Genealogical research in Poland — tracing Polish roots

One of the most important sources of genealogical information is parish registers, which recorded births, marriages, and deaths. These documents were meticulously maintained in Catholic churches, Lutheran kirks, Orthodox churches, and Jewish synagogues, reflecting the religious and cultural diversity of the region. In different periods and regions of present-day Poland, records were kept in Latin, Polish, Russian, German, and Hebrew (for Jewish communities). The Polish nobility, or szlachta, holds a special place in the country’s history, and sources related to their genealogy are truly unique. Detailed biographical descriptions and family registers, sometimes extending back several centuries, allow descendants to connect with their family history and feel a strong link to important historical events. A commonly requested service at the European Genealogical Center is confirmation of Polish nationality, as parish records and personal documents of relatives enable descendants of Poles to obtain legal Polish residence through the Polish Card, ensuring both historical accuracy and legal verification.

In addition, our specialists actively research and thoroughly analyze other valuable historical materials that help reveal the biographies of people from past centuries more comprehensively, providing a fuller understanding of family histories and social contexts. Key and reliable sources include nineteenth- and twentieth-century personal files containing detailed information about education, employment, and official service records, offering important insight into the lives and careers of ancestors. Local population censuses, conducted in both cities and rural areas, are highly significant, as they include detailed household lists showing family relationships, ages, and social status; in the Kingdom of Poland from the mid-nineteenth century until 1914, such lists were maintained exclusively in Russian, while military records, property inventories, land plans, and maps provide additional layers of important information. Together, these documents allow researchers to study the everyday lives of ancestors in depth, restore the atmosphere of their era, trace the marks they left on history, and reconstruct complex family connections across multiple generations.