptional Bargain Offer through midnight PDT Monday, October 20, 2014. Click here to Purchase.
Polish genealogy is almost completely defined by geography and history. Situated in the center of Europe, Poland has been foster mother to people of many different nationalities, especially Russians, Austrians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians—people belonging to the nation states that exercised dominion over it. It has also been host over the centuries to Balkan and Carpathian Slavs, Jews, Prussians, Balts, Gypsies, and even Scots, so the Polish genealogical landscape is actually a mosaic. To explore it properly is to cross the overlapping boundaries of language, religion, geography, and history. The second edition of this pioneering work on Polish family history provides the American researcher with the most up-to-date tools to succeed in genealogical research in each of these areas.
The following is from the Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter One: Valuable Records
The Trunk in the Attic
Ciocia Kasia
Church Records
Cemetery and Gravestone Records
Funeral Home Records
Obituaries
Church Anniversary Books
Fraternal Societies
Vital Records
U.S. Federal Census Records
U.S. Naturalization Records
Alien Registration Records
World War I Draft Registration Records
World War I Polish-American Military Records
Other Military Records
City Directories
Other Civil Records
Ships’ Passenger Lists’
Your Ancestor’s Ship
U.S. Passport Office
Russian Consular Records
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Two: Polish Genealogical Research in America
Research Libraries With Polish Materials in the U.S. and Canada
Family History Library and Family History Centers
Locality Index
International Genealogical Index
Computers
Ancestral File
Patron Microfilming Program
Polish Museum of American Archives and Library
Allen County Public Library
National Archives and Records Administration
Regional Archives of the National Archives
University of Illinois Library
National Archives of Canada
University of Pittsburgh Slavic Department
Polonica Americana Research Center
Immigration History Research Center
University of Wisconsin Library and Archives
Sources For Regional Research
Baltimore, Maryland
Connecticut and the Connecticut River Valley
Detroit, Michigan
Wisconsin
New England and the Mid-Atlantic States
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
South Bend, Indiana
Toledo, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Three: Polish Genealogical Societies of America
Polish Genealogical Society of America
Polish Genealogical Society of California
Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast, Inc.
Polish Genealogical Society of Greater Cleveland
Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts
Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan
Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota
Polish Genealogical Society of New York State
Polish Genealogical Society of Texas
Toledo Polish Genealogical Society
East European Genealogical Society
JewishGen
Lithuanian Global Genealogical Society
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
PART TWO: RESEARCH IN POLAND
Life in Poland
History of Poland
Social Classes in Poland
Magnates (Magnacy)
Nobility (Szachtha)
Peasants (Chlopy)
Burghers
Intelligentsia
Loose People
Polish Heraldry
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Five: Other Ethic Groups in Poland
Germans
Jews
Caraïtes
Scots
Dutch
Irish
Armenians
Russians
Bohemians
Tatars
Tziganes
English
Italians
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Six: Geographic and Ethnic Areas of Poland
Greater Poland
Little Poland
Mazuria
Mazovia
Kurpie
Warmia
Kuyavia
Silesia
Pomerania
Kashubia
Western Pomerania
Podhale
Lusatia
Podlasie
Prussia
Livonia
Courland
Lithuania
Smole´nsk
Byelorussia
Polesie
Ruthania and Ukraine
Zaporozhye
Halich Ruthenia
Volhynia
Podolia
Moldavia
Bukovina
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Seven: Maps and Gazetteers
Locating Your Ancestor’s Village or Town
Village Names
Land Measurements
Map Symbols
Map Coordinates
Boundaries
Maps of Poland
Additional Reading and Maps
Gazetteers (Geographical Dictionaries)
Chapter Eight: Research Using Records from Poland
The Big Three
Research Services in Poland
Strategy for Researching Polish Records
Missing Records
Resources at the LDS Family History Library
Additional Reading
Chapter Nine: Church Records
Religions in Poland
Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church Registers
Birth/Baptismal Registers
Marriage Registers
Death/Funeral Registers
Availability of Catholic Church Records
Roman Catholic Church Archives
Additional Reading
Greek Catholic Church & Availability of Records
Russian Orthodox Church & Availability of Records
Evangelical (Lutheran) Church & Availability of Records
Mennonite Church & Availability of Records
Reformed (Protestant) Church & Availability of Records
The Hebrew Religion & Availability of Jewish Records
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Ten:Civil Records
Russian Occupied Territory & Availability of Russian Civil Records
