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

Volume IV, No. 4. 30 April 2003.
Copyright (c) 2003, PolishRoots(R), Inc.
Editor: William F. "Fred" Hoffman, E-mail: WFHoffman@prodigy.net

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

CONTENTS


   Welcome
   Napoleon & The Poles
   Letters to the Editor
   Software Review: Genbox Family History
   Book Review: _In Their Words ... Volume 2: Russian_
   Fire at Kamieniec Podolski Archive
   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. Also, if you'd be willing to lend a hand with work on projects that will help PolishRoots(R) -- and maybe do you some good, too! -- take a moment to visit this page:

   http://polishroots.org/projects.htm

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

*** NAPOLEON & THE POLES ***

by Bill Rutkowski, Dave Nelson, and Peter G. Wessner

   [Editor: There's nothing I love more than when a _Gen Dobry!_ reader asks for help with a particular subject, and shortly thereafter I receive a number of notes from readers who volunteer information on that subject. I think that's when a publication like this is at its best. Why count on one expert, or two, or three, when you can reach over a thousand researchers? Someone's sure to know something!
   [In the last issue Paul S. Valasek and Stan Klemanowicz both expressed interest in hearing from people with knowledge of the role Poles played in Napoleon's army. I received several good, substantive replies. First, Bill Rutkowski <ImogeneRut@aol.com> sent this brief essay on the history of Poles involvement with Napoleon:]

Following the final partition, Poles could not reconcile themselves to the elimination of the Polish State. Armies were formed and insurrections planned, but they were helpless without allies. Following the failed insurrection against Austria in 1797, thousands of Poles offered their services to revolutionary France. They were used throughout the French army, but clamored to serve in specific Polish units. Weight was added to this argument when it was learned that many of the prisoners taken during the Italian campaign were in fact Poles drafted by the Austrians in Galicia. In 1797, a Polish Legion was formed in Milan under the command Jan Henryk Da~browski. They marched to a song written by Jozef Wybicki that later became the Polish National Anthem. The following year, a second Polish Legion was formed in Italy and in 1800, a third was formed on the Danube.

   [Editor's note: there is a Web page dealing with the Polish anthem here: http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/repertoi/dabrowski.html].

The Poles who fought in these legions believed they would defeat the Austrians and launch an insurrection in Poland. But France made peace with Austria and the Polish Legions became an inconvenient embarrassment. Da~browski's legion became the army for the new state of Lombardy. The others were disbanded and scattered throughout the French Army. One contingent was sent to Santo Domingo [now in the Dominican Republic] to subjugate a slave uprising. Those who did not perish from yellow fever eventually joined the Black cause. Their descendants are prevalent today.

Many Poles felt let down by Bonaparte and betrayed by France, but this was not the end of the Napoleon adventure. Following the defeat of Prussia, Napoleon and Czar Alexander agreed on the formation of a Polish State. The Prussian share of the second partition was reorganized as the Duchy of Warsaw. Napoleon dictated its constitution and granted it the "Code Napoleon." But he blatantly exploited the Duchy, selling back confiscated lands at exorbitant rates. The Duchy was expected to pay for a standing army of 60,000 men. In addition, Napoleon required 10,000 men as a regiment for the Imperial Guard. In the Summer 2002 Newsletter of the Polish Military Society of America, Matt Sobieszczyk wrote about the role the Polish Light Horse played in Napoleon's victory over the Spanish Army at the battle of Somosierra in November 1808. Napoleon awarded sixteen crosses of the Legion of Honor to the Polish Light Horse stating, "You are worthy to belong to my old guard, honor to the bravest of the brave."

The Duchy of Warsaw never rose above the status of a pawn in Napoleon's schemes, but he did whip up Polish hopes, and as a result thousands did join him.  According to Adam Zamoyski in his book _The Polish Way_, Poles accounted for 98,000 men of the Gran Armee which marched into Russia, by far the largest non-French contingent. Polish units were the first in and the last out; 72,000 never returned and many more died of typhus or wounds in the following months. Napoleon's treatment of Polish aspirations had been cynical from the start and the whole episode had been of no benefit whatsoever to the Polish cause.

