Home


   
PolishRoots®  Gen Dobry!
 
Resources
Culture & Customs
Songs, Postcards, Museums

Databases
Haller's Army, PNA Lodges...

Geography & Maps
Slownik Geograficzny, Galicia

Heraldry
Herbarz Polski

History
Military, Belarus, Detroit, Prussia

Immigration & Ships
Ellis Island, Hamburg, Pier 21

News
Gen Dobry!, Polish Forum, Volunteers

Reference
Archives, Libraries, Surnames

Regional
Countries, Regions, US States

   

* * * * * * * * * G E N     D O B R Y ! * * * * * * * * *

Volume IV, No. 11. 30 November 2003.
Copyright (c) 2003, PolishRoots(R), Inc.
Editor: William F. Fred Hoffman, E-mail: <WFHoffman@prodigy.net>

***************************************

CONTENTS

   Welcome
   Useful Dictionaries and Translation Aids
   Letters to the Editor
   JRI-Poland Order Processing System
   Dziekuje, Krzysztof and Ela Kowalkowski
   Follow-up to "Finding Raymond Kaniok"
   Primers on Basic Research Procedures
   Upcoming Events
   More Useful Web Addresses
   You May Reprint Articles...

***************************************

*** WELCOME! ***

to the latest issue of _Gen Dobry!_, the e-zine of PolishRoots(R). If you missed previous issues, you can find them at

   http://polishroots.org/gendobry/gendobry_index.htm.

Don't forget to visit PolishRoots.org, the sponsor of _Gen Dobry!_, and take advantage of the many resources offered there. And if you have a little time and would like to volunteer your services to PolishRoots, your help would be greatly appreciated! Some of the projects for which help is needed are listed here:

   http://www.polishroots.org/projects.htm

***************************************

*** USEFUL DICTIONARIES AND TRANSLATION AIDS ***

by William F. "Fred" Hoffman <wfhoffman@prodigy.net>

Not long ago, a researcher asked me a very reasonable question: what do I consider the best Polish dictionary available? He said, after all, I work with the language enough I might have some insights worth sharing.

This time of year, people are looking for good gift ideas. So I realized this is a timely question, one many of you might like to hear the answer to. I’ve drawn up, therefore, a brief list of some of the best dictionaries and translation aids I know of.

* WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM FOR? *

The first question you have to ask yourself is, what do you intend to use these works for? I, for instance, do a lot of research into name origins, so I've paid some sizable bucks to get rare, multi-volume Polish-language dictionaries that contain information on archaic or dialect terms that may be connected with names. Almost every day I refer to the 8-volume _Slownik Jezyka Polskiego_ [Dictionary of the Polish Language] edited by J. Karlowicz, popularly called the _Slownik warszawski_ because it was published in Warsaw. I also have a set of the massive 6-volume _Slownik Lindego_ [Linde's Dictionary]. Aleksander Bruckner's _Slownik etymologiczny jezyka Polskiego_ [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] is also valuable in my work. These are three of the sources Polish scholars start with whenever they're getting ready to do some serious linguistic work.

These are great books for my purposes; but it'd be stupid of me to recommend them to you. They're rare, expensive, and require fluency in Polish -- not exactly what most of you are looking for.

Similarly, there are good dictionaries available that focus on medical terminology, computer and hi tech terms, business jargon, and so on. Great books if that's what you need, fairly worthless for genealogists.

* TRANSLATION GUIDES *

So what do I recommend for those who want a dictionary or similar work to help them with genealogy?

Well, my honest answer will sound very self-serving. Jonathan Shea and I wrote the first volume of the _In Their Words_ series, dealing with Polish, precisely because in genealogical research you see a lot of terms that are rare or archaic, and not included in most dictionaries. We could have saved ourselves a LOT of trouble if we could have told people, "Buy such-and-such, it's got just what you need." We wrote our book precisely because we knew of no work that gives you just what you need. In addition to analysis of dozens of documents of all kinds, our book includes 60 pages of Polish terms, with special emphasis on those found in records of genealogical value. If you do want to know more about it, you can visit our Website at http://www.langline.com/index.htm#Polski.

