Poles from Braslawszczyzna - now in Lithuania and Belarus

Terese — Wed Sep 11, 2013 9:23 pm

Author: Terese

Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 9:23 pm

I'd like to hear from persons interested in this region.
The Lithuanian Historical Archives have provided me with family records after 1800, from the Smolwy/Smalvos parish of what was once part of Braslawszczyzna. They say there are no records prior to 1800. Records from around 1920 onwards are held partly by them and partly by Belarus. Everything after WWII (Great Patriotic War: Rus), that is that which survived, and that which is now in Belarus territory, are held by Belarus.,
Good luck with that. If you can prove your relationship to someone you are enquiring about and provide certified copies and translations, they may process your enquiry - there is a fee involved. I've never received a reply in 8 years of enquiry.
I do however have access to the town of Braslaw's 2003 phone book and have used this to provide possible avenues of enquiry.
Czeslaw Szymkiewicz's blogs on Braslaw, Opsa etc are good sites to visit.

I'd also appreciate others' views of what constitutes a "Litwin" ... who are they? Some claim they are a tribe of Belarussians. Some say they are Poles mixed with Lithuanians. What is the difference between a Litwin and a Litwan?

What about schlacta of the region? People like Podbereski and Tur whose holdings seem to have diminished after the Napoleonic Wars.

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Poles from Braslawszczyzna - now in Lithuania and Belarus