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Poland Civil Registration: Difference between revisions
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Most of the records available through the Family History Library cover the time period prior to 1880. Only a few of the accessible records are in post-1868 Russian. Therefore, most of the records available through the Family History Library are in Polish. The Polish and Russian languages have complex grammar, which makes them difficult to learn. Russian is further complicated by an alphabet quite unfamiliar to most English speaking people. Fortunately, the standard format of these civil records makes it possible, in most cases, to read the Polish language records with the help of the reading aid included in this paper. This reading aid includes an explanation and literal translation of typical register entries for birth, marriage, and death. It should be used together with the [[Poland Genealogical Word List]] or a Polish dictionary. | Most of the records available through the Family History Library cover the time period prior to 1880. Only a few of the accessible records are in post-1868 Russian. Therefore, most of the records available through the Family History Library are in Polish. The Polish and Russian languages have complex grammar, which makes them difficult to learn. Russian is further complicated by an alphabet quite unfamiliar to most English speaking people. Fortunately, the standard format of these civil records makes it possible, in most cases, to read the Polish language records with the help of the reading aid included in this paper. This reading aid includes an explanation and literal translation of typical register entries for birth, marriage, and death. It should be used together with the [[Poland Genealogical Word List]] or a Polish dictionary. | ||
=== Information Recorded in Civil Registers === | |||
Information recorded in Prussian civil registration records was quite standardized. German forms were used, which required specific details. Translations of terms in the headings, listed in parentheses, are given in German and Polish. | |||
The following descriptions pertain mostly to Prussian records. Civil registration in Poland after 1918 followed the civil transcript format of the former controlling government and was gradually standardized to a format similar to the Napoleonic records of the Congress Poland. | |||
==== Birth Records (Geburten, akta urodzeń) ==== | |||
Birth records usually give the child’s name, sex, date and place of birth, and parents’ names. They sometimes give additional details, such as the age of the parents, occupation of the father, and marital status of mother. Births were generally registered within a day of the child’s birth by the father, a neighbor of the family, or the midwife. Corrections to a birth record may have been added as a marginal note, sometimes years later. | |||
'''Example of Polish Birth Record in Russian''' | |||
''Left click on image until you can read it.'' <gallery> | |||
Image:Polish Birth Transcript.jpg|Transcribed Document | |||
Image:Polish Birth Record.jpg|Original Document | |||
</gallery> | |||
==== Marriage Records (Heiraten, akta małżeństw) ==== | |||
Marriages were often recorded in the parish where the bride lived. After 1874 Prussian law required a civil marriage ceremony in addition to a church ceremony. There may be records for both. Civil marriage records may include more information than the church records. When church and civil records are available, search both. | |||
Marriage registers give the date of the marriage, the names of the bride and groom, and the names of witnesses. They often include the bride’s and groom’s ages, birthplaces, residences, occupations, and parents’ names. In cases of second and later marriages, the records may include names of previous partners and their death dates. Often a note is made whether a parent or other party gave permission for the marriage. | |||
Supporting documents were often filed by the bride or groom in support of their request to be married. Records proving their birth may have been required at the time, although these papers were probably not kept in the marriage register. Information obtained from supporting documents was often written into the actual marriage record. These documents are usually not microfilmed but might be obtained from a civil registration office. | |||
Marriage entries are the most informative. Marrying was subject to specific conditions. | |||
*A male below the age of 18 or a female below the age of 15 could not contract marriage. (The emperor could give dispensations in exceptional, important situations). | |||
*A son under 25 and a daughter under 21 had to have their parents' consent; in case of parental disagreement, the father's consent sufficed. | |||
*If the parents were no longer alive or could not be present, then consent was given by grandfathers or, if applicable, brothers or uncles. | |||
*It was impossible to marry a second time without dissolution of the first marriage. | |||
*The wedding had to take place publicly before the civil registrar in the place of residence of one of the newlyweds. | |||
The Code also set forth the obligations proceeding from marriage: | |||
*Newlyweds were obligated to, among other things, live together and support themselves together and to raise children jointly. | |||
*The husband was to protect his wife, his wife was to obey her husband, the wife could not appear in court without her husband's consent (criminal cases were exceptions) except with support of the court. | |||
*The wife could not enter into a second marriage until after 10 months had passed since the previous marriage was dissolved. | |||
