Locating Polish Genealogy Records
Before beginning research in Polish databases, conduct extensive US research first. Look for ancestral village names in US church records, census, immigration, and naturalization records. Narrow your search to the appropriate area of Poland, then explore the Polish databases below.
Most Polish databases are free to use, but some require the creation of a free account first. Many databases provide free downloads of record scans. Others provide free indexing but require payment to obtain copies of records.
While the PGSGC does not accept research solicitations, members benefit from assistance and training in the usage of Polish databases from our resident experts.
Polish Vital Records
- Geneteka – Index of Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Poland
- AGAD – Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw (Records from the Eastern areas of Poland)
- Metryki – Province List and Vital Record Index
- Polish State Archives – Scans of Vital Records from All Over Poland
- Poznan Marriage Project – Index of Marriages in Poznan Province (1835-1884)
- BASIA – Scans of Vital Records from All Over Poland
- Pomorskie Towarzystwo – Index of Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Pomerania
- Rzeszow – Select Polish Parish Vital Records
Directories
Maps & Gazetteers
- Kartenmeister – Database of German/Polish location name changes
- Mapa Szukacz – Searchable Map of Poland
- Meyers Gazetteer – Geographic Encyclopedia for the German Partition
- Slownik Geograficzny – Geographic Dictionary of Poland (1880–1914)
Other Indexing
- JRI Poland – Jewish Records Indexing
Photograph Collections
- Photos of Poland – Debbie Greenlee’s Photos of Over 750 Villages in Poland and Ukraine
- Trips Over Poland – Photos of Castles, Manors, and Churches by Marek and Ewa Wojciechowscy