The family tree Polish, Czech & Slovak genealogy guide How to trace your family tree in Eastern Europe
Book - 2016
Trace your Eastern European ancestors from American shores back to the old country. This in-depth guide will walk you step-by-step through the exciting-- and challenging-- journey of finding your Polish, Czech, or Slovak roots. You'll learn how to identify immigrant ancestors, find your family's town of origin, locate key genealogical resources, decipher foreign-language records, and untangle the region's complicated history. The book also includes timelines, sample records, resource lists, and sample record request letters to aid your research.
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Genres
- Handbooks and manuals
- Published
-
Cincinnati, Ohio :
Family Tree Books
[2016]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Physical Description
- 239 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-227) and index.
- ISBN
- 9781440343278
- Introduction
- Part 1. