Polish Genealogy Groups
Polish genealogy presents unique challenges due to the frequent boundary shifts and political partitions that affected the country over centuries, resulting in records being housed across various national and regional archives (Germany, Russia, Austria/Ukraine). Joining a Genealogy Group or Society—whether regional within Poland or based internationally, like in the United States—is one of the most effective ways to navigate this complexity. These societies provide researchers with access to specialized knowledge, translated resources, collaborative projects (like record indexing), and local expertise crucial for locating records in specific areas, especially those corresponding to the former Russian Empire, German Empire, and Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Polish genealogy societies are often structured around historic regions (e.g., Wielkopolska, Małopolska, Galicia) or modern administrative areas, and many have undertaken massive volunteer projects to digitize and index vital records, making them accessible online through databases like Geneteka (listed below). For researchers outside Poland, Polish Genealogical Societies in the United States offer essential guidance on reading Polish, Latin, and Russian records, understanding historical geography, and connecting with ancestral homelands.
Poland (Regional & National) 🇵🇱
- Bluro Uslug Genealogicznych Genorootssa
- Bydgoskie Towarzystwo Heraldyczno-Genealogiczne - Bydgoszcz Heraldic Genealogical Society
- Central Poland Genealogical Society
- Galicyjskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Galician Genealogical Society
- Genealodzy.pl (Polish Genealogical Society Portal)
- Genealogia Polakow – Polish Genealogy
- Genealogia Potomkowie Sejmu Wielkiego – Genealogy of the descendants of Greater Sejm (Focus on Nobility)
- Genealogical Society of Great Poland Gniazdo
- Geneteka baza Polskiego Towarzystwa Genealogicznego – Polish Genealogical Society (Primary Indexed Records Database)
- Kaliskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne KALISIA – Kalisz Genealogical Society Kalisia
- Kujawsko – Pomorskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Kujawsko – Pomeranian Genealogical Society
- Lubelskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Lublin Genealogical Society
- Lubuskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Lubusz Genealogical Society
- Małopolskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Małopolska Genealogical Society
- Opolskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne – Opole Genealogical Society
- Polskiego Towarzystwa Genealogicznego (PTG - Polish Genealogical Society)
- Pradziad Database (Polish State Archives’ Inventory)
- Szczecin State Archives online records in Pommerania, civil and church records included
- Towarzystwo Bambrów Poznańskich – Bambers Poznań Society (Focus on German settlement)
- Towarzystwo Genealogiczne Ziemi Częstochowskiej – Genealogical Society of Częstochowa
- Warszawskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne WTG
- Wielkopolskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne Gniazdo – Genealogy Society of Greater Gniazdo
United States & International 🇺🇸
- Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast
- Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) (National Organization)
- Polish Genealogical Society of Greater Cleveland
- Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts
- Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan
- Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota
- Polish Genealogical Society of New York State
- Polish Genealogical Society of Texas
- FEEFHS (Foundation for East European Family History Studies)
Credits
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.