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

Volume V, No. 3. 31 March 2004.
Copyright (c) 2004, PolishRoots(R), Inc.
Editor: William F. Fred Hoffman, E-mail: <wfh@langline.com>

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CONTENTS

   Welcome
   Place Names and (Horrors!) Grammar
   Letters to the Editor
   _Gen Dobry!_ in PDF Form?
   Polish Trivia Questions
   Upcoming Events
   More Useful Web Addresses
   You May Reprint Articles...

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*** WELCOME! ***

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

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

One of the newest and most impressive additions to the site is the Galician Casualty List:

   http://www.polishroots.org/databases/galician%20casualty%20list.htm

It contains data excerpted from a pamphlet _Sick, Wounded, Killed, and Missing Legionnaires up to April 1915_ printed by the Central Records and Recruitment Section of the Military N.K.N.

Incidentally, if this interests you, you might also want to get hold of the Winter 2003 issue of _East European Genealogist_. It has a detailed article on Austrian records, "Austrian Military Record Types and Research Tips," by Karen Hobbs. I don't think it's available online, but EEG is a good publication to subscribe to if you have any interest in eastern Europe. Its Website is at www.eegsociety.org.

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*** PLACE NAMES AND (HORRORS!) GRAMMAR ***

by Fred Hoffman <wfh@langline.com>

Some time ago Tina Ellis <vcellis@jps.net> of the Polish Border Surnames list sent me a note with an excellent suggestion. She'd noted that researchers are often thrown by the various endings you see with Polish place names. She knew those endings are dictated by grammar, and wondered if I might be able to write a brief summary of what's involved.

I felt perhaps I should take a swing at this. I write a lot about surnames, but there's no denying that recognizing the correct form of place names is at least as important. If you think your ancestor's name was Jasinskiego, sooner or later you're likely to run across something that tells you to drop the -ego because that's dictated by grammar, and the standard form of the name does not include it. But if you have a document saying your ancestors lived in "Stawiskach," you might spend your whole life searching for such a place, and find nothing. You might get really frustrated when you notice there's a place with a similar name, Stawiski -- "Close, but no cigar," you think. In fact, it's the same place; the -ach is dictated by grammar, and Stawiski is the standard form.

Of course, a decent explanation of why this is so could fill a pretty good-sized booklet. But I can give you at least a few pointers that may prove helpful.

* PLACE NAMES: A PRACTICAL MATTER *

When we confront Polish names, they occur in a context that seems bizarre and chaotic to us -- the Polish language, rich with sounds we find hard to pronounce and forms that seem to change with no rhyme or reason. Yet there is rhyme and reason to it; once you become familiar with the language, Polish names are every bit as sensible and practical as English names.

After all, there are lots of places in Poland named Piaski -- that just means "sands," and suggests the village was located in a sandy area. Go~ra means "hill, mountain," and suggests a place was located right by a hill. De~by means "the oaks," and we wouldn't be baffled by an English place name "The Oaks," would we? To us "Newtown" doesn't seem like an odd name; that's exactly what Nowe Miasto means.

A name's meaning, however, is usually of no great import to researchers. What is of great import is that so few place names are unique! "My ancestors came from Piaski," you say. "Why do there have to be more than 50 village by that name in Poland?" There are at least 5 places in the U.S. called "Sands," but that's better than 50. There are at least 40 places in the U.S. called "Newtown," but just 5 places in Poland with "Nowe Miasto" as part of their name. On the other hand, there are well over 100 villages called Nowa Wies~, "new village" (which, functionally if not literally, might actually match "Newtown" better).

Americans weren't trying to frustrate genealogists when they named 40 different places "Newtown"; and Poles aren't trying to break your spirit with their 100 Nowa Wies~'es, either. It's just that when people were busting their rears trying to get a new settlement up and running, giving that settlement an original name did not always rate high on their list of priorities. If they decided "Nowa Wies~" was a good name, it seemed irrelevant that another Nowa Wies~ lay just 50 miles away. Practically speaking, for most folks the horizon just didn't extend that far.

You can understand this logic by looking at your own town. Chances are it's got a Main Street and an Oak Street and a Pine Street and so on. Most places in America do. Does anybody gripe, "Jeez, what a lack of originality?" Not usually. When you're talking about Main Street, you're talking about the one in your town -- or else you specify otherwise up front. What's the problem? That's kind of how the Poles saw the matter of naming places. Everybody knew which Nowa Wies~ they were talking about, and clarified it if there was any question about it.

So point one is, few place names are unique, whether you're talking about England, the U.S., or Poland. Unless you luck out and your ancestors came from a place with a unique name, you really need to dig for more than just that name. That name's meaning is generally not all that helpful, though it may be interesting. The name of the nearest large town, or the parish your ancestors attended, or something like that, is a huge help in tracking down your family, whether from "Nowa Wies~" or "Newtown."

* WORLD WITHOUT ENDINGS, AMEN! *

"Newtown" is "Newtown," whether you live in it, or come from it, or sack and pillage it. But in Polish _Nowa Wies~_ is the form only if the name is used as the subject of the sentence ("Nowa Wies~ is a great place to live!"). Another form is used if you're from Nowa Wies~ (_z Nowej Wsi_) or live in it (_w Nowej Wsi_). If you sacked and pillaged it, it's _Nowa~ Wies~_ (the A has a hook under it, indicating it's the nasal vowel pronounced somewhat like "on" in French _bon_). And if you describe something as of or from Nowa Wies~, often it will be expressed with the adjective form, _nowowiejski_ -- which can have 11 different endings (there are 36 cases, but many endings are used for more than one case).

Yes, this is very different from how we do things. Is it hard? Sure! Is it hopeless? Of course not. You just need practice. There are 5-year-olds running around Warsaw who speak this language; I think you can handle small doses of it.

I do have a practical suggestion that cuts the problem down somewhat. Concentrate on three case forms, and the basic adjectival form. They're the ones you'll see most often in documents. The case forms are:

   * the nominative -- used for the subject of the sentence, also regarded as the standard form of any name
   * the genitive -- used with prepositions such as _z_ and _od_, "from, of"
   * the prepositional -- used with prepositions such as _w_ and _na_, "in, at"

The adjectival form is often very easy to spot, even though in Polish text they don't usually capitalize it. It doesn't take a genius to recognize that _krakowski_ can mean "of, from Krako~w," and _warszawski_ is usually "of, from Warsaw." Some adjectival forms are a little off the wall, and I'll show the worst offenders in a minute.

This does help a little, but it still leaves a lot to cover. Polish place names can be singular or plural in form; they can be masculine, feminine, or neuter in gender; and they can be nouns or adjectives. These distinctions involve enough differences that I can't give you a short, sweet summary that tells you everything you want to know. But let's not give up in despair just yet -- maybe we can make some sense of this.

- Nominative

The nominative form is the one you see on maps. It's sort of pointless trying to figure out why it ends the way it does -- it is what it is. You will note that nominative nouns ending in -a are most often feminine in gender, and nouns ending in -o or -e are neuter. Names that are adjectival in form will typically end in -i or -y, -a, or -e.

- Genitive

The genitive is like our possessive, used much the way we use ['s] in English; we'd say "Ostrol~e~ka's history," Poles say _dzieje Ostrol~e~ki_. It's also used after prepositions such as _z_ and _od_, "from." Since the documents we look at often involve where someone came FROM, you can see why genitive forms abound. Endings typically seen with genitive forms are:

   - for masculine and neuter nouns -a (from Wl~ocl~awek -- z Wl~ocl~awka)
   - for feminine nouns -y (from L~omz*a -- z L~omz*y) or -i (from Go~rka -- z Go~rki)
   - for adjectival names, -ego or -ej if singular, -ych or -ich if plural

- Prepositional

The prepositional is always used with a preposition (duh!), and the ones most relevant to our purposes are _w_, "in," and _na_, "at, on, in." A record may state that it was drawn up in such-and-such a place, or a questionnaire may ask what town or village a person was born in; you can see why the prepositional shows up a lot in documents. The endings most often appearing are:

   - for masculine and neuter nouns, -e (in Krako~w -- w Krakowie) or -u (in Wl~ocl~awek -- we Wl~ocl~awku)
   - for feminine nouns, -e (in Go~rka -- w Go~rce) or -y (in L~omz*a -- w L~omz*y)
   - for plural nouns, -ach (in Suwal~ki -- w Suwal~kach)
   - for adjectival names, singular -em or -ym or -ej, plural -ych or -ich

One really annoying habit of this case is that adding -e usually changes the last consonant of the name's stem. Sometimes that change is minor and easy to deal with: in Pil~a = w Pile, or in Krako~w = w Krakowie. But sometimes the change will throw you: in Go~rka = w Go~rce, in Go~ra = w Go~rze, in Birwicha = w Birwisze, in Nowe Miasto = w Nowym Mies~cie(!). To the Poles these changes are second nature; to non-Poles they're a pain in the dupa!