So forgive me that bit of blatant self-promotion. I'm telling you the truth as I see it. And of course, recognizing I might not be the most unbiased person in the world, you're welcome to say "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Now if your main interest is in translating Polish-language birth, marriage, and death records, and if you feel our 400-page book is way more than you need, there is an alternative that's stood the test of time: Judith Frazin's _A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents_, 2nd edition (published 1989 by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, ISBN 0-9613512-1-7). It is a good, useful work that focuses on that type of document, and contains brief but useful lists of terms typically encountered in research.

For this book's price and ordering information, you can check with the publisher at www.jewishgen.org/jgsi/libraries.htm.

To be honest, neither of these books really substitutes for a good Polish-English dictionary. The book Shea and I did supplements a good dictionary, but does not replace one. You're still going to need a good dictionary to deal with all the Polish material you run across.

* ONLINE *

There are some innocent souls (notice I did NOT say "morons") who are convinced they can find everything they need online. So that raises the natural question -- is there a good dictionary online?

Well, free is good, and there are free dictionaries online. But I can't really recommend them, because they all concentrate on modern Polish. True, many of the terms you run across have not changed over the years; these online dictionaries will be some help with them. But the Polish language has changed quite a bit over the last century -- terminology has changed, and spelling has, too. My guess is, in a typical paragraph-style vital record, you'll be frustrated by how many terms just don't show up in modern dictionaries, especially occupations. Modern works will tell you _wozny_, for instance, means "janitor," but don't mention that it used to be a term for a local official, kind of like a bailiff or beadle. They'll tell you these days a _mysliwiec_ is a fighter plane or fighter pilot, but not that it used to mean "hunter."

The most impressive source of Polish dictionaries I've seen online is at http://slowniki.onet.pl/. It includes a pretty respectable choice of dictionaries for Polish into various languages, include English, French, Hebrew, Russian, and Spanish. My previous point still applies -- they aren't a lot of help with some of the archaic terms you run into in old documents. But for the price, the Polish-English one is worth a try; it will help you at least sometimes.

While I'm at it, I probably should also mention online translation sites. On the soc.genealogy.slavic newsgroup, someone asked for the address of a Website with free translation of Polish to English, and Herma <hp@gumpert.nl> suggested this site: http://www.genealogienetz.de/misc/translation.html. I have never had occasion to use this service, so obviously I cannot say how competent or reliable it is. But if you're looking for a free translation and feel adventurous, you might try it.

Also, on the Galicia mailing list some months ago, Laurence Krupnak gave this address for "Polish-English Translations by Humans Online": http://www.polish-translation.net/. The same caution applies: I haven't tried it, so I can't vouch for it; but it may be worth a look. There is a charge involved for any translation longer than three words; but, after all, brevity is the soul of wit!

Of course, there are also online services such as that at www.poltran.com. They're not very good for general work, and even less so for the specialized vocabulary you encounter in genealogical research. Still, the price is right; and they can sometimes help you get the gist of a given passage in Polish.

Finally, I should remind you of one simple and useful source of assistance online -- the list of Polish genealogical terms on the LDS Family History Library site:

   http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/rg/guide/WLPolish1.asp#a

* DICTIONARIES *

Now let's look at traditional dictionaries in book form. Future generations may wonder why we were ever so attached to these old-fashioned works. But there's something awfully handy about a good book that's always right there when you need it, even during a power outage!

There are quite a few Polish-English dictionaries available, and it can be confusing trying to keep them straight -- two authors, Iwo Cyprian Pogonowski and Jan Stanislawski, seem to have produced most of them! I'm going to concentrate on ones I have seen myself during some thirty years of browsing. That way I know they are not too hard to find, and I can speak with some authority on their strong and weak points.

Hippocrene, a publisher specializing in Polish and other Eastern European reference works, has published several dictionaries by Iwo Cyprian Pogonowski. I have a copy of his _Polish-English, English-Polish Dictionary_, copyright 1979, ISBN 0-88254-463-2. He also has a more recent one called _Hippocrene Standard Dictionary: Polish-English English-Polish: With Complete Phonetics, Menu, Business Terms_, a paperback published April 1995, ISBN 0781802822. It's available on Amazon.com for $13.97.

I haven't seen that latter version, but from the sample pages shown on Amazon, it looks like the same material as in the one I do have, in a slightly fancier format. It has some good points -- to his credit, Pogonowski makes an attempt to indicate how you pronounce Polish words. It helps a lot if you can sound words out, and he tries to make that easier for you.

