Genealogy – private research on ancestors and relatives.
The information and data published here are intended solely to assist other genealogy researchers. They do not constitute any form of self-promotion, nor do they guarantee the absence of errors. As GEDCOM databases, they are protected by copyright law.
Several people helped me with my family research, and this help often made the difference between continuing my search in a seemingly dead end. The same applies to more unexpected discoveries in books and databases. I was often glad that data crucial to my research had already been recorded, or that the relevant archival materials had been preserved. Time and again it became clear that my successes were often only a small part of my own efforts. Joy and humility are more fitting than pride in achievements that are not really my own. The fact that many family documents survived despite the chaos of war is also largely a matter of chance.
In my family research, I generally had only copies of illegible documents and records at my disposal. In several cases, they were in a language I had never studied (Latin). This often led to errors in reading and transcription. At first, I had a great deal to learn. Time and again I discover mistakes that I can now correct only after the fact. That is why it is comforting to realize that I am not alone in this. Just as in everyday life, the following rules apply to family research:
This applies not only to the information contained in documents. Often the author—consciously or not—provides false information. This is especially evident in cases involving information about the fathers of “illegitimate” children. Mothers always know. Fathers often do not want to know or deny fatherhood. Based on findings from genetic research, one can generally assume that about one in seven of these documented details is false. This allows me to approach the results of my research with a certain degree of skepticism. Starting with great-grandparents at the latest, the likely error rate increases steadily. Consequently, the results shift more and more from proven facts to descriptions of social conditions. Under no circumstances, however, should this serve as an excuse for lack of diligence. The days when genealogies were adjusted until they “fit” are long gone.
Surnames and place names were often written “by ear,” since no strict rules applied. It is common to find different spellings of the same person’s name. Depending on the official language, names were often not only translated or otherwise written “correctly” in official form, but sometimes altered so drastically that the original version is no longer recognizable. When moving to a new place of residence, the original name (e.g., based on occupation) was often replaced with the name of the place of origin. It is often overlooked that an assumed “s” is in fact “ʃ” (the Latin letter eszett – UTF: U+0283). Thus, according to this transcription, Myskowski becomes Myszkowski.
As with any hobby, there are countless associations and books devoted to genealogical research. An unlimited amount of information is also available online. On the websites of the Computer Genealogy Association, Genealogy Network Polska, Poznań Project, Baza Systemu Indeksacji Archiwalnej, you can find almost everything you need. One of the largest databases is offered by Familysearch. I strongly recommend using programs to manage the collected data, for example Gramps.
Kurrent-Schreibmaschine – A Tool for Assisting in Reading Old German Texts
Dictionary of Latin Phrases
Russian spelling
Adela (born. Piwońska) and Mirosław Paljocha – Oct. 5 1957
GDownload the GEDCOM files:
Paljocha
Paliocha USA
Myszkowscy
Klinke
Piwońscy i Matz
Neumann
Surnames in my family tree:
Badke, Balboni, Barleben, Behnke, Behrendt, Bonas, Boyle, Braun, Brodel, Bystrzycki, Czechowski, Derosa, Deter, Detter, Dobrowolski, Drzewiecki, Duffy, Ferioli, Frank, Gessner, Glaser, Glessmann, Gniese, Greif, Grenke, Grieb, Gronau, Hardy, Hartmann, Hecke, Hein, Hermann, Hiller, Hoffmann, Ignaczak, Jahnke, Janke, Jarmuż, Jesse, Joński, Kacprzak, Kaczorowski, Karpow, Карпов, Kasprzak, Kaus, Kicińska, Kirpacz, Klemka, Klemke, Klinke, Koralczyk, Kornatowska, Koronowski, Kowalczyk, Krenz, Kryger, Köppel, Leidecker, Leonczuk, Леончук, Lenz, Lewandowski, Luedee, Luwiza, Lydke, Lück, Łaszczyński, Łukasiewicz, Majda, Matuszewski, Matz, Meske, Migdalski, Miączyński, Myszkowski, Müller, Nemann, Netz, Neuman, Neumann, Newman, Nickel, Nikel, Nitz, Novella, O'Hagen, Paliocha, Paljocha, Палиоха, Pasikowski, Pieterczyk, Piwoński, Piątkowski, Rau, Redgate, Remus, Roszak, Różański, Schmidt, Schultz, Schulz, Schuster, Sinkiewicz, Skoczylas, Skowroński, Sommerfeld, Striner, Szulc, Szwarz, Teige, Thim, Ungiert, Wachowski, Weber, Wegner, Weidner, Welinski, Wiernik, Wołowski, Zado, Zadow, Zawadzki, Zelmer, Ziegler
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