* A LIST OF TYPICAL EXAMPLES *

Have your eyes glazed over? Probably. But if you want a little help recognizing a name when its form might fool you, you have to deal with these changes.

In such cases, what seems advisable is not droning on about grammatical rules. I find it best to provide lots of examples, and let you just look at them, at your own pace. So I've drawn up a list of some typical place names -- some famous, some obscure, but all illustrating some pattern. I've grouped the list by category to make the patterns a little easier to spot.

DON'T TRY TO MEMORIZE THEM! Just refer to them, now and again, whenever you have a question about a place name. You'll start to note similarities, and patterns will begin to emerge. You won't master the language, by any means; but you will start to find yourself coping with this problem a little better.

By the way, if you find errors, let me know. And you will -- I didn't grow up speaking Polish, and these endings aren't second nature to me. I've tried to verify them, but it's too much to hope I haven't let some mistakes slip by me. What the heck, you know I'm not infallible; bear with me and I'll bear with you.

Each of these names is given in the nominative (with a grammatical description of whether it's a noun or adjective, and what gender and number). On the next line are given the genitive form (after _z_ to illustrate it better), then the prepositional (after _w_ for the same reason). The last form is the adjectival version. I use the tilde ~ to indicate the Polish letters (a~ = nasal a, c~ = accented c, e~ = nasal e, l~ = slash-l, n~ = accented n, o~ = accented o, s~ = accented s, z~ = accented z, z* = dotted z) because the distinctions can be important, in some instances.

Name -- "from X" -- "in X" -- adjectival form

+ MASCULINE NOUNS +

Elbla~g (singular)
   -- z Elbla~ga -- w Elbla~gu -- elbla~ski

Gdan~sk (singular)
   -- z Gdan~ska -- w Gdan~sku -- gdan~ski

Kalisz (singular)
   -- z Kalisza -- w Kaliszu -- kaliski

Ka~ty (plural)
   -- z Ka~to~w -- w Ka~tach -- ka~cki

Konin (singular)
   -- z Konina -- w Koninie -- konin~ski

Lublin (singular)
   -- z Lublina -- w Lublinie -- lubelski

Orl~o~w (singular) *[see below]
   -- z Orl~owa -- w Orl~owie -- orl~owski

Poznan~ (singular)
   -- z Poznania -- w Poznaniu -- poznan~ski

Przemys~l (singular)
   -- z Premys~la -- w Przemys~le -- przemyski

Tarnobrzeg (singular)
   -- z Tarnobrzega -- w Tarnobrzegu -- tarnobrzeski

Wal~brzych (singular)
   -- z Wal~brzycha -- w Wal~brzychu -- wal~brzyski

Wal~cz (singular)
   -- z Wal~cza -- w Wal~czu -- wal~ecki

Wl~ocl~awek (singular)
   -- z Wl~ocl~awka -- we Wl~ocl~awku -- wl~ocl~awski

Zamos~c~ (singular)
   -- z Zamos~cia -- w Zamos~ciu -- zamojski

+ FEMININE NOUNS +

Bydgoszcz (singular)
   -- z Bydgoszczy -- w Bydgoszczy -- bydgoski

Chel~mz*a (singular)
   -- z Chel~mz*y -- w Chel~mz*y -- chel~mz*yn~ski

Cze~stochowa (singular)
   -- z Cze~stochowy -- w Cze~stochowie -- cze~stochowski

Da~bki (plural)
   -- z Da~bek -- w Da~bkach -- da~becki

Dobrzany (plural)
   -- z Dobrzan -- w Dobrzanach -- dobrzan~ski

Gliwice (plural)
   -- z Gliwic -- w Gliwicach -- gliwicki

Go~ra (singular)
  -- z Go~ry -- w Go~rze -- go~rski

Go~rka (singular)
   -- z Go~rki -- w Go~rce -- go~recki

Kartuzy (plural)
   -- z Kartuz -- w Kartuzach -- kartuski

Kazimiero~wka (singular)
   -- z Kazimiero~wki -- w Kazimiero~wce -- kazimierowski (?)

