66

EASTERN EUROPEAN FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH

Daniel M. Schlyter3685 Whitewood Court

Salt Lake City, UT 84118

Getting Started

Genealogical research in Eastern Europe isactually easier than American research. This isbecause Europe has a strong tradition of recordkeeping. Civil and ecclesiastical laws required thatall births, marriages, and deaths be recorded. ThusEastern Europe has a far greater pool of resourcesto draw from for research. To successfully doyour research you must answer several Keyquestions. The basic steps of research in EasternEurope are:

~Who was the emigrant ancestor? Do theAmerican part of your research first to learn asmuch about your heritage as possible, includingwho actually came from the old country.~ Where was he from? Because records were kepton a local basis you must determine where yourancestor was from. Some of the best sources to dothis are where he settled, including such things asmarriage records, death records, obituaries,naturalization, etc. Passenger lists of arrivals maygive a birthplace. Many eastern Europeans sailedfrom Hamburg. The passenger departure recordsof Hamburg still exist, are indexed and areavailable on microfilm through the Family HistoryLibrary.~Where is that? Once you determine where yourancestor was from you must verify the spelling,determine where it is now (eastern Europe has hada lot of border changes), and where the recordswere kept. Gazetteers are the best way to solvethese problems along with maps. The FamilyHistory Library has an excellent collection ofeastern European gazetteers. The most significantgazetteers for eastern Europe are listed at the endof this section.~ Where are the records? This can be thetoughest question of all. For some of the easternEuropean nations it is very difficult to get accessto the records. Others are accessible by writing orin person. In many cases the records are easilyaccessible on microfilm through the Family

History Library. Available records are listed in theFamily History Library Catalog'" and may be or­dered at the Family History Library or familyhistory centers. Not all records are in the perma­nent collection at the main library. All newlyacquired films must be ordered which cansometimes take several weeks. It is best to callabead (801) 240-2334 to order needed films a fewweeks before your visit. When records have notbeen microfilmed you will need to write forinformation. The following pages give detailsabout microfilming and writing for each country.

Sources for Genealogical Research

Europe has many excellent sources for research.Researchers accustomed to genealogical researcbin the U.S. and Canada often rely heavily oncensus records, land records, wills and probates tobuild a pedigree of their families in NorthAmerica. This is because there often is nothingbetter available. But in Europe the availability ofvital records greatly improves the researchclimate.

Church Records and Civil Registration: Theseare records of births, christenings, marriages,deaths, and burials made by church priests andpastors and' government officials. They are excell­ent sources of accurate information on names,dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths.They are the single, most significant source ofgenealogical information in the eastern Europeancountries and are essential for genealogicalresearch. In most cases civil registration did notbegin until the late l8OOs.

The earliest Catholic church records begin in thelate 1500s. In general, church records began to bekept on a consistent basis in the mid to late 16OOs.By the 1800s laws were enacted in most areasrequiring the churches to keep church records in aspecified format and to make transcripts of therecords for the benefit of the civil government. In

Utah Genealogical Association 3rd Anoual Conference 12-13 April 1996 149

many cases these laws required that people ofother faiths be recorded in the Catholic churchrecords. Jews were also required to keep birth,marriage and death records in a manner similar tocivil church record transcripts. These are referredto as Jewish Records.

The information recorded in churcbbooks andJewish records varied over time. The later recordsgenerally give more complete information than theearlier ones.

Availability of Records and Writing forGenealogical Information

Many records of eastern Europe are availablethrough the microfilming efforts of the FamilyHistory Ubrary. Records, when they becomeavailable are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog. Until records appear in the catalog theyare DOt available for use.

The Family History Library is presentlymicrofilming records from Albania and Bulgaria,though the process is slow.

"ll..""ll1I~......-

On 1 January 1993 Czechoslovakia separatedinto the Czech and Slovak republics.

Czech Republic: The Family History Library hasfew records from Bohemia and Moravia onmicrofilm. Essentially the only way to do researchis in the archives there. All records ofgenealogical value in the Czech republic bave beenconsolidated. Records from before 1900 are keptin state regional archives [starn( oblastni archiry).These records are accessible for genealogicalresearch by writing or by personally visiting thearchives there. It is also possible to hire a privateresearcher if you can find one you can trust. TheMinistry of the Interior and Environment isresponsible for the administration of archives.

Their archival administration department processesgenealogical research requests. This same agencycan grant permission for you to visit the archivesin person.