Still, I can't get very excited about these books. His dictionaries don't have an impressive range of terms, and the format is not very user-friendly. My biggest complaint is that he doesn't give you samples of proper usage, brief phrases that illustrate how a word is used. He tells you _orzech_ means "nut," but how are you supposed to know whether it's a nut you eat, a metal fastener, or a mental case? I feel strongly that a good dictionary must give you a few samples of how the word in question appears in typical phrases; these quickly help you understand how the word is used. Don't laugh -- the right word matters. If you ask an archive director for permission to look at his "records," you want old documents, not a bunch of polka albums!

While I'm on the subject, let me give you a tip that applies to using any kind of dictionary. If you look up a Polish word and get the English meaning, do yourself a favor: look at all the translations given, then go cross-check some of them in the English section. It will soon become apparent whether the word means what you think it means. That can save you a lot of trouble, because many words, in English and Polish, have multiple meanings. Polish _akt_ can mean "deed; act; certificate; nude painting"; you might want to make sure the subject is documents, not portraits of naked Slavs.

For years I've used the _Wielki slownik polsko-angielski, angielsko-polski / The Great Polish-English, English-Polish Dictionary_. This dictionary, one of several edited by Jan Stanislawski, is a 4-volume set, and covers an awful lot of the terms you'll see. The edition I have is an old one; the current one is hardcover, 3,135 pages, ISBN 83-7236-049-9. It ain't cheap -- it typically goes for about $140.00. (Of course, you could buy just the two volumes covering Polish-English for about half that price). For serious work, this is a good all-purpose dictionary, with a wide range of terms (including many archaic ones) and usage samples. Until recently, this was the one I picked up when I started work on a translation; I didn't resort to others unless the word I was looking for did not appear in it.

More recently, I bought _Nowy slownik Fundacji Kosciuszkowskiej polsko-angielski, angielsko-polski / The New Kosciuszko Foundation Dictionary English-Polish, Polish-English_, edited by Jacek Fisiak, Universitas 2003, hardcover, 3,080 pages, ISBN 83-7052-574-1, 2 volumes, including a CD-ROM with the complete text that appears in the books. It lists for $135.00 (at www.polbook.com you can get it for $101.25 plus shipping and handling, but I can't tell whether that includes the CD).

There are two things I love about this dictionary: 1) that CD-ROM is downright handy; 2) this is the first Polish-English dictionary done specifically for American English usage. (Until now most dictionaries featured British English, and that can cause us poor Americans occasional confusion). The books themselves are nicely made, with lots of sample usages and other good features. I keep the books on the bookshelf for occasional reference (and to keep my granddaughters from trashing them); for everyday work I pop the CD version into my computer whenever I begin a translation project, and just keep it running minimized on the desktop, instantly ready for reference, until I'm finished.

These last two items are pretty expensive, so you may wonder if there's a reasonably priced dictionary that I like better than Pogonowski's. There is; it's been around for decades, and it was also by Jan Stanislawski, although the exact title and publisher has varied. The most recent version I have is called _McKay's English-Polish / Polish-English Dictionary_, Random House 1988, ISBN 0-812-91691-3. I found it online for as little as $12.95 from various sources -- I just searched at www.google.com for "McKay's English Polish Dictionary Random House" and a number of matches came up.

(I've seen an earlier edition of this dictionary, published by David McKay Publishers, first reprinted in March 1940. It's the exact same dictionary as the one I bought decades later in the 90s. They redesigned the cover and changed the title slightly, but the text is a page-by-page reprint).

I've seen this dictionary again and again over the years in bookstores, so I think it shouldn't be too hard to find. What I like about it is its compact size and impressive range of terms. It includes a number of older words you won't find in some larger dictionaries (including the archaic meanings of _wozny_ and _mysliwiec_). I think it's a good value.

For those who prefer a dictionary on CD-ROM, there's also the _Collins YDP Multimedia Slownik polsko-angielski angielsko-polski_. I bought it some years ago, and it's not bad. It's still available for $99 or so, depending on current rates, from http://www.zem.co.uk/polsoft/slo_coll.htm. But the interface is tricky for English speakers; it clearly was designed for Poles trying to translate into English, not so much for English-speakers trying to translate into Polish. I prefer the new Kosciuszko Foundation dictionary, because you get the handy CD as well as the very nice books; so you get the best of both worlds.