   [For those who'd like to do some further reading on the subject, here's a note from Dave Nelson in Wisconsin:]

You might want to point readers to _Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars_ by George Nafziger, Mariusz T. Wesolowski and Tom Devoe, Emperor's Press, Chicago (1991), 266 pp. including color illustrations of unit uniforms, army organizations and leaders, some battle descriptions and the politics, personalities and feuds of command. Love your newsletter. The newsletter is a must-read for Polish genealogy researchers.

   Dave (Zeberkiewicz) Nelson <denelson@execpc.com>

   [Then I heard from Peter Wessner, President of PGS-Texas, who provides more details on this book, as well as another that might be worth a look:]

Along the way I found reference to the following two books that might fit what you need.  I hope to have PGST buy and donate them to our excellent genealogical library here in Houston, Clayton Library. I have not read them yet, so cannot vouch for their quality.

They can be found at: http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/nafnap.htm.

THE POLES AND SAXONS
DURING THE NAPOLEONIC WARS
By George F. Nafziger
  Size: 9" x 11"
   Illustrations: 16 color plates
   Pages: 266 pages
   $35.00, hard cover
This hardbound book examines the Saxon army, the Army of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and Poles in French service during the Napoleonic wars. It provides a complete history of its organization, the raising, disbanding, and the modification of the organization of every unit in these armies. Details are provided on uniforms and their changes, in support of the discussion of organization. This is the only history of these armies in the English language. It was prepared using archival materials, official documents ranging from regimental histories to governmental studies, and memoirs of members of these armies.

OPERATIONS OF THE POLISH ARMY
During the 1809 Campaign in Poland
   By General R. Soltyk
   Translated & Edited by G. F. Nafziger
   Size: 8" x 11"
   Illustrations: 1 map
   Pages: 175 pages
   $25.00 soft cover

This is a translation of an obscure work by a Polish officer who served in the army of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw during the 1809 campaign. The discussion of the campaign is filled with highly detailed accounts of every battle that occurred during this campaign, from the big battles to the sieges and the small engagements of raiding parties supported by a few hundred Polish militia. There is nothing in English on this campaign, let alone on this level of detail. It is written entirely from the Polish perspective, so details on the Austrians are a little light.

   [I loved reading these notes, and thought they reflect well on the caliber of our readers ... So now, do YOU have a question you'd like some help with? If so, send it to me <WFHoffman@prodigy.net> and I'll be glad to print it and see what kind of response it gets!]

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

*** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ***

   [Editor: Armela Hammes sent me three interesting and informatives notes this month. I thought you might enjoy reading them, too.]

Subject: Library of Congress

Just wanted to let you know that I tried one of the websites you mentioned in _Gen Dobry!_--the Library of Congress. 

My father always said that he could swim across a river and be in Germany. His village, Nick/Dlut~owo, was in Russian territory, though only 80 miles NNW of Warsaw. He left Poland in 1911. I e-mailed the Library of Congress and asked if they had an old map that would verify my father's story. A Dr. Paczolt very kindly mailed me a map with my father's village highlighted and a river nearby, the Welle. I e-mailed Dr. Paczolt, thanked him for the map, and asked if that would be the present-day Dzial~do~wka River. He sent me another map, agreeing that this was one and the same river. I e-mailed him back with many thanks. I had looked up the meaning of _Welle_ in my German dictionary and it means “wave.” When I looked up Dzial~do~wka in my Polish dictionary, I found that the word _dzial~_ means division or partition! This made absolute sense to me. 

I e-mailed the Library of Congress again and asked if they had any information on the Dzial~do~wka River, as to its width and depth. My message was sent to the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. They did not have the information but they gave me an e-mail address of the National Library of Poland and of the City Office of Dzial~dowo. I hope they will answer this crazy lady in Hudson, OH. I really want to know if my father could have attempted swimming into Germany or was this just a father story, like walking in five feet of snow to get to school, etc.

   Armela Hammes <armelahammes@att.net>

-----

Subject: Swimming the Dzial~do~wka!

I have been given my answer by the City Office of Dzial~dowo -- the river in question was shallow enough for my father to swim into Germany! Someone in the City office was proficient enough in English to answer my question. Problem solved.

My husband and I were in Dzial~dowo (formerly Soldau) in September 2001 with Iwona Dakiniewicz (on tour with Daniel Kij). She was able to talk a clerk into getting my grandfather's death certificate from 1932 on short notice.  Iwona told the clerk very nicely that we were just going to be there for the day and could she please locate the death date of Jan Jablonowski. 

Of interest to me was the website, http://www.szukacz.pl, that appeared in the last _Gen Dobry!_.  I typed in my mother's maiden name, Galezewski, and an interesting website appeared of an artist, Jacek Galezewski. I e-mailed him, but have not had an answer. When I tried the "S~wiat" (world) portion, after the Poland portion of the name Galezewski, I found my cousins' children and grandchild mentioned. They live in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. I immediately forwarded them the website, just to check out their names on the World Wide Web.

   Armela Hammes <armelahammes@att.net>
-----

Subject: Join Family Groups at Yahoo!

I also have another suggestion or genealogy hint. My family name was Jablonowski and I joined a Jablonowski@yahoo.group. I was hoping to find out some information about my father's uncle, Martin Jablonowski, who lived and died in Berlin, Germany. About two years ago, I found the Berlin phone directory on-line and took down the addresses of 31 Jablonowski's. I wrote to all of them, enclosing a copy of a letter from Martin, written in 1925, to my father. I asked the recipient if Martin was a relative of theirs. He was in an Altersheim [retirement home] outside of Berlin, in Teltow. I so wanted to know if I had any distant cousins still living in Berlin. I did get some e-mail responses, but all negative. Not one positive response.

About four months ago, a young lady signed onto the group asking about relatives from East Prussia by the name of Jablonowski. That's where my family originated, but not from the town she was asking about. I e-mailed her back saying that I couldn't help her, but could she possibly help me. Then I asked about Martin, and the genealogy angels were smiling on me because Annette lived right in that particular area and the Altersheim was still there. She promised to stop in, with a copy of Martin's letter, to see if she could get any information about Martin. So I mailed her a copy of one of the letters from Martin. 

Annette did stop in and there was information available, but the people needed some verification that I was a relative. I sent a notarized letter saying that I was indeed a relative of Martin and that I would like information about the death of Martin. About three weeks ago I received a copy of Martin's death certificate from Annette, which I was happy to receive because now I needn't look any further for family in Berlin. Martin was a widower, with no children. The certificate gave his birthplace, Priom, which is where my grandfather was born. The certificate gave his age, so now I know that Martin was my grandfather's older brother. Annette also sent a brochure of the retirement home. It is quite beautiful. 

I'm glad my son introduced me to the internet/computer world.  I'm having such fun gathering genealogy information.

   Armela Hammes <armelahammes@att.net>

   [Editor: I'm glad, too -- it was fascinating reading your notes! I'm delighted you managed to connect with Martin, and to get an answer about the plausibility of your father's swimming across the Dzial~do~wka. I'm also glad to hear Dr. Paczolt at the Library of Congress continues to earn the praises and gratitude of researchers who need help with maps. For those who missed it, let me repeat the address of the Website for submitting requests connected with geography and maps: http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-geogmap.html.
   [Incidentally, the experts say the name Dzial~dowo had nothing to do with _dzial~_, "section," but rather is a Polonized form of the original German name of the town, Soldau. But that's a minor matter: you found what you were looking for, and that's what counts!]

-----

Subject: Coals to Europe? (Not Newcastle!)