Kielce (plural)
   -- z Kielc -- w Kielcach -- kielecki

L~omz*a (singular)
   -- z L~omz*y -- w L~omz*y -- lomz*yn~ski

Ostrol~e~ka (singular)
   -- z Ostrol~e~ki -- w Ostrol~e~ce -- ostrol~e~cki

Piaski (plural)
   -- z Piask -- w Piaskach -- piasecki

Pil~a (singular)
   -- z Pil~y -- w Pile -- pilski

Przysucha (singular)
   -- z Przysuchy -- w Przysusze -- przysuski

Suwal~ki (plural)
   -- z Suwal~k -- w Suwal~kach -- suwalski

Wizna (singular)
   -- z Wizny -- w Wiz~nie -- wiznen~ski

+ NEUTER NOUNS +

Chlewiska (plural)
   -- z Chlewisk -- w Chlewiskach -- chlewiski

Gniezno (singular)
   -- z Gniezna -- w Gniez~nie -- gniez~nien~ski

Grodno (singular)
   -- z Grodna -- w Grodnie -- grodzien~ski

Kowno (singular)
   -- z Kowna -- w Kownie -- kowien~ski

Krosno (singular)
   -- z Krosna -- w Kros~nie -- kros~nien~ski

Leszno (singular)
   -- z Leszna -- w Lesznie -- leszczyn~ski

Orl~owo (singular) *[see below]
   -- z Orl~owa -- w Orl~owie -- orl~owski

Piaseczno (singular)
   -- z Piaseczna -- w Piasecznie -- piaseczyn~ski

Pilzno (singular)
   -- z Pilzna -- w Pilznie -- pilzen~ski

+ ADJECTIVES +

Dobra (feminine singular)
   -- z Dobrej -- w Dobrej -- dobrski

Obryta (feminine singular)
   -- z Obrytej -- w Obrytej -- obrycki

Obryte (neuter singular)
   -- z Obrytego -- w Obrytem -- obrycki

Okra~gl~e (neuter singular)
   -- z Okra~gl~ego -- w Okra~gl~em -- okra~gl~y

Podro~z*na (feminine singular)
   -- z Podro~z*nej -- w Podro~z*nej -- podro~z*ny [?]

Poryte (neuter singular)
   -- z Porytego -- w Porytem -- porycki

COMBINATIONS

Bial~a Podlaska (adjective + adjective, both feminine singular)
   -- z Bial~ej Podlaskiej -- w Bial~ej Podlaskiej -- bialskopodlaski

Bial~ystok (adjective + masculine singular noun)
   -- z Bial~egostoku -- w Bial~ymstoku -- bial~ostocki

Bielsko-Bial~a (compound, neuter noun + feminine singular adjective)
   -- z Bielska-Bial~ej -- w Bielsku-Bial~ej -- bielski or bielsko-bialski

Jelenia Go~ra (adjective + feminine singular noun)
   -- z Jeleniej Go~ry -- w Jeleniej Go~rze -- jeleniogo~rski

Kazimierz Biskupi (masculine singular noun + adjective)
   -- z Kazimierza Biskupiego -- w Kazimierzu Biskupim -- kazimierski

Kazimierza Wielka (feminine singular noun + adjective)
   -- z Kazimierzy Wielkiej -- w Kazimierzy Wielkiej -- kazimierski

Nowy Sa~cz (adjective + masculine singular noun)
   -- z Nowego Sa~cza -- w Nowym Sa~czu -- nowosa~decki

Stara Wies~ (adjective + feminine singular noun)
   -- z Starej Wsi -- w Starej Wsi -- starowiejski

* A FEW MORE POINTERS *

* Notice above that Orl~o~w and Orl~owo have exactly the same forms once you get away from the nominative. This is one of the most confusing things you run into -- different names can end up with the same forms, and you can't tell them apart. That's just one more reason why it's essential to find a source of info that gives you more to work with than just the name.

