Prussian Poland Civil Registration
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Definition
- Civil registration is the vital records (records of births, marriages, and deaths) made by the government. Civil registration records (zapisy cywilne) are an excellent source for information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths.
- Legally, civil records were to be kept by state officials. Because there were not enough state officials, the clergy were frequently appointed as civil registrars. The clergy were required to make civil copies of birth, marriage, and death records. These are known as "civil transcripts of church records" (see Poland Church Records).
- Because the church was involved in early civil registration, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between civil registration and church records.
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In 1795, the old Kingdom of Poland was conquered and divided among Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Civil registration coverage varied for each part of Poland controlled by Russia, Prussia, or Austria. This article covers information about civil registration in the Prussian-controlled part of Poland. For the other parts of Poland, see: |
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Time Coverage
Civil authorities in the German territories of Poland began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1874. The people were required to report all births, marriages, and deaths to a civil registrar (Standesamt).
Language of the Records
From 1874 to 1918, records were kept in German. Some areas were annexed to Poland after World War I, and began using Polish. After 1945, all those areas were annexed and using Polish.
Information Recorded in Civil Registers (1874-1918/1945)
Information recorded in Prussian civil registration records was quite standardized. German forms were used, which required specific details. After 1918, the records followed the Napoleonic records of Russian Poland.
Prussian 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:
- 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.
Prussian 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.
Prussian 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.
Prussian 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.
Polish Records Used After 1918 (Napoleonic Format)
Polish Civil Registration Reading Aids
The following reading aids are designed to help you read a typical birth, marriage, or death entry in Polish civil registration. Since the wording of these records was standardized, it is possible to learn the format, and with careful effort, to read Polish records.
When using the reading aids, please note the following:
- Be flexible. Terms and spellings may vary. Information may not always be presented in the exact order shown in the examples. For example, the year may be given before the day of the month or the age may follow the occupation, etc. You must thoroughly familiarize yourself with the format, not just the words.
- It is not uncommon to find double dates given in the entries. When this occurs, the first is the Julian date according to the old Julian calendar. The second is the Gregorian date according to the modern Gregorian calendar used in the world today.
Napoleonic Birth Records in Polish
Birth records contain data on:
- the parents' age
- profession
- social standing
- full place of residence
- full date of birth and registration (down to the hour)
A. Place and date of registration of birth. (Place is given with grammatical ending and the date and time of day are written out in Polish.) Use the Polish Genealogical Word List to read the date. Following are translations of the Polish entries:
Dzialo się w wsi Oporowie dnia trzeciego
It came to pass in village (of) Oporów (on) day third (of)
lutego tyziąc ośmset pięćdziesiątego drugiego roku
February thousand eight-hundred fiftieth – second year (1852),
o godzinie dziewiątego z rana. . . .
at hour ninth in the morning. . . .
►(Prior to the mid-1810s records will start with Roku. This earlier format gives year first, date, time of day, and then the title and often the name of the registrar.)
Roku tysiąc osemsetnego czternastego dnia trzeciego
(of) Year thousand eight-hundred fourteen (1814) (on) day third (of)
- lutego o godzinie dziewiątego z rana przed Nami Augustynem
February at hour ninth in the morning before us Augustyn
Walęckiem proboszcz parafii Oporowskiej sprawuającym obowiązki
Walęcki priest (of) parish (of) Oporów discharging duties (of)
urzędnika stanu cywilnego gminy Oporowskiej powiatu
civil registrar (of) township (of) Oporów district (of)
Orlowskiej w Departmencie Warszawskim.
Orlów in Department (of) Warsaw
B. The father of the child presents himself (or the midwife if the child is illegitimate) to report the birth.
Stawil się Marcin Gorecki okupnik rolnik, lat cztyrdziesciści
Presented himself Marcin Gorecki tenant farmer, years forty
mający / liczący w Czyzeminie zamieszkaly.
having / counting in Czyzemiń residing.