   [In a past issue there was a note saying, "I read that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad made a deal with the North German Lines to bring their passengers to Baltimore (where the B&O would pick them up and carry them westward to the coal mines or further west). In return, the B&O provided coal to be carried to Europe by the North German Line so they wouldn't have to return empty." Bill Rutkowski sent the following comment:]

What the writer read, without identifying the source, is in my opinion wrong. Bremerhaven competed with larger ports such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and others. It owed its tremendous development to the transportation of emigrants. Originally sailing ships sailed to America to ports such as Baltimore with cobblestones as ballast. Visit Baltimore's Fells Point today and the streets are still paved with these cobblestones. Ships -- and we are talking sailing ships -- returned to Europe with sugar, coffee, timber, rum and other articles. Following the Civil War, Baltimore was the principle port for flour and coffee trade from South America plus fruits and vegetables from the South. Baltimore became a mecca of "packing houses" for canned fruits, and vegetables. I have never read where we may have shipped coal to Europe. Germany had the greatest supply of coal fields in the world, so why would we?

Emigration traffic escalated in 1857 with the founding of the North German Lloyd shipping company. Emigrants became the lifeblood of the operation. The B&O Railroad ran trains from Baltimore to points north and west. It was a major port of immigration. Civic leaders decided that if Baltimore was to develop into a major port, it needed a transatlantic steamship line. In 1867, the B&O Railroad, which was so instrumental in the revitalization of Baltimore's Fells Point after the Civil War, signed an agreement with the North German Lloyd Steamship Company. The agreement was to run at least two steamers between Baltimore and Bremerhaven. The wharves at Fells point were too small to accommodate the new steamers. So, a new, modern deep-water terminal was developed directly across the Patapsco River from Fells Point at Locust Point. It was so successful that the Pennsylvania Railroad opened a similar facility several miles east of Fells Point. Baltimore remained a major port for immigration. Fells Point became Baltimore's Polonia and today is one of the Nation's historical districts.

   Bill Rutkowski <ImogeneRut@aol.com>

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

*** SOFTWARE REVIEW: GENBOX FAMILY HISTORY ***

reviewed by Ceil Jensen <cjensen@mipolonia.net>

   [Editor -- Ceil's review is also available with helpful illustrations on her Website at: http://www.mipolonia.net/technology/genbox.htm]

Thoughtful Creations's new Genbox Family History software is a database, research tool, task organizer, data analyzer, chart producer and a report writer. They encourage beginners as well as experienced genealogists and professionals to use the new program.

I was anxious to try a new software program. I had a few problems with files I had created with Family Tree Maker 10.0 and PAF 5.0.2  I decided to use these problems to test Genbox.

   1) Clean up a gedcom that had too many ancillary branches.
   2) Enter digital photos into the software that I previously kept in separate folders.
   3) Use the correct diacritical marks for my Prussian and Polish ancestors' surnames and villages (a PAF 5.0 feature)

I downloaded Genbox from their website, http://www.genbox.com, in February. The screen shots on the Genbox website showed a new type of workspace. I opened version 3.0.14 and began to explore the software. I downloaded the program to a PC running Windows ME and a laptop running Windows XP.

The user interface was carefully constructed to provide a lot of power and flexibility to the user while also being easy to use and uncluttered in appearance. "Genbox has an attractive, powerful, and flexible user interface." - Genbox website

I really like the Lists window found under VIEW. It is the same layout as Windows Explorer and you see the structure of the folders and files of Genbox. This allows for easy file management. The folders under Lists include individuals, places, projects, and citations. They have taken care to create a professional tool by developing default source templates based on the formats described in _Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian_, by Elizabeth Shown Mills. The location entries are useful for British Isles researchers, but development is needed for continental Europe and for historic names of countries such as Prussia. Asian countries need their current and former names as well.

Since this is a relatively new product, I think that the few problems I ran into can be corrected or developed for future versions. I couldn't find a filter feature like PAF 5.0's tool to isolate a branch of a family. I added a gedcom to my Family Tree Maker and inadvertently saved it. It added a line that goes back to the Mayflower. I didn't want to individually delete each entry nor re-key all the data.