In fact, Poles can be confused by this, too. Sometimes, to avoid this confusion, they will not change the name's form, but will precede it with the applicable noun such as _miasto_ (town) or _wies~_, and only decline that noun. Thus you may see _do Orl~owa_, "to Orl~o~w/Orl~owa," or you may see _do wsi Orl~owo_. If the place name itself doesn't have the ending you'd expect, it means that's the nominative form. When you run across something like this, thank the wonderful Pole who went the extra mile to avoid confusing you!

* One way they distinguish different places with the same names, or even similar ones, is by adding the name of the nearest big town after the abbreviation k. or k/, short for _kol~o_, "near." The name after k. is in the genitive case. "Morawica kol~o Kielc," for instance, specifies the Morawica near Kielce, as opposed to the one a little west of Krako~w (Morawica kol~o Krakowa).

An adjective or qualifying phrase can also distinguish places with the same name. There's a Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, "new town near Lubawa"; a Nowe Miasto n. Pilica~, "new town on the Pilica river"; and a Nowe Miasto n. Warta~, "new town on the Warta." These additional words weren't always preserved in documents; but if you do run across something like that, don't ignore it!

* Note that compound names often have the elements flipped -- these days the official name might be L~ososina Go~rna, but don't be surprised if you sometimes see it called Go~rna L~ososina. Always take a moment to check the alternative order, just to be sure.

* You may see the adjectival form of a place name capitalized and used by itself as a short way of referring to the parish or district or province associated with that place. Thus saying a village is _w Katowickiem_ meant it was "in Katowice province."

* Another interesting twist I've see in Polish-American newspapers and parish histories is forming a name for a parish by taking the root of the name and adding -owo. Thus _na Tro~jcowie_, from _s~w. Tro~jca_ ([Parish of the] Holy Trinity), means "at Holy Trinity parish" (see, for instance, http://www.trojcowo.com). I'm not sure whether this turn of phrase is used in Poland, but I saw it used repeatedly in the _Dziennik Chicagoski_ in reports on parish activities.

* Find a Polish-language Website that talks about the place you're interested in. Just browse through it, noting the different forms that show up. If you have access to the _Sl~ownik Geograficzny Kro~lestwa Polskiego_ gazetteer, it can also be worth browsing through. This can acquaint you with the specific versions of the name you need to look out for.

* CONCLUSION *

I've probably loaded you down with too much to digest, so I'll have mercy and end. But I'd like to encourage you to approach place names with an open mind; don't let the endings throw you. If you can just remember that endings change, and if you spend a little time looking at the examples I gave above, you might spot something that tips you off! 

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*** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ***

Subject: Searching for Raymond Kaniok, also Groden

  [Editor -- Several issues back we printed Cathleen Chabo's note, saying that her mother was very ill and desperately wanted to find an old friend, Raymond Kaniok. Here's an update.]

Many thanks to you and your readers. Although we have not yet found Raymond we have learnt so much about the bravery of the Polish people and the adversities which have beset them. My mother is recovering and the history we are discovering together, during our search, is of enormous personal interest to her. The search alone and the kind response of so many strangers has contributed to her recovery. Thank you all so much.

P.S There seems to be the possibility that her maiden name of Groden is in fact a derivative of the Polish name Grodinski! Any one got any leads on that?

   Cathleen Chabo <Cathleen5@btopenworld.com>

-----

Subject: Researcher for Northeast Poland

   [Editor -- In the last issue Sophie Biedrzycki Gottemoller <sgottemoller@dol.net> asked if anyone could recommend a researcher who could help with work in northeastern Poland. Stanley Diamond, one of the giants of Eastern European research, wrote with the following recommendation.]

I can very highly recommend Mr. Krzysztof Malczewski of Warsaw. I have worked with "Chris" for 9 years and he knows northeastern Poland very well (and all of Poland, for that matter).

Chris is reliable, honest, and a very creative and determined researcher.  They don't come any better.

If you are interested, I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have and provide his email address.

   Stanley Diamond <SMSDIAMOND@aol.com>
   Executive Director, Jewish Records Indexing - Poland
   www.jri-poland.org

-----

Subject: Polish Translator, & Write Your Congressman!

In your January issued Debbie Greenlee recommended a Polish university student as a translator. [Editor -- Debbie recommended Anna Dobrowolska <annad1980@msn.com>]. She has translated a number of letters for me and I find her work to be excellent. If anyone is in need of translation work I highly recommend her.

