Monthly Archives: April 2010

While in Salt Lake City at the National Genealogical Society’s Family History Conference last week, I seized the opportunity to conduct some research in the Family History Library. My primary research objective was to identify the administrative divisions for parishes in the area north of Warsaw where my Burski, Chodkowski, Czarzasty, Kamiński, Klonowski, Krzyczkowski, Milewski, Mossakowski, Niedziałkowski, Rembowski, Skierbowski, Smoleński, Ślaski, and Zaboklicki ancestors lived. Continue reading →

Because the borders of Poland changed so often throughout history, genealogists may find that correctly identifying the name of the places where vital events in the lives of their ancestors occurred may be a difficult task if they attempt to enter the names of the places as they were known at the time of the events. Continue reading →

On 22 January 1863, a spontaneous protest against mandatory conscription into the Russian army broke out in Poland. The Russian government bitterly suppressed this January Uprising, as it had the November Uprising which began on 29 November 1830. The aftermath of the January Uprising included complete incorporation of the Kingdom of Poland into the Russian Empire, where it was officially called the Vistula Land (Kraj Nadwiślański in Polish). Continue reading →

In 1844, the Russian Authority reorganized the administrative structure of the Kingdom of Poland, combining and renaming some of the gubernias. Continue reading →

As a result of the November Uprising of 29 November 1830 – 05 October 1831, the Russian authority of the Kingdom of Poland reorganized the administrative structure of the Kingdom of Poland to bring it more in line with that of the Russian Empire. On 07 March 1837, the Voivodeships were renamed Gubernias (singular gubernia, plural gubernii) and, in 1942, the Obwóds were renamed Powiats (singular powiat, plural powiaty). Continue reading →

When genealogists enter the names of the locations where events in their ancestors’ lives occurred, they are faced with the dilemma of how to enter place names so as to unambiguously identify the locations in both space and time. On … Continue reading →

On 09 June 1815, the Kingdom of Poland was established by the Congress of Vienna from the lands formerly known as the Duchy of Warsaw. Continue reading →

The Duchy of Warsaw was split into several different types of administrative divisions including departments (singular departament, plural departamenty) which were subdivided into powiats (districts) (singular powiat, plural powiaty) which, in turn, were subdivided into gminas (townships) (singular gmina, plural gminy). Continue reading →