I wanted to add the proper diacritical marks to my ancestors names, and found out it was not supported in Genbox. (A diacritical mark is an additional mark added to a basic letter. Most North American researchers will eventually find a need for their use.) The German u-umlaut (ü) and eszet (ß) were supported if they were in the original gedcom or were pasted in from another document on the XP, but not supported on ME. The same for the French grave accent (´) and Spanish tilde (~). But the diacriticals for the Polish language such as the ogonek (hook or tail), kreska (accent), and kropka (dot over the z) were not supported on either operating system.

I searched the built-in Help files, but there were no hits for the following words: tilde, umlaut, diacritical or German. The search for the word "language" brought up "Language for Output."

The month names for dates can be formatted on charts and reports in a number of languages. The "default" setting will use the normal language. Supported languages include Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

It seems more important to list ancestors' names with the correct diacriticals then to enter the month in the ancestors' language. Since these languages are listed, we may hope that indicates the software will support diacriticals in the future. The inclusion of the Genbox Phonetic Search, which generally produces more matches than an exact spelling match, may also indicate development of second language support. Adding the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex system would be helpful for Central and Eastern European researchers.

There were technical glitches that can also be cleaned up in future versions. Version 3.0.14 on XP would not allow me to create a report. The software couldn't detect the network printer which was online and working. After I downloaded and installed three patches from the Genbox website the problem was corrected.

It is easy to install the patches and upgrades on Windows XP as long as the user makes sure to download and install them in order. It's a tedious task.  When I tried the same upgrades on Windows ME I couldn't open the program after restarting the machine. I received the error "Can't locate the file GENBOXENU.DLL." I had to look in the Genbox.exe folder and rename the most current .dll. This problem alone takes this software out of the realm of a beginner. Once the file name was fixed I was able to open Version 3.0.19 without a problem.

I think Genbox has the potential to become front-running software if they incorporate second language support and develop a more informative manual. I really like having several windows opened at once, such as a data screen and a media file. But the small asterisk icon used for inserting media is also used on the toolbar for creating a new record.  Their claim that the program meets the demanding needs of professionals is true in the sense that the researcher needs considerable experience with both technology and genealogy software to make good use of the program.

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

*** BOOK REVIEW: IN THEIR WORDS … VOLUME 2: RUSSIAN ***

   reviewed by Polish Roots(R) Vice President Paul S. Valasek <Paval56@aol.com>

Recently while perusing the Internet, I was quite surprised to see a Polish genealogical society strongly recommending an outdated, inaccurate book to its readers. Now keeping up with the times is a serious matter to PolishRoots, and with that in mind, I'd like to bring our reader's attention to the latest reference book published by qualified authors, researchers and scholars. Jonathan Shea and William F. Hoffman's _In Their Words, Volume II - Russian_, is a must book to order when your Polish ancestry comes from any of the regions of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that later came under the rule of the Russian Empire. Though the book probably has more material than anyone can use, it's far better to get more than you need than to find out you were denied information which may matter to your research. For those readers who have already purchased Hoffman and Shea's _In Their Words ... Volume 1, Polish_, this book is even thicker and goes into more details, especially dealing with that ever-present problem of the Cyrillic alphabet. Again, it may appear overpowering as most of us are not familiar with written Cyrillic. If you need to get answers for your Russian Poland ancestry, this is the book to buy.

For those of you who order it, please let PolishRoots know how well it works for your research.

   [Editor: I can only blush and thank Paul for his kind words. If you want more details on the book, visit the Website: www.langline.com].

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

*** FIRE AT KAMIENIEC PODOLSKI ARCHIVE ****

The April 13th issue of _Nu? What's New?_, the free e-zine of Avotaynu, Inc., had details on some very sad news -- a fire that destroyed many records at the State/City Archives of Kamianets-Podilsky (Polish name: Kamieniec Podolski) in Ukraine. For more information you can read the article here: http://www.avotaynu.com/nu10.htm.