* SUMMARY *

Those are dictionaries I've had a chance to look at personally. There are others out there that I have not seen. I notice there's a Langenscheidt Pocket Polish Dictionary, paperback, ISBN 1585730521, available at Amazon.com for $11.16. Langenscheidt usually produces  respectable efforts; if all you need is a basic, no-frills dictionary, this one might suffice. But remember: it will focus on MODERN Polish.

You can find these and other books by searching online booksellers such as www.polbook.com -- on that page, click on the left column where it says "Dictionaries and Encyclopedias." The Dom Ksiazki has a selection at http://www.poloniabookstore.com/kategoria.asp?k=slowniki. I also found a good selection at http://finebooks.bizland.com/rfpolish.html.

To sum up, there isn't any one dictionary that's "the best" -- it depends what you're using it for and how much you want to pay. For genealogical researchers' purposes, the new Kosciuszko Foundation dictionary is a fine work, but a little pricy. The old standby _Wielki Slownik_ by Stanislawski is also a very good work, but I'd have to say it isn't as good a value as the Kosciuszko Foundation offering. Pogonowski's dictionary isn't half bad, is easy to find, and some may find the phonetic pronunciation hints useful. But if you're looking for something under $20, I'd have to vote for McKay's English-Polish Polish-English dictionary. There's just something about it I've always liked, and for the money it's a pretty decent buy!

***************************************

*** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ***

Subject: Polish fonts

I bought some Ogonki PL fonts for use with Windows XP and noticed that many of my East European fonts now also print the 9 special letters. When installing XP I specified E. European fonts, if I remember correctly.

From the fonts folder it’s not possible to tell if a font is E. E. I got the list from my Illustrator character listing, of all places.

I have software that shows every letter according to its code number, and although Helvetica 191 shows the upside down question mark for PL "z with the dot above," using Ogonki/XP it now prints properly. The Ogonki fonts show the correct "z + dot."

I haven’t tried all my 150+ E. E. fonts, but some that do work are Albertus Extra Bold, Andale Mono, Arialic Hollow, Compugraphic Omega, Coronet, Marigold, Mistral, Palatino, Univers, etc. Some, such as Copperplate, don’t work.

Some of my fonts are from Adobe, Microsoft, and some are free from the Net. It appears only True Type fonts work, not Open Type. Also, the extra fonts only work with MS programs, not Adobe.

Happy typing,
Garret Mierzejewski <gmpolam@att.net>

   [Editor -- I'm passing on Garret's note for those interested in using fonts that reproduce Polish letters. This whole subject is terribly complicated, and will remain so until all software -- word processors, browsers, e-mail programs, etc. -- support Unicode as a matter of routine. For now, you still have to figure using Polish fonts is fine for showing those letters on your screen or your printer; but you cannot rely on their reproducing properly on others' machines. They may; they may not (probably not).
   But I read an interesting article from PC Magazine recently, "Embedding Fonts in Web." In theory it should be possible to embed any font you like in the code for a Website and make it reproduce correctly on others' machines. In practice I have no idea how well this works. But if you're interested, the article is here: www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1309279,00.asp.
   There are also some useful comments on using Polish fonts, including the Ogonki, at http://www.zem.co.uk/polsoft/faq.htm.]

-----

Subject: Jewish Records Indexing

In future, should you have the opportunity to refer to Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, may I ask that you use our direct home page address at: www.jri-poland.org. 

While we are hosted by JewishGen, we are two totally independent organizations with our own management, volunteers and fundraising, and the confusion has created problems of many sorts.

Stanley Diamond <smsdiamond@aol.com>

   [Editor -- I appreciate the correction. I included an item in the last issue that referred to JRI-Poland and directed people to a site on JewishGen. As Stanley points out, it's best to go straight to the source. And, while we're on this subject, take a look at the next item....]

***************************************

*** JRI-POLAND ORDER PROCESSING SYSTEM ***

Recently Stanley Diamond, Executive Director of Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, announced that it is now possible to use an online shopping basket to order 19th-century records dealing with Jewish Poles from 19 branches of the Polish State Archives. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and congratulations go to Stanley, Steven Zedeck, Michael Tobias, and Mark Halpern of JRI-Poland, and to Andrzej Biernat, Executive Director of the Polish State Archives.