C. Two witnesses are named with genitive grammatical inflection. Their occupations, ages, and residences are given. (This is sometimes omitted in earlier records.)
w obecności Macieja Nowaka lat trzydzieści pięć mający i
in presence (of) Maciej Nowak years thirty- five having and (of)
Jana Grabowskiego lat pięćdziesiąt liczący, obydwóch rolników w
Jan Grabowski years fifty counting, both farmers in
Czyzeminie zamieszkałych.
Czyzemiń residing.
D. The child is presented and the sex is indicated.
i okazał Nam dziecię, płci męskiej /źeńskiej. . . .
and showed us child, (of) sex male / female. . . .
E. Place of birth is given with date and time of day. Use the Polish Genealogical Word List to read the date.
urodzone w Czyzemienie w domu pod numerem trzynastym, . . . .
born in Czyzemiń in house (under) number thirteen, . . . .
na dniu dzisiejszym / wczorajszym / onegdajszym /
on day today / yesterday / day before yesterday /
trzydziestym grudnia / miesiąca bieźącego. . . .
thirtieth (of) December / month current. . . .
roku bieźącego/ przeszłego o godzinie szóstej wieczorem.
(of) year current / preceding at hour sixth in the evening.
F. The mother of the child is given in genitive grammatical inflection with her age. The record will state if she is the wife of the one presenting himself. If not, the record will state whether she is unmarried. When the mother is married but the father is merely not present, then his name is usually given between the birth date and the name of the mother.
(Urodzone) z jego małźonki Maryanny z Grabowskich / Nowaków
(Born) of his wife Maryanna Grabowska / Nowak
lat trzydzieści trzy mającej.
years thirty- three having.
►(Earlier records, prior to the mid-1820s will usually read differently.)
cświadczając, iź jest spłodzone z niego i Maryanny
testifying that (it) is begotten of him and (of) Maryanna
z / z domu Mazurków lat trzydzieści trzy mającej jego małźonki.
(maiden name) Mazurek years thirty- three having, his wife.
G. Some records will indicate that on this day the christening was performed.
Dziecieciu temu na Chrzcie Świętym w dniu dzisiejszym odbytym.
(for) child this Christening Holy on day today performed.
H. The child is given a name.
nadane jest Imię Jan Marcin / zyczeniem jego jest nadać mu Imię Ewa
given is name Jan Marcin / desire his is give it name Ewa
I. The Godparents are named.
jego Rodzicami Chrzestnymi byli Alojzy Kowalski i Elźbieta Adamska.
his Godparents were Alojzy Kowalski and Elźbieta Adamska.
J. The entry was read and signed by the witnesses or by the priest/rabbi if the witnesses could not write.
Akt ten stawającemu i świadkom przeczytany został,
Entry this (to the one) present and witnesses read was,
Ojciec i świadkowie pisać nie umieją.
Father and witnesses (to) write not know how.
Napoleonic Marriage Records in Polish
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.
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.
Dzialo się w mieście Olbierzowicach dnia dwódzięstego
It came to pass in place Olbierzowice (on) day twentieth-
siódmego listopadu roku tysiąc osiemset sześcdziesiątego
seventh (of) November year thousand eight-hundred sixtieth-
czwartego, o godzinie dziewiątej rano. . . .
fourth (1864) at hour ninth (in) morning. . . .
►(Prior to the mid-1820s, records will start with Roku. This earlier format gives year first, date, time of day, and then the title and often name of the registrar. See birth format for an example.)
B. In most records after the mid-1820s two witnesses are named, usually with genitive grammatical inflection. Their occupations, ages, and residences are given. (Caution: In some cases the groom and bride present themselves at this point in the entry. In such cases the witnesses will be noted in the Summation.)
Wiadomo czyniemy źe w przytomności świadków Tomasza
Knowingly (we) affirm that in presence (of) witnesses Tomasz
Kolczaka mularz lat trzydzieści i Piotra Studzińskiego
Kolczak bricklayer years thirty and Piotr Studzińki
szewca lat trzydzieści sześć mających, obydwóch w Olbierzowicach
shoemaker years thirty- six having, both in Olbierzowice
zamięskałych. . . .
residing. . . .
