The Family Tree Polish Czech And Slovak Genealogy Guide

Trace your Eastern European ancestors from American shores back to the old country. This in-depth guide will walk you step-by-step through the exciting--and challenging--journey of finding your Polish, Czech, or Slovak roots. You'll learn how to identify immigrant ancestors, find your family's town of origin, locate key genealogical resources, decipher foreign-language records, and untangle the region's complicated history. The book also includes timelines, sample records, resource lists, and sample record request letters to aid your research. In this book, you'll find • The best online resources for Polish, Czech, and Slovak genealogy, plus a clear research path you can follow to find success • Tips and resources for retracing your ancestors’ journey to America • Detailed guidance for finding and using records in the old country • Helpful background on Polish, Czech, and Slovak history, geography, administrative divisions, and naming patterns • How the Three Partitions of Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire affect genealogical research and records • Information on administrative divisions to help you identify where your ancestors' records are kept • Sample letters for requesting records from overseas archives • Case studies that apply concepts and strategies to real-life research problems Whether your ancestors hail from Warsaw or a tiny village in the Carpathians, The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide will give you the tools you need to track down your ancestors in Eastern Europe.

This book is designed to give the researcher the tools needed to research their Czech and Slovak ancestors and find possible answers to the origins of your heritage. The book outlines a simple process that will identify where your ancestors were born and where to find their records. The author, Stephen Szabados, uses his own genealogical research experience to outline a simple process that has been successful for the author. The book lists many sources of information that will add to your family history; identify where your ancestors were born and where to find their Czech and Slovak records. Traditional sources are covered but it also discusses many new and exciting sources for records. The book includes many sample documents and tips that should prove useful for both the beginner and the veteran genealogist. The information in this book covers the most up-to-date collection of sources for Czech and Slovak genealogy and should prove to be invaluable when doing your research. This book is for people with roots in Bohemia (Czech), Slovakia, Moravia, or Silesia who feel the need to develop, preserve and share the genealogical, historical and cultural knowledge of their ancestors.

Are you afraid to search for the records of your Polish ancestors because you do not speak Polish? This guide will show you where to find resources that will help you overcome this problem. This quick reference will give you helpful hints to decipher the documents and allow you to find your ancestors.

The end of World War II found a devastated Poland under Soviet occupation. Many Poles--those displaced to work camps in Germany, those in German concentration and P.O.W. camps, and those still in Poland made the decision to immigrate to the United States. Their journey, however, would not be easy. The rigors of the war had affected America as well, and immigration laws were strict. Fortunately, many Polish refugees received help from the Polish American Immigration and Relief Committee (PAIRC). Founded in 1947 to help Polish citizens displaced by World War II, the committee continued its work as the postwar period became the Cold War era and Poles continued to flee the communist regime. This study of the PAIRC and its work includes both the broad history of the committee and stories of specific individuals, which add detail and lend insight into the plight of the refugees and the importance of the advocacy that the committee provided. Drawing on information from committee archives and firsthand consultations with prominent members, this book covers such topics as American immigration law, aid for the Polish Republic, and the effect of political change in Poland itself. It also discusses how the downfall of the communist government transformed Poland into a country that opened its own arms to the world's refugees.

A step-by-step guide to researching your family tree. Interested in doing your family tree but don’t know how? Genealogy for Beginners covers everything you need to get started researching your family history or continue a project you’ve already started. You’ll get practical suggestions from an experienced genealogist, and detailed, step-by-step instructions for carrying out a quality family history research. Topics covered include: Getting started with a family history research project Discovering which subscription services are worth the price Using Ancestry.com effectively Finding obituaries Interviewing family members Preserving and organizing paper and digital files, plus photographs Getting the most out of DNA testing for genealogy Conducting cemetery research Finding and interpreting non-US records Doing cultural and ethnic heritage research Finding professional researchers and translators Keeping up with the genealogy news With this book in hand, you’re sure to succeed.

Genealogists understand the value of a name and all the family history information names can provide. Now you can learn more about the Eastern European names in your family tree with this comprehensive guide. Discover the meaning of more than 1,000 Bulgarian names, Czech names, Slovak names, Hungarian names, Latvian names, Lithuanian names, Polish names, Romanian names, and Ukrainian names.You’ll also find: • Naming patterns and traditions of Eastern European countries • Eastern European emigration patterns • A pronunciation guide

Journey to the Old Country From Ireland to Italy, Portugal to Poland, Germany to Greece, and everywhere in between, explore your ancestors' European homelands through more than 200 gorgeous reproductions of 18th-century maps, 19th-century and early 20th-century maps. These full-color period maps--covering the peak years of European immigration to America--will help you understand changing boundaries in ancestral countries, and inform your search for genealogical records. Inside you'll find: • Historical maps of the European continent showing how national borders evolved over three centuries • Detailed country maps illustrating key geographical units--provinces, counties, regions, cities and more • Time lines of important events in each country's history • Lists of administrative divisions by country for easy reference • A complete index to aid in viewing maps of interest in greater detail online This country-by-country atlas is an indispensable tool for European genealogy. Put your ancestral origins in geographical context, unravel the boundary changes that trip up genealogists, and envision the old country as your ancestors knew it. The book is also a valuable reference for teachers, homeschooling parents and anyone with an interest in European history. Time travel across the continent with the Family Tree Historical Maps Book: Europe.