If your ancestor was from the Czech republic (thearea formerly governed by Austria; Bohemia,Moravia, Silesia), send your application directlyto:

Czech Ministry of Interior and EnvironmentArchivn! Spniva

Dr. Milady Horakove 133166 21 Praha 6

CZECH REpUBUC

The archival administration will arrange forsearches of records (such as birth, marriage, anddeath registers) before 1900. They will send yourrequest for research to the appropriate archive.Qualified archival researchers there will do theactual research and they will send you a report ofthe research done. With rare exceptions, the onlyrecords available for genealogical research by mailare parish registers [matriky] of births, marriages,and deaths. Other records such as land records andcensus records exist and you can use them forresearch if you visit the archives yourself, but theyare difficult to access by writing.

Break-up of !he Kingdom 01 Hungarylifter WW1

Hungary: Church records, transcripts of Jewishrecords and many census records for areas withinthe modern borders ofHungary were microfilmedin the 1960s. Civil Registration began in Hungaryin 1895. Civil registration records are kept at localcivil registrar's offices in town halls. For a fewcounties the civil registration records through 1910have also been microfilmed. Information fromcivil registration can be obtained by writing to theHungarian Embassy. The fee is $10.00 per

Utah Genealogical Association 3rd Annual Conference 12-13 April lY96

ISO

certificate and it takes 2 to 3 months. Write to:

The Embassy of the Hungarian Republic3910 Shoemaker Street N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Slovakia: The Family History Library is presentlymicrofilming the church records of Slovakia. Mostof eastern Slovakia is already filmed and in theFamily History Library Catalog. The collectioncontinues to grow, but until records are listed inthe catalog they are not available. The Slovakarchives also provides a research service wbich isespecially helpful when the records you needhaven't yet been filmed. All records ofgenealogical value in the Slovakia werenationalized. Records from before 1900 are keptin state regional archives [sratnf oblastrd archivy].These records are accessible by writing or inperson. The Ministry of the Interior andEnvironment is responsible for the administrationof archives. Their archival administrationdepartment processes genealogical researchrequests. This same agency can grant permissionfor you to visit the archives in person.

If your ancestor was from Slovakia (formerly byHungary), send your application directly to:

Slovak: Ministry of Interior and EnvironmentArchivna Sprava

Krifkova 7811 04 Bratislava

SLOVAKIA

The archival administration will arrange forsearches of records (such as birth, marriage, anddeath registers) before 1900. They will send yourrequest for research to the appropriate archive inSlovakia. Qualified archival researchers there willdo the actual research and they will send you areport of the researcb done. With rare exceptions,the only records available for genealogicalresearch by mail are parish registers [matriky] ofbirths, marriages, and deaths. Other records suchas land records and census records exist and youcan use them for research if you visit the archivesyourself, but they are difficult to access bywriting.

Republics of the Former Soviet Union: Theacquisition of records from these republics variesconsiderably from republic to republic. In mostcases the process is proceeding very slowly.

Records filmed by the Family History Ubrary arenot available from these republics until theyappear in the Family History Library Catalog.Look for the specific place for which you needrecords. In some cases it is possible to do researchin person but this is no simple matter and notrecommended unless you have considerableexperience and have clear assurances that you willbe allowed in the archives. Until such time asrecords have been microfilmed the only practicalways to get information is through one of theseveral genealogical research organizations thathave been formed. The most best known of theseare:

RAGAS· The Russian American GenealogicalArchive Service: This organization was formerlywith the National Archives Volunteer service inWashington D.C. It is now an independent self­supporting (for profit) organization. They workwith archivists in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

RAGAS1929 18th Street NW

Suite 1112Washington, DC 20009

PROBAND - This is a new self-supportingorganization which assists people in tracingancestry in the former USSR (especially Russia,Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova). For moreinformation contact:

PROBAND-GENEALOGICAL BUREAUuI. Bekhtereva 35/2, 128

115516 MoscowRUSSIA

FAST - This is a private firm with connections inLithuania, Latvia and Belarus. Contrary to theimplications of the name this company is not anyfaster than any other researcb company. Allcompanies that do research in the former SovietUnion are painfully slow because the sources arevery difficult to find and use.

FAST Genealogy Service8510 Wild Olive Drive

Potomac, MD 20854

Other genealogical organizations and firms areemerging and many advertize or are referred to onthe pages of various Jewish genealogicalperiodicals. One of the leading Jewish

Utah Genealogical Association 3rd Annual Conference 12-13 April 1996 151

genealogical periodicals is:

AvotaynuISS North Washington Avenue

Bergenfield, NJ 07621

Russia: The Russian Republic is vast.Microfilming began several years ago, but it willbe many years before many areas are representedin the collection of the Family History Library.There are as yet no significant Jewish records inthe oollection. Many genealogical researchers areinterested in the records of German colonists whosettled in Russia and the Ukraine. No records areyet available from the Volga. Transcripts of therecords of Protestant communities in the Ukraine(Black Sea and Volhynia), Belarus and the vicinityof St. Petersburg were stored at the LutheranConsistory in St. Petersburg; and these recordshave been microfilmed. Localities and filmnumbers for this set of records are listed in TheLutherans ofRussia; Vol. I Parish index to thechurchbooks of the Evangelical LutheransConsistory of St. Petersburg compiled by TomEdlund, published 1995 by the GermanicGenealogical Society, P.O. Box 16312 St. Paul,Minnesota SS116. Not yet microfilmed.