Prussian/German-occupied Territory & Availability of Prussian/German Civil Records
Austrian Occupied Territory & Availability of Austrian Civil Records
Archives in Poland
National Archives
State Provincial Archives/Regional Archives
Local Record Offices
Records of Departure
Polish Military Records
Polish Military Records for Russian-occupied Territory
Polish Military Records for Prussian-occupied Territory
Polish Military Records for Austrian-occupied Territory
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Eleven: Surnames
Polish Surnames
Place Names
Patronymics and Matronymics
Occupational Names
Physical Appearance, Personality, and Nicknames
More About Polish Surnames
Lithuanian Surnames
Livonian Surnames
Estonian Surnames
Byelorussian Surnames
Russian Surnames
Ukrainian (Ruthenian) Surnames
Slovak and Carpatho-Ukrainian Surnames
Serbian and Croatian Surnames
Czech Surnames
Armenian Surnames
Western Slavonic Surnames
Germanic Surnames
Dutch Surnames
Jewish Surnames
Surname Research in Poland
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Twelve: Christian or First Names
Feast Days of the Saints
Polish Customs in Names Children
Common Polish Names
Ukrainian Customs in Naming Children
Ukrainian Calendar Names
German Customs in Naming Children
Jewish Customs in Naming Children
Sources and Additional Reading
Chapter Thirteen: Breaking the Language Barrier
A Timetable
The Polish Language
Language and Regional Differences
The Polish Alphabet
Pronunciation of Common Letter Combinations
Cases in the Polish Language
Nominal Surnames
Adjectival Surnames
Numbers and Dates
Polish Terms Found in Vital Records
The Latin Language
Proper Names
Numbers and Months
Latin Terms Found in Vital Records
The German Language
Proper Names
German Terms Found in Vital Records
The Russian Language
Russian Alphabet
Genealogical Research in Russia
Additional Reading
Chapter Fourteen: Writing Letters to Poland
Polish Genealogical Letter-Writing Guide
Chapter Fifteen: Additional Reading
Additional Reading – Polish Genealogical Research
Additional Reading – Maps, Gazetteers, and Surnames
Additional Reading – Languages
PART THREE: ONLINE POLISH ROOTS
Chapter Sixteen: Online Polish Genealogical Research
FamilySearch Online and Family History Centers
Subscription Websites
Ancestry.com
Fold3.com
World Vital Records
Government Records
National Archives
Civil Records
U.S. Census Records
U.S. Naturalization Records
Ships’ Passenger Lists
Passengers From German Areas
Passengers From Russian Areas
Emigration Museum in Poland
Military Records
U.S. Military Draft Registration Cards
World War I Polish-American Military Records
Polish-Americans in the U.S. Civil War
Other Records
Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
Cemetery and Gravestone Records
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Plat Maps
PolandGenWeb
Polish Food and Culture
Family Health History
Research Libraries with Polish Materials in America
Polish Museum of America Library and Archives
The Genealogy Center / Allen County Public Library
Polonica Americana Research Institute
Regional Research
Detroit, Michigan
Toledo, Ohio
Silesian Texans
Historical Societies
Chapter Seventeen: Online Research Using Records from Poland
General Websites
Internet Polish Genealogical Source
Discovering Roots in Poland
Poznan Project
Genealogical Societies in Poland
BASIA
Geneteka
PTG Pomordkie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne
Government Archives
Naczelnej Dyrekeji Archiwow Panstwowych
Office of Chief Archivist of Lithuania
Diocesan and Parish Records
LUBGENS
Luteranie
Parafie Ziemi Dobrzynskiej
Przodkowie
Radom Diocese Civil Records
Maps and Gazetteers
Wikimedia Atlas of Poland
Wikipedia
Archiwum Map Wojskowego Instytutu Georapficznego
Mapa Szukaca
Kartenmeister
Slownik
JewsihGen Gazetteer
Opaka
Moikrewni
Visiting Poland – Personal Tours and Virtual Tours
Breaking the Language Barrier
Rudy’s List of Archaic Medical Terms
Navigating Polish Websites
Chapter Eighteen: Polish Genealogy Research in the Digital Age
Genealogy Software
How to Use a Digital Camera to Photograph Microfilm
Scanner Apps
There is also a List of Illustrations (many church registers and such), as well as a List of Maps found in the original Table of Contents for the Book. I have not attempted to include this in the above list from the Table of Contents.
An enthusiastic genealogist for close to 50 years, Rosemary Chorzempa has traced some branches of her Polish family back to the early 1700s. She was awarded the Polish Genealogical Society of America’s Wigilia Medal in 1999 for her contributions to the Polish Genealogical Society of America and Polish genealogy. In 2012 she was made an honorary lifetime member of the Toledo Polish Genealogical Society. Her books My Family Tree Workbook and Design Your Own Coat-of-Arms have been continuously in print since 1982 and 1987.
Polish Roots, Second Edition; by Rosemary A. Chorzempa; Published 2014; 298 pp; Soft Cover; 6×9; ISBN: 9780806320045; Item # GPC981; Available at the Family Roots Publishing website at 15% off, making it only $21.21, now through midnight PDT Monday, October 20.
