Polish Genealogy Academy 1

Genealogy research in the Russian partition of Poland (Congress Poland) – history & characteristics of vital records Polish Genealogy Academy 2

Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Mapa zaborów

Source: Wikimedia Commons Polish Genealogy Academy 3

Territorial changes on Polish territory in the first half of the 19th century

The Duchy of Warsaw in 1810 The Kingdom of Poland (Congress Poland) in 1821

Source: Wikimedia Commons Polish Genealogy Academy 4

Russian Partitions and Congress Poland in 1821

Source: Wikimedia Commons Polish Genealogy Academy 5

Congress Poland (1815-1918) and Second Polish Republic (1918-1939) compared with contemporary borders of Poland

Source: Jewishgen.org Polish Genealogy Academy 6

The history of vital records in the Russian partition of Poland

 The Duchy of Warsaw introduced civil registration in 1808 (the first system of civil registration on Polish soil) - based on the French Civil Code

 Congress Poland inherited it, although invalidated the system in 1825, reinstating religious registration but keeping the original format of the records.

 Priests were made civil registrars, first only Catholic clergy kept the books, after 1826 other religions were allowed their own French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte registration Source: Wikimedia Commons Napoleonic Code Source: Wikimedia Commons Polish Genealogy Academy 7

Characteristics of vital records in the Russian partition of Poland

 Until 1868 written in Polish, after 1868 in Russian

 Records were written in narrative form according to the same pattern

 In records written in Russian, names of the key people mentioned in the document were often written in two languages – Russian and Polish

 Birth, marriage, and death records listed in a single book of a specific year

Cover of the book of vital records from the year of 1826, parish in Chamsk Source: PolishOrigins resources Polish Genealogy Academy 8

Birth record from Roman-Catholic parish in Szreńsk from May 10, 1868 (written in Polish)

Source: PolishOrigins resources Polish Genealogy Academy 9

Birth record from Roman-Catholic parish in Szreńsk from May 15, 1868 (written in Russian)

Source: PolishOrigins resources Polish Genealogy Academy 10

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Aleksander Zawilski PolishOrigins Team