Also, I know you are genealogists but my son brought a Polish issue to my attention. Congresswoman Nancy Johnson of Connecticut has introduced House Resolution 525 into Congress. This a a bill to end the State Department's discriminatory policy toward Polish citizens. Those of you who know anyone who has recently applied for or received a visa to visit the United States from Poland, are aware of the difficulties involved for a Polish citizen.  If anyone is interested in helping to see this bill pass, please write to the President, your Senator and your Congressmen.

   [Editor -- Thanks for the info! I know people are always looking for reliable translators, so your recommendation will help them. And the info on Johnson's bill will definitely interest a lot of our readers. Their focus may be on genealogy, but they welcome news on any significant development that may affect Poles. I'm sure they'll also thank you.]

-----

Subject: Using ShtetlSeeker

After reading my latest _Gen Dobry!_, I have a few comments to make. I agree with David Binkowski that the ShtetlSeeker site is wonderful. In preparation for doing some research, I would like to share what I have been doing.

First, I went to www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker. Then I clicked on "Search for Town by Name." When I typed in Dlutowo, four different towns came up. The site gave me the coordinates (latitude and longitude). I tried two before I got the right Dlutowo, the one that is 78 miles NNW of Warsaw. 

Next, I went back to the ShtetlSeeker page and went to the option under "Search for Town by Name," which was "Search for Town by Location." When you put in the town's coordinates at "Search for Town by Location," you can get towns within a 10 miles radius.  By doing this I printed out a few pages of nearby towns and villages.

Next step, I went to www.familysearch.org, went to their catalog for their microfilms, went to "Place Search," put in the town names that I had found at the ShtetlSeeker, and looked for microfilms for these towns. The list provided by ShtetlSeeker gives you both the German names and the Polish names of the towns, for example, Soldau and Dzialdowo. Dlutowo was in the Kingdom of Poland. By doing this I was able to find my grandmother and great-grandmother in Maly Leck, just across the road from Dlutowo.  And I did my happy dance!

This is a little involved, but it worked for me.

   Armela Hammes <armelahammes@att.net>

   [Editor -- Sounds like a winner to me!]

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*** _GEN DOBRY!_ IN PDF FORM? ***

The lead article on this piece needs to indicate the correct Polish spellings of place names. In a text note the only way to do that reliably in a form everyone will receive intact is with the tildes (l~, s~, etc.). But all those tildes really clog things up and make it hard to read!

So I've put together a version of this issue in PDF form, readable by anyone who has the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or later). If you'd like a copy -- which you can read and print out and which has the real Polish letters instead of all these ~'s -- just send a note asking for it to me <wfh@langline.com>. I'll send you an e-mail reply with the PDF file attached.

Also, our President, Don Szumowski, thinks it might be a good idea to do future issues in PDF only. At the end of each month we'd send you a brief e-mail saying the issue is ready and giving you a link to download it from the PolishRoots site. There'd be a lot of advantages to doing things that way.

So we're asking you -- does this sound like a good idea, or not? Please let me know, especially if you DON'T WANT future issues of _Gen Dobry!_ in PDF form.

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

*** POLISH TRIVIA QUESTIONS ***

   [Editor: In the last issue we gave 5 questions from a Polish trivia game PolishRoots Vice President Paul Valasek <paval56@aol.com> came across. The answers to those questions appear below, followed by this month's questions, the answers to which will appear in the next issue. We want to thank Tom Bratkowski for permission to reprint these.]

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS IN THE LAST ISSUE:

+ People

  -- Q: Who is called the "Father of the American Cavalry?"

  -- A: Kazimierz Pulaski

-----------

+ People

  -- Q: What two statues of Polish patriots were unveiled in Washington, D.C. on May 10, 1910?

  -- A: Statues of Kosciuszko and Pulaski.

----------

+ Geography

-- Q: Where was Kazimierz Pulaski born?

  -- A: In the village of Winiary, near Warka.  

----------

+ People

  -- Q: How old was Kazimierz Pulaski when he died? (within 5 years)

  -- A: 31 years old.  
----------

+ Traditions

  -- Q: Who was Z*ywia?

  -- A: The Polish pagan goddess of spring.