Belarus: The Family History Library is presentlyacquiring microfilmed records from archives inGradno and Minsk.

National Archives of Belarus22038 Minsk

vul. Kozlova, 26BELARUS

Central State Historical Archive of Belarus23023 GrodnopI. Lenina, 2

BELARUS

Baltic States: Most records of Estonia have beenmicrofilmed and are available through the FamilyHistory Library. Many Latvian protestant recordshave been filmed. A few Lithuanian records arebeing microfilmed. For records not yet filmedcontact FAST or write directly to the LithuanianState Archives:

Lietuvos Valstybinis ArchyvasGerosios Vilties, 10

2015 VilniusLITHUANIA

Mnldova: Microfilming recently began in thisrepublic which has close cultural ties withRomania. For records not yet filmed try writingdirectly to the Moldovan State Archives:

Central State Archives of Moldova27028 Kishinev

Georgi Assaki Str. 67BMOLDOVA

UkraIne: The Family History Library is presentlyacquiring microfilms of records from Ukraine butthe process will take many years. Presentlyfilming is ongoing at archives in Kiev, L'viv, andChernigov. For records not yet filmed contactRAGAS or write directly to the archives inUkraine.

Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine252601 Kiev - 110

Solomyanskaya vul. 24Ukraine

Central State Historical Archi ve of Ukraine290008 L'viv

pl. Vozziednannya 3AUKRAINE

State Archive of Transcarpathian Oblast294008 Beregovovul. Geroev 4A

UKRAINE

The Family History Library is also acquiringrecords from the former Soviet republics ofArmenia and Georgia.

Poland: Many church records and civil transcriptsof church records from Poland have beenmicrofilmed. In many cases however, they arefilmed only up through the 1880s. Later recordsand records of communities that are not filmed canbe obtained by writing. You can often getinformation by writing in Polish directly to theCatholic parish [parafia Rzymsko-kalO/il:ka] in thetown where your ancestor lived. For non-Catholicsor when you receive no response from the churchyou can write to Polish state archives.

Naczelna Dyreckja Archiw6w ParistowychSkr. Poczt. 100500-950 Warszawa

POLAND

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152

Major Gazetteers for Eastern Europe

Vol 8 Tirol und VorarlbergVol 9 BOhmenVol 10MahrenVol l1SchlesienVol 12GalizienVol 13BukowinaVol 14Dalmatien

1187926 item 51187927 item I924736 item 1

1187927 item 21187928 item I1187928 item 21187928 item 3

Gazetteer of AustriaGemeindelexikon der in Reichsrate vertretenen Konigreiche undLander [Gazetteer of the

crownlands and territories represented in the imperial council]. Vienna: K.K. StatistischesZentralkommission, 1903-1908. (Family History Library call number: European CollectionRef Q 943.6 ESg; also on microfilm).

1187925 item 2 Vol I Niederosterreich1187925 item 3 Vol 2 Oberosterreich1187925 item 4 Vol 3 Salzburg1187926 item 1 Vol 4 Steiermark1187926 item 2 Vol 5 Karnten1187926 item 3 Vol 6 Krain1187926 item 4 Vol 7 Kiistenland

Based on the 1900 census. The volume for each province is arranged by district with anindex to both German and local place names. If you do not find the town on the page listedin the index check the footnotes. The parish or synagogue location is not listed in the maintext but is given in an appendix, located between the main text and the index of each volume.The appendix is arranged alphabetically by district and sub-district. The parish andsynagogue are given in the last column: Standort der rom.vkath., gr.-kath. und isr.Matrikelstellen.

Gazetteer of Hungary

Magyarorszag Helysegnevrara [Gazetteer of Hungary], Janos Dvorzak, comp. Budapest:"Havi Fiizetek," 1877. (Family History Library call number: European Collection Ref.943.9 ESd; also on microfilm, Vol. I on Film 599564 and Vol. II on Film 973041).

