Translating Genealogical Documents from Poland

How to Read Polish Records When You Don't Know the Language

Dec 9, 2009
Katharine Garstka

1840 Latin Parish Record, Galicja, Poland - Palkin

Genealogists researching Polish documents may find themselves stumped when facing records from the old country, but there's help in solving some of those mysteries.

Polish documents, whether they are originals from grandfather’s attic, are on microfilm from an LDS Family History Center, or acquired by visiting Polish repositories in the U.S. or Poland, can be daunting. For many, even the thought of trying to read Polish is a little scary. However, there are several good sources that can help.

Polish Records May Not be in Polish

First, however, one needs to be aware that many Polish documents were not written in the Polish language. This is good news for people who have studied Latin, German, or Russian, but not so good news for everyone else. Church and civil records from Poland may be in Polish, Latin, German, or Russian. That’s because for decades Poland was split into Partitions, with various areas administered by the ruling German, Russian, or Austrian powers. And since many records were maintained by priests, Latin was often the language used.

It should also be noted that since the borders of present-day Poland are quite different from where they were in the past, and because ethic Poles have lived over a broad area, a Polish ancestor’s village may be in what is now Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, or Latvia, as well as Poland.

Recording Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths in Poland

Parish priests in Poland began to record baptisms, marriages, and deaths in the late 1500s and early 1600s as a result of Papal directives. The completeness of these records depended on the importance paid to the directives, and that varied over time and from place to place. Unfortunately, many records have since been destroyed because of wars, poor storage conditions, or deterioration of paper and inks. Still, many records remain, and a remarkable number of these old records have been filmed and are available from the LDS Library.

Documents in Partitioned Poland

In the 1790s, Austrian Poland used parish administration already in place, rather than setting up civil bureaucracies. These records are generally in German or Latin, and will include information from all people living in the area, not just members of the Catholic Church.

In Russian Poland, civil registration started in 1804 (written in Polish), but in 1868 they changed to Russian, using the Cyrillic alphabet. Russian was used until Poland regained its independence in 1918.

German (or Prussian) Poland began civil registration in 1874; these documents are usually in German. It should be noted that some earlier Catholic registers were removed to Germany, and may still be there. Starting about 1800, parish priests were required to make copies of their registers and forward them to the local Bishop’s office, so there are potentially two places to look for these records.

Aids for Translating Polish Genealogical Documents

Once the researcher has a register page or document in hand, the challenge is to translate it. This is where two books by Jonathan D. Shea and William E. Hoffman can help. Their books are indispensible for genealogists working on Polish documents.

In Their Own Words Volume I: Polish describes many types of documents, and includes maps, numerous photographic examples, and word lists. The extensive Polish vocabulary section focuses on terms likely to be found in genealogical documents, including multiple forms of words when appropriate. The index of first names is particularly handy – it gives Polish names, with their Russian Latvian, Lithuanian, Latin, or English variations. The Russian names are shown in Cyrillic.

Another useful book by the same duo is Following the Paper Trail, which helps the reader translate documents in major European languages (German, Swedish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish), but also Latin, Polish, Czech, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Lithuanian. Plenty of examples and vocabulary lists make it easy to use. While obviously not as focused on Polish documents, this book offers translation information on many languages that may be useful for genealogists.

Understanding Polish Documents

Anyone facing the task of deciphering old records pertaining to their Polish ancestors has a difficult job ahead. However, with a basic understanding of how documents were created, and the help of these translation guides, a genealogist should be able to uncover the details hidden in those mysterious records from the past.