Assistance in writing a letter of request to the Polish Government to request birth records

Ashley Ann Lueck

I am helping my father in law draft a letter to the Polish Government to request birth records for two siblings of his great, great-grandfather. We hope that these birth records will help us fill in gaps to his family tree. Would anyone in this group have insight as to what information to include, format, etc…

Basically, my father in law's family is from Posin and spoke German. Should the letter be written in German? Any insight would be so appreciated.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

@Ashley Ann Lueck

There's a basic guideline for writing to Polish archives here: https://fromshepherdsandshoemakers.com/2016/06/26/writing-to-archives-in-poland/

Eppich Maria

Ashley, since your father-in-law is looking for the records of siblings of his great, great, grandfather, (probably more than 100 years ago) those records may be available on Internet using several sites, which cover Posen region, to find indexed records:

geneszukacz.genealodzy.pl - wielkopolskie (for Poznan region), click on British Flag for English

Poznan Project - for marriages years 1800-1899

Basia.famula.pl - Extended Search - to search for individuals, Poznan region, you may then click on scans on the right-hand side to get to Polish State Archives szukajwarchiwach and do your own research.

Or in Polish Community, we often receive request to help to find an individual ancestor, we can help with research explaining how it is done and you can then know how to research for other members of the family. In Polish Research Community at the beginning you may click on Resource Links - and listen to instruction how to research in Polish State Archives or szukajwarchiwach - which most likely would have records you are searching for.

You may also use:

pilot.pl = mapa.szukacz.pl to locate places in Poland using Polish names of communities.

meyersgaz.com - to enter names of places in German and find the location of their nearby parishes where the records are, see the maps of the area, or

kartenmeister.com - to find the places searching names in German or Polish

You may then search for the actual records in familysearch.org

You may also go to familysearch.org - Search - scroll down to Records, enter the names and places they lived in, and find if they were indexed there. With some you may then access the scans of their records.

Your father-in-law speaking German may find it convenient to do his own research for free, rather than paying the archives in Poland, and he may enjoy it.

I serve in Familysearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and if you live not too far, we may have most of the records which your father-in-law is searching for, and you can do it for free on your own, or with help of trained researchers. If you live some distance from Utah, you may search for some of those records by going to familysearch.org -then click on the first icon on the right, to locate familysearch center in your neighborhood, which may have access to many of those records. Genealogical research is fascinating and people love to discover their ancestors. Best wishes for this research.

Ashley Ann Lueck

Thank you! I will begin exploring these options.