Volume I includes a 610 page index. It lists all place names in alphabetical order. Entries inthe index are followed by the name of the old Hungarian county, and a set of numbers.These numbers refer to the gazetteer entry in Volume II. The first number is the sequentialnumber of the county; the second is the consecutive number of the district; the last is thenumber of the locality.

ref. - Reformatus - Reformedun. - Unitarius - Unitarianizr. - Izraelita - Jewish

Volume II has more details. Volume II is arranged by county and districts. Use the numbersfrom the index to find the entry for your town. Additional names the locality was known byare listed in parentheses. Population figures are given according to religion. The followingabbreviations are used:

rk. - R6mai Katholikus - Roman Catholicgk. - Gorog Katholikus - Greek Catholickg. - Keleti Gorog - Greek Orthodoxago - agostai - Augsburg Evangelical Lutheran

If the village had its own parish church (or synagogue, for Jews), the abbreviation for thereligion will be in boldface capital letters. The diocese will follow, also in boldface type. Ifthe people attended church elsewhere, the abbreviation of the religion will be in lower case.

Utah Genealogical Association 3rd Annual Conference 12-13 April 1996

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The name of the parish location follows the population figure. If a dash (22) follows thepopulation figure, it means members of that religion belong to no particular parish.

Gazetter of the Gennan Empire

Uetreeht, E., cornp. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs- Lexikon des Deuzschen Reichs [Meyer'sgazetteer and directory of the German Empire]. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut,1912. (Family History Library call number: European Collection Ref. 943 ESmo; alsoon microfilm, Film 496640 - for places A-K, Film 496641 - for places L-Z; also onFiche 6,000,001-6,000029».

Towns are listed alphabetically. This gazetteer is written in the old Gothic script. Thisgazetteer gives the 1871-1918 political jurisdictions and indicates whether the locality had itsown parish or synagogue. The following abbreviations are used:

Evangelical parish: EvPfk. Catholic parish: KPf'k. Jewish synagogue: Syn.

Gazetteer of Prussia

Gemeindelexikon fur das KlJnigreich Preussen [Gazetteer for the Kingdom of Prussia].Berlin: Verlag des Keniglichen statistischen Landesamts, 1907-1909. (Family HistoryLibrary call number: European Collection Ref 943 ESkp; also on microfilms listedbelow).

Vol 1 Ostpreussen (Film 1186701 item 3)Vol 2 Westpreussen(Film 1186701 item 4)Vol 3 Brandenburg(Film 806635 item 1)

Vol 4 PommernVol 5 PosenVol 6 Schlesien

(Film 806634 item 4)(Film 806635 item 3)(Film 806633 item 4)

Each volume has an index at the end listing in alphabetical order all localities in theprovince. In the index, there are two numbers given after each place-name. The first numberrefers to the "Kreis" (district) to which the locality belonged. These numbers can be found atthe top of the page in the body of the book. The second number refers to the town. Thus "2117" refers to the 17th town listed in district 21. The parish is given in the columns marked as"Kirchspiel"; "Evangelisch" (Lutheran) in column 25 and "Katolisch" (Catholic) in column26. Note: If the town in question is not listed in column two, refer to the footnotes in thegazetteer.

Gazetteer of the Russian Empire

Sulimierski, Filip, ed. Slownik Geograficzny Krolestwa Polskiego i Innych Kraj6wSlowianskicn [Geographical dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slaviccountries]. IS Vol. Warsaw: Sulimierski i Walewski, 1880-1902. (Family HistoryLibrary call number: European Collection 943.8 ESc; also on microfilm).

Utah Genealogical Association 3rd Annual Conference 12-13 April 1996 155

European Gazetteers Gazetteer of Austria

Gemeindelexikon del' in Reichsrate vertretenenKimigreiche und Lander (Gazetteer of the Crownlandsand Territories Represented in the Imperial Council).ThIS gazetteer is based on the 1900 census. The volumefor each province is arranged by district with an indexto both German and local place names. If you do not.find the town on the page listed in the index. check thefootnotes. The parish or synagogue location is not listedin the main text but is given in an appendix, locatedbetween the main text and the index of each volume.The appendix is arranged alphabetically by district andsubdistrict. The parish and synagogue are given in thelast colurrm labelled, Standort der roru-kath., gr.-kath.und isr. Matrikelstellen.

"=vord keeping in Europe was actually much bette,than in some areas of the world. If a patron hasancestors who emigrated from Europe. the patronshould first look for a place of origin in records wherethe ancestors settled. (For more detailed information,see Tracing Your Immigrant Ancestor, 34111.) Thepatron then goes to a European gazetteer to try toidentify the exact locality, (European records werekept on a local basis, so the patron must determine theexact parish or locality the ancestor came from.)

Two problems in doing Eastern European researchinclude:

Places are often misspelled in records where theimmigrants settled. Ask your patron what recordthe spelling came from. Find the place in thegazetteer. If you cannot find the place, look forplaces that sound similar. Try one of the gazetteersin this article, or call the Family History LibraryInternational Reference Consultants for help(1-800-453-3860, extension 2-3433).