►Sometimes:
Stawiłi się. . .(Names of witnesses as above, without grammatical endings.)
They appeared. . .
C. In most records prior to the mid-1820s and sometimes later, the groom and bride will present themselves. Information will be given as in D below, usually without the instrumental grammatical inflection. If the couple appear together with a witness or official, then the instrument inflection may be required because of the preposition z".
Stawiłi się Ludwik Jan Kowalski, lat. . . . etc., a
(They) presented themselves Ludwik Jan Kowalski, age. . . .etc., and
Panna Tekla Tokarska, lat. . . . etc.
Maiden Tekla Tokarska, age. . . . etc.
►Sometimes:
Stawil się Rabin Hersz Sztajn wraz z Starozakonami
(He) presented himself Rabbi Hersz Sztajn together with Jews
Szmulem Litmanem, lat. . . . , a Panna Ruchlą Dawidowiczowną, lat. . . .
Szmul Litman, age. . . . , and maiden Ruchla Dawidowiczowna, age. . . .
D. Statement of marriage. If marriage took place on a day different than the day of registration, it will be stated here.
Na dniu dzisiejszym / wczorajszym zawarte zostało Religijne
On day today / yesterday accomplished was Religious
Małźenstwo między. . . .
Marriage between. . . .
E. Names of bridegroom and bride are given. Because the preposition międzyrequires instrumental grammatical inflection, their names and all words describing them will have grammatical endings. For the groom, everything will end with –m. For the bride, everything will end with –ą.Information given will vary. Age, previous marital status and residence are almost always given. Very often the entry will also give place of birth. (In early records prior to the mid-1820s this is often accompanied by a statement that the age and birthplace are confirmed by an extract from the parish register of the birthplace.) Most records give the names and residence of parents of the bride and groom. Other information that may be given would be exact birth date, names of previous marriage partners, etc. The order in which information is given can vary, but the groom is always first with information pertaining to him, followed by the bride and all information pertaining to her.
między Ludwikiem Janem Orlikiem / Kowalskim młodzianem / kawalerem /
between Ludwik Jan Orlik / Kowalski bachelor / bachelor /
wdowcem kowalem / profeszyi kowalskiej w Kaczkowiznie zamieszkałym. . .
widower smith / profession smith in Kaczkowizna residing. . .
urodzonym w Gostynie z / synem niegdyś / zmarłego Tomasza i
born in Gostyn of / son (of) the late / deceased Tomasz and (of)
Justyny z Pinkowskich małźonków Orlików podług
Justyna Pinkowska a married couple (named) the Orliks according to
złoźonej przed Nami metryko wyjęty z Ksiąg kościoła
submitted before us certificate extracted from book (of) church at
Gostyńskiego lat. . . . etc. a Panna Tekla Tokarska / wdowa po Józefie
Gostyn age . . . etc. and maiden Tekla Tokarska / widow of Józef
Gadzińskim zmarłym dnia. . / przy matce zostającą, Córka. . .
Gadziński deceased (on) day. . ./ with mother staying, Daughter (of). . .
►(Information is given for the bride similar to that given for the groom.)
F. As marriages must be preceded by three banns (announcements in the church) the dates of the banns are given, written out in Polish. Some records also state who gave permission for the marriage.
Małźenstwo to poprzedzily trzy zapowiedzie w dniach
Marriage this preceded (by) three announcements on days
dziesiątym, siedmnastym, i dwódziestym czwartym listopadu roku
tenth, seventeenth, and twenty- fourth (of) November year
bieźącego w parafia. Zezwolenie małźenstwa Ojca
current in parish. Permission (for) marriage (by) father (of)
nowozaślubionego i rodziców nowozaślubionej.
groom (newlywed) and parents (of) bride (newlywed).
G. Summation: This includes a statement that there were no objections to the marriage. Sometimes it includes a renaming of the witnesses with an occasional mention of relationship to the bride or groom. Finally, it concludes with a statement, as in birth and death records, that the entry was read to witnesses and that they signed or did not sign, depending on their ability to write.