----------

* QUESTIONS FOR THE MARCH 2004 ISSUE *

+ Traditions

  -- Q: By old Polish custom, what does the burying of the herring and the _z*ur_ or gruel signify?

+ Traditions

  -- Q: On what religious day are Polish children awakened by being tapped with sticks in memory of the wounds of Christ?

+ Traditions

  -- Q: By Polish tradition, who decorates the Easter eggs?


+ Traditions

  -- Q: By Polish custom, the devil can take the form of all but two animals; which two?

+ Traditions

  -- Q: What animal is drowned symbolically after being led through an old Polish village on Easter Monday?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Reprinted with permission from Polish American Trivia & Quadrivia, Powstan, Inc. If interested in learning more, contact Paul Valasek <paval56@aol.com>.

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*** 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>.]

April 16-19, 2004

UNITED POLISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
Biennial Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah

To be held at:

Best Western Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
122 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

To make reservations call: 800-366-3684. Identify yourself with "United Polish Genealogical Societies." Guaranteed Rates: Single/Double -- $79.00 per night, Triple/Quad -- $86.00 per night

Conference Speakers:
   Daniel Schlyter
   Ceil Jensen
   George Ott
   Sonja Nishimoto

Conference Fee: $70:00 includes admission to sessions, materials packet, Sunday morning breakfast buffet, Monday hospitality, and dinner banquet.

More details are available on the PolishRoots Website, or contact Paul Lipinski <Paul.Lipinski@acm.org>.

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April 21 & 28, May 5, 12, 19 & 26

Beginner Genealogy Course at the
Polish Center of Wisconsin
6941 South 68th St.
Franklin, WI

Wednesdays, April 21 & 28, May 5, 12, 19, & 26 at 7 p.m.

The course will be presented by members of the PGSW.

For more info call 414-529-2540.

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July 17 & 18, 2004

National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival

at the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

For more info: 319-362-8500 or www.NCSML.org

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August 5-8, 2004

THE SOCIETY FOR GERMAN GENEALOGY IN EASTERN EUROPE

- 2004 CONVENTION -

Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Center
1316 33rd Street NE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Phone: 403-248-8888

Contact: convention@sggee.org
Web: http://www.sggee.org
Web: http://www.clickcalgaryhotels.com/coast_plaza_hotel_and_conference_center.html

SGGEE is a Poland and Volhynia genealogy group for people of German origin interested in the genealogy, culture and history of their ancestors who migrated through present-day Poland and Volhynia (now western Ukraine) and the surrounding areas.

Research opportunities, speakers and workshops will assist you in discovering your ancestral roots out of these areas. SGGEE reaches researchers not only in Canada but the U.S.A., Germany, Poland, Australia, and Russia.

More data will be available on the Website http://www.sggee.org as details are finalized.

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September 17-18, 2004

POLISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT AND THE NORTHEAST

presents their 2004 Conference in affiliation with the

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY POLISH STUDIES PROGRAM

More info will be given in the Spring issue of _Pathways & Passages_, and on the PGSCTNE Website at www.pgsctne.org.

!! ZAPRASZAMY !!

==========

September 24 - 26, 2004

POLISH FEST 2004

Latham, New York

A Celebration of Polish/American Culture

3 Days of fun and entertainment for the whole family

Located in Latham NY, a suburb of Albany.

http://www.polishfest-ny.org/

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*** MORE USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES ***

http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.asp?ID=1563
   On the Galicia_Poland-Ukraine list, Ceil Jensen <cjensen@mipolonia.net> reposted a note she'd seen on another list about the book _Galicia and Bukovina: A Research Handbook about Western Ukraine, Late 19th and 20th centuries_, by John-Paul Himka. Mr. Himka is a professor specializing in Ukrainian studies at the University of Alberta. What makes this special is that the ENTIRE book is online at the above address.
______________________________

http://www.archive.org/
   Also on that list, Ceil answered a request for help finding Internet pages no longer online. She said "... May I suggest you read them on Internet Archives' Wayback Machine? Its a wonderful site that allows you to view Web pages that are no longer online." The address is given above.
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http://clevelandmemory.org/ebooks/polish/index.html
  On the Poland-Roots list Nan <Nangelbuddy@aol.com> cited this address, with info on the book _Polish Americans and Their Communities of Cleveland_, John J. Grabowski, Judith Zielinski-Zak, Alice Boberg, & Ralph Wroblewski.
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http://www.piasa.org/welcome.html
  On the Polish_Genius list Andy Jendrzejewski <ajend2@charter.net> recommended visiting this "interesting website listing all sorts of Polish archives in the U.S. and throughout the world. Most of it relates to nobility, history, arts, sciences, but many sources of information regarding the genealogy of important Polish people are listed."
_____________________________