• Language is a challenge, but you do not need toknow the language in order to use the gazetteer.Word lists may help with vocabulary. The FamilyHistory Library has produced many word lists andother helps. Order these helps from the distribution

center (online at familysearch.org or call 1-800­537-5971).

Film Number1187925 item 21187925 item 31187925 item 41187926item 11187926item 21187926item 31187926 item 41187926 item 51187927item 10924736 item I1187927 item 21187928 item I1187928 item 2

1187928 item 3

VolumeI2345678910II1213

14

Place NameNiederosterreichOberosterreichSalzburgSteiermarkKiirntenKrainKiistenlandTirol und VorarlbergBohmenMiihrenSchlesienGalizienBukowina

Dalmatien

Gazetteer of Austro-Hungarian Empire

Allgemienes geographisches statistisches Lexikonaller osterreichischen Staaten [General Gazetteer ofall Austro-Hungary]. Published from 1845 to 1853.Place names are listed alphabetically.

The most significant genealogical sources for EasternEurope are church records and civil registration. Manyareas also kept civil transcripts of church records, sothere are often two copies of the same record. Otheruseful records include census, land, and militaryrecords. Not all record types exist for all countries.

Often gazetteers will indicate where various recordsare kept. For example, the gazetteer may tell you theparish for your ancestor's birthplace and also whichtown kept the parish records.

Gazetteers vary in content. Before you look for a placein a gazetteer, make sure you understand whatinformation is given and the order in which it is given.(Most gazetteers include a section describinginformation and organization.)

be following gazetteers may be helpful. Filmnumbers are listed for your convenience.

Film Number1186708118670911867101186711

Place NameA-GH-MN-SertiSerto-Z

Gemeindelexikon fur das Konigreich Preussen[Gazetteer for the Kingdom of Prussia]. Published in1907-1909.

Film Number Place Name496640 A-K496641 L-ZAlso on microfiche 6000001-6000029.

Gazetteer of the German Empire

Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs- Lexikon des DeuischenReichs [Meyer's gazetteer and directory of the GermanEmpire]. published in 1912.

Towns are listed alphabetically. This gazetteer iswritten in the old Gothic script. This gazetteer givesthe 1871-1918 political jurisdictions and indicateswhether the locality had its own parish or synagogue.The following abbreviations are used:

Evangelical parish: <fb~.Catholic parish: ~f.Jewish synagogue: en.

Gazetteer of Prussia

VolumeIII

Film Number599564973041

Gazetteer of Hungary

Magyarorszag Helysegnevtara [Gazetteer ofHungary]. Published in 1877.

ago agostai (Augsburg Evangelical Lufheran)gk. Gorog Katholikus (Greek Catholic)izr. Izraelita (Jewish)kg. Keleti Gorog (Greek Orthodox)ref. Reformatus (Reformed)rk. R6rnai Katholikus (Roman Catholic)un. Unitarius (Unitarian)

Ifthe village had its own parish church (or synagogue,for Jews), the abbreviation for the religion will be inbold capital letters. The diocese will follow, also inbold. If the people attended church elsewhere, theabbreviation of the religion will be in lower case. Thename of the parish location follows the populationfigure. If a dash (-) follows the population figure, it

means members of that religion belong to no particularparish.

V.olume I is a 61O-page index to Volume II. It lists allplace names in alphabetical order. Entries in the indexare followed by the name of the old Hungarian countyand a set of numbers. These numbers refer to thegazetteer entry in Volume II. The first number is thesequential number of the county: the second is theconsecutive number of the district: the las, is thenumber of the locality.

Volume II is arranged by county and districts andprovides more detail. Use the numbers from the indexto find the entry for your town. Additional names forthe town are listed in parentheses. Population figuresare given according to religion. The followingabbreviations are used:

Place NameOstpreussenWestpreussenBrandenburgPommemPosenSchlesien

Film Number Volume1186701 item 3 I1186701 item 4 2806635 item I 3806634 item 4 4806635 item 3 5806633 item 4 6.

The end of each volume has an index of places in theprovince. In the index, there are two numbers givenafter each place. The first number refers to the "l't'G "

(district) to which the locality belonged. Find thesenumbers at the top of the page. The second numberrefers to the town. Thus "21 17" refers to the 17thtown listed in district 21. The parish is given in thecolumns marked as "l'l)fl'e.'· "<fbngefl)" (Lutheran) incolumn 25 and "tufl)" (Catholic) in column 26. If thetown in question is not listed in column two, refer tothe footnotes in the gazetteer.

v e s, T,.. FI LEej~ ,"

MAJOR GAZETTEERS FOR EASTERN EUROPE

German Empire

Uetrecht, E., camp. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs- Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs [Meyer'sgazetteer and directory of the German Empire]. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut,1912. (Genealogical Library call number: European Collection Ref. 943 E5mo; also onmicrofilm, Film 496640 - for places A-K, Film 496641 - for places L-Z; also on Fiche6.000,001-6,000029».