Napoleonic Death Records in Polish
Death records contain description of the family relationships of the witnesses appearing, exact time and place of death, place of birth and parent's names. If the deceased was married, then the names of his or her spouse and of all living children were given. The cause of death was usually omitted if the person died of natural causes; it was given if the person died as a result of an accident, e.g., drowning, a fall, or fire. Information given in the death record depended on the knowledge of the witnesses who came to report the death.
A. Place and date of registration of death. (Place is given with grammatical ending and the date and time of day are written out in Polish.) Use the Polish Genealogical Word List to read the date.
Działo się w parafii Źychlińskiej w roku tysiąc osemset
It came to pass in parish Źychlin in year thousand eight-hundred
czterdziestiego dnia trzeciego marca o godzinie. . . . etc.
forty (1840) (on) day third (of) March at hour. . . . etc.
►(Prior to the mid-1820s records will start with Roku. This earlier format gives year first, date, time of day, and then the title and often name of the registrar. See birth format for an example.)
B. Two witnesses present themselves to report the death. Their occupations, ages, and residences are given.
Stawiłi się Marcin Cieślak, parobek lat. . . . i
(They) presented themselves Marcin Cieślak, farmhand age. . . . and
Mateusz Czerwiński, formal lat. . . .
Mateusz Czerwiński, farm-wagon driver age. . . .
C. The witnesses testify concerning the death, including the place (given with grammatical ending) and the date and time of day when the death occurred. Use the Polish Genealogical Word List to read the date.
i oświadczyłi iz dnia pierwszego marca / wczorajszego
and (they) testified that (on) day first (of) March / yesterday
roku bieźącego, o godzinie ósmej w wieczor, w wśi Dębicach. . . .
(of) year current, at hour eight in evening, in village Dębice. . . .
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.
Umarł / Umarła Józef Cieślak lat . . . . licząc[y/a], syn /
(He) died / (she) died Józef Cieślak years . . . . counting, son /
córka niegdyś / wspomianego Marcina i Wiktoriyi z
daughter (of) deceased / forementioned Marcin and Wiktorya
Czerwińskich małonków Cieślaków; urodzony w
Czerwińska a married couple (named) the Cieślaks; born in
Prusach / w tej wśi roku . . . . gdziei i z kogo urodzony
Prussia / in this village (in) year. . . . when and of whom born
niewiadomo. Zostawił / zostawiwszy po sobie owdowiałą źonę
unknown. (He) has left / leaving after himself widowed wife
Agatę / owdowiałego meźa Mikołajo / etc.
Agata / widowed husband Mikołaj / etc.
Indexes
The use of the Polish civil registers is further simplified by the indexes that usually accompany them. Indexes were prepared on a yearly basis. The birth, marriage, and death records were each indexed separately. The index is usually found immediately after the records indexed. In some cases the separate birth, marriage, and death indexes are grouped together at the end of the year’s records.
The indexes vary in quality. In some cases they are incomplete or missing entirely. Usually they are alphabetical by surname, but in some cases, they are alphabetized by first name or they may be chronological rather than alphabetical. Spellings in the indexes may differ from those in the actual entries. The indexes usually refer the reader to an entry number – sometimes to a page number. Researchers should realize that, although these indexes are a great help, one should not rely on them completely because some entries may be inaccurately indexed or not indexed at all.
Locating Civil Registration Records
Civil registration records are kept at the local civil registration office (Urzd stanu Cywilnego) in each town or city. You must therefore determine the town where your ancestor lived before you can find the records. Your ancestor may have lived in a village that was part of the civil district of a nearby larger town. In large cities there may be many civil districts.
To find the town for the civil registration office:
- Use mapa.szukacz to find the province, area, commune, and postal code of the town. Enter the town name in the "place" field in the right sidebar and click "Show". All information will appear at the bottom of the right sidebar.
