Poland Gazetteers

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Poland

Gazetteers

Definition

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or index. Depending on the gazetteer, It may contain information about locations:

• their jurisdictions (voivoideship, powiat, county, province, etc.)
• location of civil registration offices (for birth, marriage, and death certificate
• parish churches or synagogues
• population numbers
• postal facilities
• communication facilities (telephone, telegraph, and so on)
• local commerce, agriculture, manufacturing works, canals, docks, and railroad stations
• schools, colleges, and universities

Gazetteers are specific to time and geographical region.

Gazetteers are produced to cover a country generally, and cover the locations as of the date they are published. Poland's boundaries frequently changed as different parts of Poland came under the control of various countries, usually Prussia, Russia, and Austria. Names of towns can change to the language of the controlling country. This map shows arguably the longest lasting partition of Poland--from the end of the Napoleonic wars to the World Wars (1815-1918/1945). The gazetteers shown in this article are organized by these regions, and then by post-World War, and modern times.

Online Gazetteers

Prussian Poland

These gazetteers deal with the parts of modern Poland that were under the Prussia before World War I: Brandenburg, East Prussia (Ostpreussen), Posen, Pomerania (Pommern), Silesia (Schlesien), and West Prussia (Westpreussen).

• Meyer’s 1871 Gazetteer: Prussian areas as they existed in 1871. Clickable to the 1871 German Empire map. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key. Abbreviations: Instruction, Activity, Answer Key.
• Kartenmeister: Prussian Poland as it existed in 1905. It gives German and Polish names, Catholic and Lutheran parish names, and civil registration office. Clickable to Google Maps. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key.
• 1905 Prussian Gazetteer (Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich Preußen): Gives Catholic, Lutheran, and other religious parishes, and Standesamt (civil registrar). – Volume 1. Ostpreußen -- Volume 2. Westpreußen -- Volume 3. Berlin und Brandenburg -- Volume 4. Pommern -- Volume 5. Posen -- Volume 6. Schlesien . Instruction, Activity, Answer Key.

Meyer's 1871 Gazetteer "StdA." gives civil registration office. "kath.Pfk." means there is a Catholic parish seated here.

Kartenmeister, 1905

Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich Preußen

Russian Poland

Some important gazetteers for this region are only available off-line. Use the gazetteers in the Republic of Poland (1918-1939) section for identifying locations in this area.

• Księga adresowa wszystkich miejscowości w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskiem: 1902, all places from Great Poland sorted alphabetically in counties.

Austrian Poland

The Austrian partition was called Galizien in German and Galicia in English.

• Gemeindelexikon – Galizien (volume 12): Contains information about population, including breakdown by religion.

Republic of Poland (1918-1939)

Skorowidz Gazetteer

• Skorowidz Gazetteer
• Skorowidz Gazetteer, Another Source

Lists type of location (city, town, village, settlement, etc.), jurisdictions, and church parishes. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key

Słownik Gazetteer

• Słownik Geograficzny Gazetteer
• Słownik Geograficzny Gazetteer, Another Source

Lists detailed physical descriptions, population, jurisdictions, and location of parishes.

• Glossary..
• Some entries translated into English.

Modern Poland

Spis Gazetteer

• Spis Gazetteer, Volume 1
• Spis Gazetteer, Volume 2

Lists jurisdictions. location of civil registration offices. Spis Gazetteer of Poland Wiki Article, gives abbreviations.

Nazwa i rodzaj miejscowości	Gromada (osiedle-osied.) (miasto-m.)	Siedziba PRN	Województwo	Poczta	Stacja, przystanek kolejowy	Urząd stanu cywilnego
Name and type of locality	Next larger admini-strative unit	County Seat	Province	Post Office	Railroad Station	Vital Records Office

Mapa Szukacz

• Mapa.Szukacz.pl with jurisdictions, population, postal codes

Mapa.Szukacz--in addition to the map, this infobox appears.
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Eastern Borderlands

• Eastern Borderlands Places

Śląsk /Silesia / Schlesien

Whole Schlesien:
1845 - Alphabetisch-statistisch- topographische Uebersicht der Dörfer, Flecken, Städte und andern Orte der Königl. Preuss. Provinz Schlesien
1876 - Handbuch für die Provinz Schlesien
1885 - Gemeindelexikon für die Provinz Schlesien
1901 - Schlesisches Ortschafts-Verzeichniß
1941 - Schlesisches Ortschaftsverzeichniss

Opole / Oppeln area:
1860 - Ortschafts- und Entfernungs-Tabelle des Regierungsbezirks Oppeln
1886 - Ortschafts- und Entfernungs-Tabelle des Regierungsbezirks Oppeln

Additional Gazetteers at the FamilySearch Library

Russian Poland

The two gazetteers cover some of the Russian partition.

• RGN (Russisches Geographisches Namenbuch): Compiled after World War II, based on the Spiski Gazetteer below. written in Russian, German, and Polish. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key
• Spiski Gazetteer: Compiled during the Russian Empire time, organized geographically rather than alphabetically, in Russian. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key

Austrian Poland

• Genealogical Gazetteer of Galicia: includes the location of the Catholic parish andGreek Catholic, Lutheran, and Jewish congregations. Written in Polish, German, and Ukrainian.
• RGN (Russisches Geographisches Namenbuch): Compiled after World War II, based on the Spiski Gazetteer below. written in Russian, German, and Polish. Instruction, Activity, Answer Key
• Gemeindelexikon Der Im Reichsrate Vertretenen Königreiche and Länder. V. 12 (1900)
  FHL book 943.6 E5g. based on the 1900 census of Austria-Hungary; arranged by district with an index of both German and non-German versions of place-names. Between the main text and the index is an appendix which indicates the location of the church vital records office.

Prussian Poland

• Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich Preußen. Königlichen Statistischen Landesamts. Ostpreussen, Westpreussen, Brandenburg, Posen, Schlesien, Pommern. (6 volumes) (1907).
  FHL book 943 E5kp
  This set of gazetteers has volumes for each of the Prussian provinces arranged by Kreis (district) with an index at the end.
• Alphabetisches Ortsnamenverzeichnis der Deutschen Ostgebiete unter fremder Verwaltung, Band 11. V. 1. 1955]

Various Gazetteers Book List

• Wykaz urzędowych nazw miejscowści w Polsce. V. 1. (FHL book 943.8 E5wu.)
• Roman Catholic parishes in the Polish People's Republic in 1984. Lidia Müllerowa, Chicago, Illinois. 1995. FHL book 943.8 K24m
• Jewish Roots in Poland. Miriam Weiner, Secaucus, New Jersey. 1997. FHL book 943.8 F2wm. A listing of Jewish archival holdings.
• Oficjalny Spis Pocztowych Numerów Adresowych, Warszawa 1993.' 'FHL book 943.8 E80. Polish Postal Guide.
  
  

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)