Towns are listed alphabetically. This gazetteer is written in the old Gothic script. Ifthe locality had its own parish or synagogue. it will be indicated in the Meyers gaz­etteer. The following abbreviations are used:

Evangelical parish: EvPfk.Catholic parish: KPfl<.Jewish synagogue: Syn.

If the locality did not have its awn parish, then the parish can be determined using thefollowing gazetteer. which is based on the census of 1905:

Gemeindelexikon fUr das K6nigreich Preussen [Gazetteer for the Kingdom of Prussia].Berlin: Verlag des K6niglichen statistischen Landesarnts, 1907-1909. (GenealogicalLibrary call number: European Collection Ref 943 E5kp; also on microfilm).

Vall Ostpreussen (Film 1186701 item 3)b't/(Vol 2 Westpreussen (Film 1186701 item 4) I'

Vol 3 Brandenburg (Film 806635 item I) "Vol 4 Pommern (Film 806634 item 4) ..Vol 5 Posen (Film 806635 item 3) "Vol 6 Schlesien (Film 806633 item 4) "

Each volume has an index at the end listing in alphabetical order all localities in theprovince. In the index. there are two numbers given after each place-name. The­first number refers to the "Kreis" (district) to which the locality belonged. Thesenumbers can be found at the top of the page in the body of the book. The secondnumber refers to the town. Thus "21 17" reFers to the 17th town listed in district21. The parish is given in the columns marked as "Kirchspiel"; "Evangelisch"(Lutheran) in column 25 and "Katolisch" (Catholic) in column 26. Note: If the townin question is not listed in column two. refer to the footnotes in the gazetteer.

Russian Empire

Sullrnierski, Filip, ed. S~ownik geograficzny kr61estwa polskiego i innych kraj6wslowianskich [Geographical dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and ather Slaviccountries]. 15 Vol. Warsaw: Sulimierski i Walewski. 1880-1902. (Genealogical Librarycall number: European Collection 943.8 E5c; also on microfilm).

Film numbers are as follows:

Sochaczew-Szlurbowsl<a WolaSZlurpl<iszl<i-War!ynl<aWarmbrunn-WorowoWorowo-iy:i:ynAbabi-Januszowo

(addendum)Januszpol-Sniatyn

(addendum)voi. 15

vol. IIvol. 12vol. 13vol, 14voi. 15

P.>.1I 920.967J"920.968"920,969

" 920,970., 920,971

fJ'¥" 920.957 vol. I Aa-DerenecznaI' 920,958 vol. 2 Derenel<-Gzacl<" 920,959 vol. 3 Haag-ICepy, 1920.960 vol. 4 K~s-Kur.no

.. 920,961 vol. 5 ICutowa-Malczyce, •920.962 vol. 6 Malczyce-Iletreba., 920.963 vol. 7 Iletreba-Perepiat 1/ 920,972,.. 920.964 vol. 8 Perepiatycha-Po:i:ajscie, , 920,965 vol. 9 Po:i:ajscie-Rul<szenice"920,966 vol. 10 Rul<szenice-Sochaczew

Arranged alphabetically with text in Polish.

Russisches Geographisches Namenbuch [Russian Geographic Name Book]. Wiesbaden:Otto Harrasowitz. 1964-1980. (Genealogical Library call number: European CollectionRef 947 E5r. 10 volumes; not microfilmed).

Arranged alphabetically by the Russian alphabet. Most entries are in the Russianalphabet with some Polish and German entries. The non-Russian entries are stillalphabetized by Russian alphabetical order. The descriptive information is in German.

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Allgemienes geographisches statistisches Lexikon aller osterreichischen Staaten [GeneralGazetteer of all Austro-Hungary]. Vienna: Franz Raffelsperger. 1845-1853. (Genealog­ical Library call number: European Collection 943.6 E5r; also on microfilm).

A-G - 1186708l'Jf N-Ser-ti - 1186710 1':'i l

H-M - 1186709¥ Serto-Z - 1186711"

Gazetteer of Austria

Gemeindelexikon der in Reichsrate vertretenen Konigreiche und Lander [Gazetteer of thecrownlands and territories reoresented in the imperial council]. Vienna: K.K.Statistisches Zentralkommission. 1903-1908. (Genealogical Library call number:Europe<ln Collection Ref Q 943.6 E5g; also on microfilm).