For more information on this remarkable achievement, visit the Website of JRI-Poland at www.jri-poland.org. It's also advisable to read the FAQ file at http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/jriplfaq.htm to learn exactly what is and is not involved.

***************************************

*** DZIEKUJE, KRZYSZTOF AND ELA KOWALKOWSKI***

by Ceil Jensen <cjensen@mipolonia.net>

We’ve all heard stories about friendships formed on the Internet. I have my friend Dewey to thank for the online introduction to Ela and Krzysztof Kowalkowski. They are a dynamic team. Ela translates the e-mail from English to Polish for her husband, and Krzysztof is the genealogy writer and researcher.

His staid photo on his books belies his kinetic nature. His local history books are so interesting and unique I put an interview with him on my website:

   http://mipolonia.net/view/kowalkowski/index.htm

The introduction was a natural because Krzysztof and I have ancestors from the village of Milobadz (Muhlbanz). In fact, Krzysztof wrote the history of the village for the 750th anniversary. Imagine my surprise when Krzysztof sent me a gift copy and I found my great uncle Adolph Wendt was listed in the school ledger! There was also a photo of a current citizen named Roman Wendt.

I put a visit with Ela and Krzysztof Kowalkowski at the top of my travel plans for my recent trip to Poland. I flew into Poznan and was greeted by my translator and guide Kasia Grycza of Discovering Roots (http://discovering-roots.pl).

I had a planned a full agenda for us.

- Kashubian Regional Restaurant Mestwin

   http://www.tawernamestwin.pl/

- Walking tour of Old Town Gdansk

- Visit to the villages of Milobadz  and Lubiszewo

   http://www.lubiszewo.pelplin.opoka.org.pl/

- Visit with possible cousin Jan Wendt, Ph.D. at the University of Gdansk

- Research at the Archives in Gdansk

   http://www.gdansk.ap.gov.pl/english/index.htm

- Visit to a Mennonite Cemetery

- Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie

   http://www.koscierzyna.gda.pl/eng/wdzydze_eng.htm

But Krzysztof had a plan of his own. Unbeknownst to me, he had contacted the local newspaper, _Gazeta Trzewska_, and ran a story that I was coming to the region to search my Wendt line. The newspaper article brought results.

The Wendt family of Tczew came to the hotel with flowers, books, documents and a pedigree chart. I marveled at Kasia’s translation skills as she seamlessly moved between Polish and English and kept the conversation flowing. We enjoyed a dessert of homemade apple cake made by the hotel owner’s wife. They told me one additional family member was going to join us a little later, and sure enough, Roman Wendt -- the fellow pictured in the book -- arrived with more photos and documents. Roman’s photo of his ancestor, Franciszek Wendt (1924-2002), bears a strong resemblance to my great-grandfather, Frank Wendt (1837-1908).

It’s now my job to knit the family together. My theory is that our common ancestor is Antoni Wenta, born abt. 1765 in Malzewo (Gross Malschau), a village in the parish of Lubiszewo (Liebschau). I speculate that their ancestor inherited the land, and my ancestor Johann, the youngest son, moved with his wife Catherine Reschke to the neighboring parish of Milobadz.

The Wendt families in Michigan and Tczew are anxious for results. They have agreed that if documents don’t exist to establish family ties they will participate in a Y Chromosome DNA test to see if the males match.

***************************************

*** FOLLOW-UP TO "FINDING RAYMOND KANIOK" ***

   [Editor: In the last issue we had a note from Cathy Chabo <cathleen5@btopenworld.com>, whose mother, Eileen Groden, greatly desires to find Raymond Kaniok, a Polish warrant officer in the 308th Polish Fighter Squadron, whom she met while serving with the RAF during World War II. I don't know if anyone answered Cathy directly, but Armela Hammes sent me this note, which may help Cathy a bit and also gives ideas on how one can search for an elusive person.]

I was just re-reading the latest _Gen Dobry!_. I came across the "Finding Raymond Kaniok" article and thought I would try to find him.  You've probably had many answers on this already, but here goes.

