Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2026 12:53 pm
Post subject: Help needed in researching my grandfather, dr. Med. Pudlik
Hi all,
I’m the kind of guy who wants to uncover every small detail of someone’s life — and in this case, that someone is my late grandfather.
I’m in a strange position: on one hand, I have a large personal archive of documents belonging to my late grandfather, dr. med. Zbigniew Pudlik. On the other hand, I have very few ways to learn more about his intriguing life. I’m hoping some of you might point me toward research paths I may have overlooked.
The short version:
My grandfather was a doctor and surgeon who enjoyed a certain local reputation in Kraków and spent many years working abroad in Iraq where he had contact with the Polish ambassador and some foreign companies (German, Chinese etc). During the communist era he also travelled to several countries — the ones I know of include Thailand, Japan, India, Kenya, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Egypt. He passed away before my interest in genealogy grew to what it is today, and all I have now are documents, stashed away gold and old cash banknotes and a golden Krzyż Zasługi that paint a picture of a rather dashing, almost secret‑agent‑like figure. The truth was probably more ordinary, but still, there’s so much I don’t know.
One story that always stuck with me comes from my father: when he met my mother in Poland, he got into trouble for taking photos near some facility and was detained on suspicion of spying. My grandfather intervened, made the “baddies” disappear, and the whole thing ended well. It only adds to the mystery.
What I’ve tried so far:
- Contacted the National Archives in Kraków - no results in any of its branches (which is weird, but ok..)
- Searched his name in the online State Archive database — no results.
- Contacted his university and received some additional documents.
- Reached out to the hospital in Kraków where he worked in a leading position for decades — no response.
- Contacted the company he worked for in Iraq — also no response.
It’s a somewhat underwhelming outcome, given how active and accomplished his life appears to have been.
Is this really all there is, or am I overlooking some important avenues that could broaden my research?
Thanks in advance,
Kaj
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