1187925 item 2 Vol. I Niederosterreich '''1't{1187925 item 3 Vol. 2 Oberosterreich1187925 item 4 Vol 3 Salzburg1187926 item 1 Vol 4 Steiermark1187926 item 2 Vol 5 Kiirnten1187926 item 3 Vol 6 Krain1187926 item 4 Vol 7 Kustenland1187926 item 5 Vol 8 Tirol und Vorarlberg1187927 item 1 Vol 9 Bohmen924736 item I Vol 10 Mahren

1187927 item 2 Vol II Schlesien1187928 item I Vol 12 Galizien brll87928 item 2 Vol 13 Bukowina,'1187928 item 3 Vol 14 Dalmatien ..

Based on the 1900 census. The volume for each province is arranged by district withan index to both German and local place names. If you do not find the town on thepage listed in the index check the footnotes. The parish or synagogue location is notlisted in the main text but is given in an appendix. located between the main text andthe index of each volume. The appendix is arranged alphabetically by district andsub-district. The parish and synagogue are given in the last column: Standort derrom.-kath.. gr.-kath. und lsr, Matrikelstellen.

Gazetteer of Hungary

Maoyarorszao Helyseonevt/3ra [Gazetteer of Hungary]. Janos Dvorzak, cornp. Budapest:"Havi Fiizetek," 1877. (Genealogical Library call number: European Collection Ref. 943.9E5d; also on microfilm, Vol. I on Film 599564 and Vol. II on Film 973041).

Volume I includes a 610 page index. It lists all place names in alphabetical order.Entries in the index are fOllowed by the name of the old Hungarian county , and a setof numbers. These numbers refer to the gazetteer entry in Volume II. The firstnumber is the sequential number of the county; the second is the consecutive numberof the district; the last is the number of the locality.

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Volume II has more details. Volume II is arranged by county and districts. Use thenumbers from the index to find the entry for your town. Additional names thelocality was known by are listed in parentheses. Population figures are givenaccording to religion. The following abbreviations are used:

rk, - Ramai Katholikus - Roman Catholic ref. - Reformatus - Reformedgk. - Gorog KathoUkus - Greek Catholic un. - Unitarius - Unitariankg. - ~eleti Gorog - Greek Orthodox izr. - lzraelita - Jewishago - Agostai - Augsburg Evangelical Lutheran

If the village had its own parish church (or synagogue, for Jews), the abbreviation forthe religion will be in boldface capital letters. The diocese will follow, also inboldface type. If the people attended church elsewhere, the abbreviation of thereligion will be in lower case. The name of the parish location follows the populationfigure. If a dash (-) follows the population figure, it means members of that religionbelong to no partIcular parish.

Modern Countries

Czechoslovakia

Administratives Gemeindelexikon der Cechoslovakischen Republik [AdministrativeGazetteer of the Czechoslovak Repuotlc], Prague: Statistischen Staatsamte, 1927-1928.(Genealogical Library call number: European Collection Ref 943.7 E5a: also on microfilm,vol. I on Film 496719 and vel. II on Film 496720).

To use this gazetteer look up your place name in the main index in Volume II. pages257-321. The index gives a volume and page number.

For areas of Hungary now in Czechoslovakia. use:

Majtan, Milan. Nazvv abc( na Slovensku za ostatnYch dvesto rokov [Place names inSlovakia during the last 200 years]. Bratislava: Slovenska Akaoemie Vied. 1972.(Genealogical Library call number: European Collection Ref 943.73 E2m; also onmicrofilm. Film 1181569 item I).

Poland

Spis Miejscowosci Polskiej Rzeczvpospolitej l.udowej [Gazetteer of Polish Peopl~'sRepublic Localities]. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa komunikacj i ~~cznosci, 1968. (Gen­ealogical Library call number: European Collection Ref 943.8 E5s; also on microfilm,Film 844922).

Localities are listed alphabetically down the page in the first column. Township,district. province (voivodship), post office, railway station and vital records office forthe locality are listed in successive columns to the right.

e 1985 Daniel M. SchlyterPrepared for National Genealogical Society Conference 1985Used for Genealogical Library branch librarian training by permission

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I.

Gazetteers for Austria \Je,e:r TILE(u..L..::tYJa.

GQ;~.J

Vol. I Geme1ndelexikon von N1ederosterrefch flower Austria: now in Austrial(Fil. no. 1187925 item 2)

Vol. 11 Gemeindelexikon von Oberosterreich IUpper Austria: now in Austria/(Fil~ no. 1187925 item 3)

Vol. III Gemeindelexikon von Salzbur9(Film no. 1187925 item 4)

Vol. IV Gemeindelexikon von Steiermark(Film no. 1187926 item 1)

Vol. V Gemeindelexikon von Karnten(Film no. 1187926 item 2)

Vol. VI Gemeindelexikon von Krain(Film nO. 1187926 item 3)