I first went to the Social Security Death Index.  Did not find a Raymond Kaniok but a Raymond B. Kanyok, birthdate, 23 May 1929, death date of 07 Oct 1997. His SS was issued in PA, place of death given as Palmetto, Manatee, FL.

Then I tried Google, and what should appear but the article in _Gen Dobry!_.

Next was www.switchboard.com, and there was no Raymond Kaniok, but there was an Edward Kaniok in Morris, IL and a Michael in Chicago, IL.  Then I tried Raymond Kanyok, the other variation, and there was a R. Kanyok in PA and a Ray Kanyok in NJ.

Hope this is of some help.

Armela Hammes <armelahammes@att.net>

***************************************

*** PRIMERS ON BASIC RESEARCH PROCEDURES  ***

In the past I have quoted several insightful and delightfully sensible notes Bill Tarkulich <bill@iabsi.com> has posted on mailing lists. Two he posted on the Poland Border Surnames list this month were particularly good. They're really primers on how to make your research more effective. They're too long to reprint here -- but then why reprint them here when you can easily look them up in the archives? 

I particularly liked his note dated November 14th on how to post genealogical information online, and what one can learn by analyzing such posts. You can find it here:

   http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PolandBorderSurnames/2003-11/1068825505

That whole address has to be one line. If your browser breaks it into two lines, copy and paste it into your browser's address window so as to remove the break. Or if you don't know how to do that, just go to this address:

   http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/PolandBorderSurnames

Near the bottom, click on "November 2003." This shows a list of all notes posted to Poland Border Surnames in November. Look down about halfway to "How to Post your Genealogical Info and what it may yield" by Bill Tarkulich. Click on that link and you'll get the whole note. It analyzes the best way to post info online and how

Another particularly valuable note is the one he posted on November 12 entitled "RE: [PBS] polish surnames":

   http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PolandBorderSurnames/2003-11/1068699358

Newbies and old pros alike can benefit from reading these notes. His basic point, in both notes, is that it's a waste of time posting notes saying stuff like "Need help finding my Nowak family" or "Who can tell me who my ancestors were?" If you put a little thought into what you say, however, and present your facts well, you can maximize your chances of making a valuable connection. It's good stuff!

***************************************

*** UPCOMING EVENTS ***

[Note: the PolishRoots Events Calendar <http://www.polishroots.org/coming_events.htm> usually has more info than we have room for here. If you have an event coming up you want Polish genealogical researchers to know about, send as much info as possible to <Events@PolishRoot.org>.]

January 8-11, 2004

POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL CONFERENCE

To be held in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with the American Historical Association. For the full program visit their site at www.polishamericanstudies.org.

==========

January 22-24, 2004

NGS-Gentech
St. Louis, MO

For details visit:

   http://www.eshow2000.com/ngsgentech/register_now.cfm

==========

January 24, 2004

POLISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA MEETING

LA-FHC, 10741 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles CA

Dr. Robert S. Sherins will speak on using maps in genealogical research. For more information see www.pgsca.org.

==========

February 21, 2004

The Legion of Young Polish Women will present its 2004 debutantes at the 65th Annual White and Red Ball at the Grand Ballroom, Chicago Hilton Towers. For further information write: Legion of Young Polish Women, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago IL  60630.

==========

March 27, 2004

POLISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA MEETING

LA-FHC, 10741 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles CA. For more information see www.pgsca.org.

==========

April 16-19, 2004

UNITED POLISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
Biennial Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah

Mark the dates on your calendar. Additional conference particulars will be announced in the coming months. Check the Websites PGSCA.org and PolishRoots.org for additional information as it becomes available.

The 2004 conference is co-hosted by PGS-California and PGS-America. Paul Lipinski is the chairperson. Email: Paul.Lipinski@acm.org.