*Children did not have the right to demand any estate from their parents, and in accases of parental poverty, were obligated give them support. | |||
'''The majority of records from the period of the Napoleonic Code gave exact birth dates for the couple according to entries from the registers of their home parishes.''' | |||
'''Example of Polish Marriage Record in Russian''' | |||
''Left click on image until you can read it.'' | |||
==== <gallery> | |||
Image:Polish Marriage Transcript.jpg|Transcribed Document | |||
Image:Polish Marriage Record.jpg|Original Document | |||
</gallery> ==== | |||
==== Divorce Records (Ehescheidungen, akta rozwodowe) ==== | |||
Divorces before the mid-20th century were uncommon. The Catholic Church did not allow divorces, and divorces were discouraged in protestant religions, although some marriages may have been annulled. Civil officials began keeping divorce records with the beginning of civil registration. Records of divorces may contain information on family members, marital history, property, residences, and dates of other important events such as the children’s births. Often a record of divorce was inserted later as a marginal note in the marriage register. | |||
The Family History Library has almost no divorce records in its Polish collection. You may be able to obtain information from divorce records by contacting the courthouse of the town where the divorce took place or the archives serving the area. | |||
==== Death Records (Tote, akta zgonów) ==== | |||
Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person’s birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records may exist for individuals for whom there are no birth or marriage records. Deaths were usually registered within a few days of the death in the town or city where the person died. | |||
Early death records generally give the name, date, and place of death. After 1874 they usually included the age or date of birth and sometimes the birthplace, residence, occupation, cause of death, burial information, informant’s name (often a relative), and the name of a spouse or parents. Information about parents and birthplace and date of the deceased and other information in a death record may be inaccurate since the informant may not have had complete information. | |||
'''Example of Polish Death Record in Russian''' | |||
''Left click on image until you can read it.'' | |||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Polish Death Transcript.jpg|Transcribed Document | |||
Image:Polish Death Record.jpg|Original Document | |||
</gallery> | |||
=== Indexes === | === Indexes === | ||
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==== Marriage Records ==== | ==== Marriage Records ==== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
'''A. ''' Place and date of registration of marriage. (Place is given with grammatical ending and the date and time of day are written out in Polish.) Use the Polish Word List to read the date.<br><br>''Dzialo się w mieście Olbierzowicach dnia dwódzięstego''<br>It came to pass in place Olbierzowice (on) day twentieth-<br><br>''siódmego listopadu roku tysiąc osiemset sześcdziesiątego''<br>seventh (of) November year thousand eight-hundred sixtieth- | '''A. ''' Place and date of registration of marriage. (Place is given with grammatical ending and the date and time of day are written out in Polish.) Use the Polish Word List to read the date.<br><br>''Dzialo się w mieście Olbierzowicach dnia dwódzięstego''<br>It came to pass in place Olbierzowice (on) day twentieth-<br><br>''siódmego listopadu roku tysiąc osiemset sześcdziesiątego''<br>seventh (of) November year thousand eight-hundred sixtieth- | ||
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'''D.''' Name of deceased is given with varying amounts of information. Age and occupation are almost always given. Other information often given would be parents, birthplace, survivors, etc.<br><br> ''Umarł / Umarła Józef Cieślak lat . . . . licząc[y/a], syn /<br>''(He) died / (she) died Józef Cieślak years . . . . counting, son /<br><br>c''órka niegdyś / wspomianego Marcina i Wiktoriyi z<br>''daughter (of) deceased / forementioned Marcin and Wiktorya<br><br>''Czerwińskich małonków Cieślaków; urodzony w<br>''Czerwińska a married couple (named) the Cieślaks; born in<br><br>''Prusach / w tej wśi roku . . . . gdziei i z kogo urodzony''<br>Prussia / in this village (in) year. . . . when and of whom born<br><br>''niewiadomo. Zostawił / zostawiwszy po sobie owdowiałą źonę<br>''unknown. (He) has left / leaving after himself widowed wife<br><br>Agat''ę / owdowiałego meźa Mikołajo / etc.<br>''Agata / widowed husband Mikołaj / etc. | '''D.''' Name of deceased is given with varying amounts of information. Age and occupation are almost always given. Other information often given would be parents, birthplace, survivors, etc.<br><br> ''Umarł / Umarła Józef Cieślak lat . . . . licząc[y/a], syn /<br>''(He) died / (she) died Józef Cieślak years . . . . counting, son /<br><br>c''órka niegdyś / wspomianego Marcina i Wiktoriyi z<br>''daughter (of) deceased / forementioned Marcin and Wiktorya<br><br>''Czerwińskich małonków Cieślaków; urodzony w<br>''Czerwińska a married couple (named) the Cieślaks; born in<br><br>''Prusach / w tej wśi roku . . . . gdziei i z kogo urodzony''<br>Prussia / in this village (in) year. . . . when and of whom born<br><br>''niewiadomo. Zostawił / zostawiwszy po sobie owdowiałą źonę<br>''unknown. (He) has left / leaving after himself widowed wife<br><br>Agat''ę / owdowiałego meźa Mikołajo / etc.<br>''Agata / widowed husband Mikołaj / etc. | ||
=== Austrian Civil Transcripts in Latin === | === Austrian Civil Transcripts in Latin === | ||