/Salzburg: now in Austria/

/5tyria; now in Austria andYU90s1 avi a/

/Carinthia: now in Austria, Italyand Yugoslavia/

ICarniola: now in Yugoslavial

Vol. VII Gemeindelexikon von Ktistenland(Film no. 1187926 item 4)

Vol. VIII Gemeindelexikon von Tirol undVoral berg

(Fil~ no. 1187926 item 5)

Iistria, Gorz and Trieste: nowin Italy and Yugoslavial

/Tyrolla: now in Austria and Italy/IVoralberg: now in Austria/

Vol. IX Gemeindelexikon von 80hmen(Film nO. 1187927 item 1)

/80hemia: now in Czechoslovakia/

Vol. X Gemeindelexikon von Mahren(Film no. 924736 item 1)

IMoravia: now in Czechoslovakia/

Vol. XI Gemeindelexikon von Schlesien(Film no. 1187927 item 2)

Vol. XII Gemeindelexikon von Galizien(Film nO. 1187928 item 1)

/Silesia: nOw in Czechoslovakiaand Polandl

/Galicia: now in Poland and Ukraine/

Vol. XIII Gemeindelexikon von 8ukowina(Film no. 1187928 item 2)

Vol. XIV Gemeindelexikon von Oalmatien(Film no. 1187928 item 3)

/Sukovina: now in Ukraine andRomanial

10almatia: now in Yugoslavial

This series of gazetteers is based on the Austrian census of 1900. The gazetteerfor each province is organized by political district with an index to both Germanand Czech place-names according to standard alphabetical order. Vol. X, forHoravia, is a bilingual gazetteer with separate sections, each with its own index;the first section is in German, the second in Czech.

..II.......~ ...... lIt.",,_ ... _.w1l................_.orW1... N .......' "'" ...·1001........If"".

~"""l""''''''''''.'''''''')I"l~~ .. ft'IrM

.....1MI.....14r. ..... ....-(IOI'""....~'................. ...__._.......... 0.. .. • lOlI ' .......""..-- -.. -- ..---- ...---School Sanitation Parishun •.• ...., district- 1"'"",,,- lli......~.l i<-U._....... ,I.._~........ -_.. ti_. ...-......... ""~;"""'" "*""'" I_D,1 ,-

""" II''''''. :lli..... tlll'l iN..lHU_I.

~_. lo.......... ~r- ~...~--, .... , .'-"----

To use this gazetteer you must know in which province your locality was located.Use the index to find the locality you want. When you turn to the pageindicated in the index, be aware that all localities are not listed in thesecond column. Some may be so small as to appear only in the footnotes ashamlets subordinate to larger villages or towns.

The 9azetteer is arranged with information continuing across two pages. Theleft hand includes population and religion figures; the right hand page givesland and agricultural figures for tax purposes. Important headings are trans­lated for the sample shown on back of this page.

The parish is not noted in the main text but is given in an appendix, locatedbetween the main gazetteer and index of each volume. The appendix has politicaldistricts in alphabeticaly order, each divided into court districts as in themain gazetteer. The parish is given in the last column. (See example).

I'";·...... · ~i.l.'1' ~... /

GUIDE TOGENEALOGICAL

RESEARCH

POLAND/PRUSSIA: Gazetteers and the Genealogical Library Catalogs

Genealogical research for Gennan ancestors often involves parts of the modern Republic ofPoland, Boundary changes at the end of the First and Second World Wars returned territory toPoland which had been administered by-Prussia and the Gennan Empire. Most of this territoryhad b,en occupied, colonized and administered by Prussia since the partitions of Poland, 1772through 1795. Most of East Prussia had been under Gennanic rule as early as 1370.

The International Genealogical Library has microfilmed many records throughout Poland; rronGermanic areas as wel l as Slavic. These are predaninant1y vital records of bi rth, marriageand death; handwritten in German, Polish or Latin, depending on the area from which theyoriginate.

The new I. q Genealogical Library Catalog (lGLC) is a computer system I'lhich providesaccess to these records by listing them liith description and film numbers. The IGLC listsrecords from the Prussian/Po1ish area in both a Poland file and a Germany file. The Germanyfile lists records according to the old Gennan place-names and jurisdictions; the Poland filelists the same localities according to modern Polish place-names and jurisdictions.

~~e,.l]t<!prior to January of 1979 records were cataloged manually in the Dictionary Card Catalog~o~ (DCC). This system provided for the listing of Prussian/Po1ish records only according to theY modem Polish place-names and jurisdictions. These previously cataloged records are being

converted to the IGLC system but it 1ii1l be several years before all records are filed byboth Gennan and Polish place-names.

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary. The effective use of the Library's two catalogsystems often requires the usage of several gazetteers. The following is a step-by-stepexplanation of how to use the gazetteers and catalogs to locate the Prussian/?olisll recordsyou need.