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

*** UPCOMING EVENTS ***

May 1 - May 8 - May 15, 2003

Beginner Genealogy Course at the Polish Center of Wisconsin

7:00 p.m. at the Polish Center of Wisconsin

Learn to trace your family history!

Classes last approximately 1 hour and are sponsored by members of the Polish Genealogical Society of Wisconsin. Cost is $30.00 per person, materials included.

414-529-2140

-----

May 28-31, 2003

National Genealogical Society - 2003 Conference in the States

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

For more details see: http://www.eshow2000.com/ngs/

-----

Sunday, June 1, 2003

Erie, Pennsylvania

2:00 - 5:30 p.m.

IN SEARCH OF OUR ANCESTORS
a 3-part workshop for Eastern Europeans,
especially Rusyns

Well-known genealogist Megan Smolenyak will lead the seminar, including: "Jump-Starting Your Eastern Europe Research," "Maximizing your Results from the Ellis Island Database," and "Honoring Our Ancestors"

Place: Crossroads Community Baptist Church, 5827 Old French Rd, Erie, PA, near I-90, exit 27

Co-sponsors: Mercyhurst College and Erie Society for Genealogical Research

Fee: $10 for national Carpatho-Rusyn Society members and Erie Society for Genealogical Research members; $20 public.

Ethnic Dinner: You can also get a delicious dinner for $5, including stuffed cabbage, noodles and caraway, baby carrots, cucumbers, rye bread and pastry. Seating at 1:00 - 1:50 p.m. (The meal is optional.)

Registration is requested in advance BY MAY 17TH, with checks made payable to:

   Carpatho-Rusyn Society
   c/o Lake Erie Chapter
   926 West 8th Street
   Erie PA  16507

Note name, address, phone, and number attending for workshop and dinner.

For more information, call Eileen Zinchiak at (814) 456-7217 or email: Eileen@stargate.net

-----

June 20-22, 2003

Polish Fest 2003

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Friday, June 20th - 3:00 to Midnight
Saturday, June 21st - Noon to Midnight
Sunday, June 22nd - Noon to 10:00 p.m.

For more information visit http://www.polishfest.org or call 414-529-2140.

-----

July 7-10, 2003

The Illinois State Genealogical Society Announces

THE 9TH ANNUAL GENEALOGICAL INSTITUTE OF MIDAMERICA

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois, Springfield Campus

The Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA) is a four-day intensive educational experience.

Students choose one of four courses to attend for the 4 days. Instructors are nationally known lecturers who have spoken at local, state and national genealogical conferences. Courses are taught in a relaxed atmosphere. Be a part of a Midwest tradition, where genealogical instruction is presented in a relaxed atmosphere, a small informal setting where camaraderie among attendees and instructors make for a unique educational experience.

To be added to the mailing list for further information, please send your mailing address to Susan Kaufman-Tavenner, GIMA Chairperson at: kaufmansusan@juno.com -- please put "GIMA" in the subject line. Information can also be found at the ISGS web site, http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsgs/index.html.

Or write: ISGS-GIMA03, PO Box 10195, Springfield, IL 62791-0195

-----

July 11-12, 2003

MIDWESTERN ROOTS

Family History & Genealogy Conference

at the Indianapolis Marriott East
East 21st Street & Shadeland Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana

Sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society and the Indiana Genealogical Society

For more information visit the Website: www.indianahistory.org/midwesternroots

-----

July 20-25, 2003

IAJGS 23rd International Conference ­ DC

J.W. Marriott, Pennsylvania Ave., NW

More details to be announced later

-----

September 5-6, 2003

St. Louis Polish Festival

Behind Falcon Hall - 20th and St. Louis Avenue

St. Louis, MO

Music, crafts, games and authentic Polish food and pastries.