- Use Kartenmeister to find the Polish and German province, county, Catholic parish, Lutheran parish, and Standesamt (civil registration office), if the town was in the area of Poland once controlled by Prussia
Online Indexes to Civil Registration Records
Jewish Record Indexes
If searching for a Jewish ancestor, select the database "Jewish Records Indexing - Poland" which is a good starting point. The database has approximately four million records and can be searched in several ways, such as entering a surname and a town name. Due to spelling errors, a "Sounds Like" search is usually more productive than an "is Exactly" search. The results are sorted by the location of the event and by the source of the data. "LDS" indicates that the records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library. For these records, the database frequently contains the record number and film number, so the records can be found easily. "PSA" indicates that the records are available from a branch of the Polish State Archives.
Online Records
- National Archives in Stettin Tutorial
- Pommerscher Greif e. V., Association for Pomeranian Family and Local History.
- Go to Forschung > Famillienforschung > Standesamt online or Kirchenbuch online > Find your Kreis >Parish
- Pomerania Genealogical Association Indexing project.
- Go to "PomGenBase". > Search "PomGenBase". > Select "Christenings", "Marriages", or "Deaths”" > Use drop-down menu to see list of locations. > Select a locality or search in all localities. > Restrict your search using "Years". > Enter at least a "Surname". > Change "Search Method" to "similar". > Click "Search".
- Szukaj w ArchiwachTutorial The Polish Archives
- Geneteka Instructions
Records at the Family History Library
The Family History Library has microfilmed the civil registration records of many towns in the former Prussian areas of Poland. They are rarely available more recently than about 1890 because the microfilming of records less than 110 years old is restricted. The specific holdings of the Family History Library are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. To find civil registration records in the Family History Library, search in the Place section under:
POLAND - CIVIL REGISTRATION
POLAND, (COUNTY) - CIVIL REGISTRATION
POLAND, (COUNTY), (CITY) - CIVIL REGISTRATION
The library’s collection continues to grow. Do not give up if records are not available yet. The FamilySearch Catalog is updated annually. Check it again every year for the records you need.
Writing for Records
Birth, marriage, divorce, and death records may be found by contacting local civil registration offices or archives in Poland. To protect the rights of privacy of living persons, most modern records have restrictions on their use and access. You may have to prove you relationship to the person in the record, and that they are deceased.
The present location of records depends on the age of the record book. Records more recent than 100 years are generally in local civil registration offices, and older ones are in state archives.
To find the address of the civil registration office:
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1. Google: urzad stanu cywilnego |
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2. From the list of hits, |
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3. Find the e-mail address. |
How to Write the E-mail
Write your request in Polish whenever possible. Information about how to write to local civil registration offices in Poland is given in Poland Letter Writing Guide.
Writing to Archives
- Use PRADZIAD to see which archive might have copies of the civil registers or parish registers. Archive addresses are given by clicking on "More" under AKCJA.
Reading the Language of the Records
Word Lists
The language of the records depends on the controlling government. Most of Poland was part of Austria until 1918, and church records are in Latin. The parts of Poland which belonged to Prussia (Germany) used German until they were ceded back to Poland (after World War I or II). Records in parts of Poland controlled by Russia can be in either Russian or Polish.
How-to Guides
For areas of Poland that were once part of Russia:
- Reading Polish Birth Records - Instruction, Activity, Answer Key
- Reading Polish Marriage Records - Instruction, Activity, Answer Key
- Reading Polish Death Records - Instruction, Activity, Answer Key
Lessons
- Reading Polish Handwritten Records
- Lesson 1: Polish Letters
- Lesson 2: Polish Words and Dates
- Lesson 3: Reading Polish Records
- Reading German Handwritten Records
- Old German Script
Other Translation Resources
Translating Napoleonic style Polish records (typically in Polish before 1867 but also Russian Cyrillic between 1867 and WW I) can be daunting for the average person. A number of resources are available to help with this, both on line and in books.
- In Their Words: A Genealogist's Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents. Volumes I & II by Jonathan D. Shea and William F. Hoffman. See LangLine for ordering information. (Volume I is Polish -> English; Volume II is Russian -> English; both contain a lot more translation resources than just the church records.)
- A Translation Guide to 19th Century Polish Language Civil Registration Documents by Judith R. Frazin.