http://www.posen-l.com/CatholicDbBrowse.php
   On the Posen list the administrator, James Birkholz <j.birchwood@verizon.net>, gave this URL for a direct link to a page on the list's Website dealing with the Catholic towns database. He'd made some changes, and "you now have to log in to edit the data. You must have a Researcher Page to login. I've also uploaded much new data into the database, and will continue to do so for some time. One important area of work remains: dealing with diacriticals (in entry, display and search)."
_____________________________

http://historykpress.com/whatsnew.htm
   Historyk Press <historyk@comcast.net> has a new publication, _Polonia in the Press: Articles from the Baltimore American & Commercial Daily Advertiser, 1870-1899_. More info is available at the address given above.
_____________________________

http://www1.umn.edu/ihrc/atlas8-03flyer.pdf
   Polish Roots' Vice President Paul Valasek <paval56@aol.com> saw a flyer for Paul Robert Magocsi's book _Historical Atlas of Central Europe_ at the above URL. It opens an Adobe Acrobat pdf file with information on this book, which belongs in every genealogical library.
_____________________________

www.przodkowie.com
   On the Herbarz mailing list, Marek Jerzy Minakowski, Ph.D. <minak@portal.onet.pl> replied to a question about the CD-ROM edition he prepared of Boniecki's "Herbarz" [Armorial]. Details are given at the above site. He added, "Since quite recently, people from the U.S. and Canada can buy the CD at the Polish Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY:

   http://www.polbook.com/index.php?o=advanced_search&phrase=minak&stype=all

For what it's worth, I bought a copy ($59.95), and it is an amazing resource. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone -- it may be overkill for most researchers. But anyone who deals with a lot of names and noble families might want to look at the online version, and possibly consider buying it on CD. After all, if you dig back far enough, most families have noble connections somewhere along the line!
_____________________________

http://www.polandintherockies.com
   On the Genpol mailing list, Cynthia Piech <pannacynthia@yahoo.com> posted this address, which gives information on a Polish cultural summer program for young people in Canada. Sounds fascinating! 
_____________________________

http://www.treezy.com/
   In the March 9, 2004 issue of _FHN NEWSLINE_, there was a piece on a new genealogy search engine released in its beta version, TreEZy. If you'd like to test it, it's available at the site given above. 
_____________________________

http://www.mailordercentral.com/polart/products.asp?dept=184
   In the March 14 issue of _Nu? What's New?_, the free e-zine devoted to Jewish genealogy, Gary Mokotoff mentions stumbling onto this site, which has pre-World War II maps of some cities of interwar Poland. He felt it was particularly interesting that the price per map was only $6.95. You might wish to take a look, and if you find something valuable, thank Gary!
_____________________________

www.tr62.de/german.html
   On the Posen mailing list Thomas Rueffer <Thomas.Rueffer@t-online.de> explained that this page on his site has "a short introduction to the German dialects and a map ... explaining High and Low German and the relation to English. You can see at the map that the 19th century Posen was 'divided' into two dialect areas: Low German in the north, and High German in the south. The predominantly Polish-speaking areas are also shown."
______________________

http://www.deutsche-auswanderer-datenbank.de/enframeset.htm
   Pat Smith <patunia@winbeam.com> wrote to say she had accidentally found this site and wonders if it could be the next "Hamburg Online"? It certainly seems to have potential!
______________________

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-03-01-genealogy-db_x.htm
   On the soc.genealogy.jewish newsgroup a researcher quoted an article from AP about an interactive database of genetic and genealogical samples that the public can access and contribute to, in hopes of finding ancestors. This URL has the article, and the genealogy foundation involved has a Website at www.smgf.org.

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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. V, No. 3, 31 March 2004. PolishRoots(R): http://PolishRoots.org/.

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Copyright 2004, PolishRoots(R), Inc. All rights reserved.