For more information: 314-421-9614

-----

November 6-9, 2003

New England Regional Genealogical Conference

Sea Crest Resort, North Falmouth, MA

New England-America's Melting Pot

For more details: http://www.rootsweb.com/~manergc 

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

*** MORE USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES ***

http://www.strony.wp.pl/wp/obgpiast
   Robert Strybel forwarded this address, saying it's the new Website of the Piast Genealogical Research Center. Over the years researchers have had mixed results from Piast -- sometimes very good, sometimes not so great. These days the director is Andrzej Sikorski, a reputable scholar and researcher; so you might wish to look into Piast's services (but as always, let the buyer beware!).
______________________________

http://www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/surnames.html
   This is a page I happened across while wandering around on the Web. It's a good article on the importance of surnames in research. Though it is written mainly in regard to English names, much of what's said there applies just as well to Polish.
______________________________

http://www.piasa.org/polisharchives.html
   Ray Marshall <raymarsh@mninter.net> sent along this address, saying he had never heard about this site, and it's not directly genealogical, but it can be valuable "for the serious researcher taking the next step." He also gave the address of a page on the PIASA site with info on Polish Archives in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain, etc.: http://www.piasa.org/polisharchivesinamerica.html.
______________________________

http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/map.jpg
   On the Galicia mailing list Lavrentiy Krupnak <Lkrupnak@erols.com> gave this as the address of a map that shows the extent of the region inhabited by the Lemkos. He listed several more excellent sites if you're interested in Rusyns and Lemkos:

   http://www.lemko.org/lih/intro.html
   http://www.lemko.org/term.html
   http://www.lemko.org/lih/whoarewe.html
   http://www.lemko.org/rusyn.html
______________________________

http://www.clpgh.org/locations/pennsylvania/genealogy/wwi.html
   On the soc.genealogy.jewish list Joe Beine gave this as a site where the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh lists World War II casualties from Pennsylvania. He warned that this page loads slowly. He also said a directory of similar sites can be found here: http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/military.html.
______________________________

http://historykpress.com/whatsnew.htm
   History Press, a small publishing firm concentrating on the Polish community in Maryland, has a new publication you can read about here.
______________________________

http://www.beskid.com/base/indexgb.php
   Christine Clark <CLC1040@aol.com> forwarded this address from the Rootsweb update e-mail. It's a searchable database for Polish soldiers who died in France during World War II. Thanks, Christine!
______________________________

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pl.html
   On the Poland-Roots list Debbie Brejniak <debbiebeez@catchnet.com.au> said she had come upon this site while looking at world phone books. She found it very interesting, with lots of useful information and facts about Poland.
______________________________

http://www.genealogyunlimited.com/me200g.html
   On the Galicia mailing list Peter Morgan <pmorgan@Morgan-News.com> pointed out that at this address there's "a simplified grid map of Galicia at a ratio of 1:200,000 ... The maps, which are fairly primitive but load quickly, are offered to help people order good quality maps of a specific area from the website publishers, but they work OK for a quick look at the major cities of the areas covered, or for use in family history documents." He adds "these maps use Ferro, not Greenwich, as longitude 0 degrees. To convert to Ferro from Greenwich, add 17 degrees 40 minutes to the Greenwich longitude."
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http://www.polishroots.com/military/aleksandrow_cemetery.htm
   This new page on the Polish Roots site lists names posted outside the Military Cemetery at Aleksandrow, about 25 km. south-southeast of Zamosc. Information about the soldiers as well as emblems of the Cross of Bravery was added.
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http://lemko.org/tour.html
   On the Poland-Roots mailing list Debbie Greenlee <daveg@airmail.net> mentioned this site, which has information on a tour for those who want to see their Lemko ancestral villages. "The tour will include experts of different areas as well as the assistance of Iwona Dakiniewicz, a researcher in Poland who is a member of the Polish Genealogical Society of America in Chicago. Even if you're not a Lemko descendant you might want to read about this tour. I was pretty impressed."

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