***************************************

*** MORE USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES ***

http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/gstudies.html
   Bob Postula" <robertp@bignet.net> was kind enough to send me this Website, which offers a 6-week course on Polish Genealogy beginning 2 February 2004 (click on "Courses," then look under "Research: Polish Ancestors"). The class is taught by Jan Zaleski and Kathleen LaBudie-Szakall, experienced researchers and longtime stalwarts of the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan. If there's any chance of taking the course, consider doing so!
______________________________

http://library.ccsu.edu/lib/archives/polish/microfilm/ampol.htm
   Bob also posted a note on the Poland-Roots mailing list giving this address in reply to a question asking about libraries with Polish newspapers on microfilm. He added, "The following URL will identify holdings in hard copy form: http://library.ccsu.edu/lib/archives/polish/hardcopy/alphahard.htm."
______________________________

http://www.kapliczki.tc.pl/kapliczki.html
   Also on the Polish Genius list, Andy Jendrzejewski <ajend2@charter.net> said this address "takes you to one of the nicer sights I have seen in a while, needing no Polish-language skills to get the idea -- a series of beautiful fast-loading photographs of shrines in the countryside."
______________________________

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kolbuszowa/
   On the soc.genealogy.jewish newsgroup Lisa Dashman recommended this site for help translating Galician vital records. She says to scroll down to "Orientation," click on "Resources," and then click on "Samples of vital records found in Rzeszow Archives."
______________________________

http://www.genesconnected.co.uk/genesconnected.asp?wci=jewellerygenespage
   Ceil Jensen <cjensen@mipolonia.net> sent out a note citing this Website and commenting, "We've heard about having the Y chromosome checked for male lineage and mtDNA for the maternal line. From the 'now I've seen everything' Dept.: a British genealogy website offers women's jewelry and men's ties decorated with the pattern of your DNA. Just in time for Christmas?"
______________________________

http://www.lithuaniangenealogy.org/labas/index.html
   For those interested in Lithuanian genealogy and culture, Diane Rooney posted a note on the Lithuanian Genealogy mailing list: "Just a reminder that Bernard Tirva's excellent e-zine, _Labas_, is back in online publication." She says the November issue with 8 interesting articles can be read on the LGGS website at the above address.
______________________________

http://www.galizien-online.de/
   On the Galicia mailing list Gunter Gross praised this as an excellent page on Galicia, with content available in German and English.
______________________________

http://www.ny.pl
   I and a number of others received a note earlier this month announcing a "new Polish portal on the Web in the U.S." It offers Polish news, an online store with Polish products, and so on.
______________________________

http://www.Horlacher.org/germany/ewpruss/index.html
   This Website offers online access to Stephen Barthel's _Gazetteer of Parish and Civil Jurisdictions in East and West Prussia_. Used in conjunction with www.kartenmeister.com, it can help you trace and identify the German and Polish names of many, many communities formerly in Prussia, and establish which parish and county they were in.
______________________________

http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/kansas/cienciala/342/ch2.html
   Paul Valasek found this link, which he considers the best description of the Polish-Soviet War of 1920 he's ever read. If you'd like to know more about this crucial but little-known moment in history, this site is required reading.
______________________________

http://www.genealogia.ru/projects/maps/maps/alf.html
   On the newsgroup soc.genealogy.jewish, Pavel Bernshtam recommended this as a good site for maps of the Russian Empire.
______________________________

http://www.avotaynu.com/nu11.htm#v04n20
   As usual, the latest issue of Avotaynu's e-zine _Nu? What's New?_, available for reference at this address, has articles worth your attention. I particularly liked the sites mentioned as sources of excellent European maps on the Internet.
______________________________

http://historykpress.com/whatsnew.htm
   Historyk Press has a new publication, _Tombstone Inscriptions of Sacred Heart of Mary Cemetery_, transcribed by Diane Lasek. This cemetery was founded in 1925 to serve primarily the Polish population in the recently developed eastern Baltimore County, Maryland suburb of Graceland Park. For more information see the Website indicated above.

***************************************

YOU MAY REPRINT articles from _Gen Dobry!_, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Written by [authors name, e-mail address, and URL, if given]. Previously published by _Gen Dobry!_, Vol. IV, No. 11, 30 November 2003. PolishRoots(R): http://PolishRoots.org/.

***************************************
Copyright 2003, PolishRoots(R), Inc. All rights reserved.


Culture · Customs · Databases · Donations · · Gen Dobry! · Getting Started ·  Heraldry · History ·  Immigration · Maps · Military History ·  Newspapers ·  Polish Forum · Reference · Regional ·  Research Assistance · Ships · Slownik Geograficzny · Town Search · Volunteers 


Copyright © 2003 PolishRoots. All rights reserved.