chester
Joined: 08 Jun 2009
Replies: 7
Location: AustraliaBack to top |
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:26 pm
Post subject: Which archives?
Hello, I've been trying to research my grandfather's family for years without success. I have a letter written to my grandmother in response to her letter she wrote in 1938 to the Chief of Police in Warsaw asking about her husband's family. It says he was born in Kozczycach district of Katowice & that his birth record is at the Office of Birth Registration in Bielszowicach. I wrote to the main archives office which led me to the archives in Katowice who then led me to the archives in Gliwice. Is it worth my while contacting them in Gliwice or are they just going to send me somewhere else?  The letter to my grandmother is dated 9th January 1939, I realise that the record may not exist anymore due to the war. They give grandfather's parent's names & that he was Catholic, is it also possible that the record is in the Catholic archives if so how would I go about contacting them as I can't seem to find an address? Also I've been told that it's best to send all correspondence to Polish archives in Polish, I don't speak Polish.
Sorry for the long query, hope someone can help.
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ZenonPolishOrigins Team Leader
Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1515
Location: PolandBack to top |
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:12 am
Post subject:
Welcome to the Forum Chester,
From information you provided it seems to me that your grandfather's family came from Bielszowice parish, Konczyce colony (the suffixes "-ach": Bielszowiach, Konczycach one use in Polish when you reply, for example, to a question: "Where was he born?" "In Konczyce" - Polish: "W Kończycach". Nominative form is: Bielszowice, Konczyce. A little more about Polish language complexities you can find here: http://forum.polishorigins.com/viewtopic.php?p=153#153 and here: http://forum.polishorigins.com/viewtopic.php?p=556#556  )
Bielszowice today is a district of Ruda Śląska town (map of Ruda Śląska with Bielszowice district: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:Ruda_%C5%9Al%C4%85ska_-_Bielszowice.svg )
According to Polish State Archives database there are many records from Bielszowice from 19th century in Gliwice branch of State Archives, click here to see details: http://tr.im/o0Q4 (urodzenia - births, małżeństwa - marriages, zgony - deaths).
Well, sometimes if you write to Archives in English they understand but they always reply in... Polish. A few very valuable hints how to overcome with success these obstacles while dealing with Polish Archives you can find here: "Remote" research in Polish State Archives - practical hints.
Good luck 
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chester
Joined: 08 Jun 2009
Replies: 7
Location: AustraliaBack to top |
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:18 am
Post subject:
Thankyou so much for your help Zenon, I did wonder about the ' ach ' at the end of the place names & just thought is was writing in an old fasioned way or something.
Also something that I've found is some letters written by my grandfather to his family in 1935 & they are in German & at the moment being translated by a friend. After looking at the old map that you have I see that Katowice was on the border of Poland & Germany & your reply to a question about Selicia sheds light onto this for me, thankyou.
Meredith ( Chester ) 
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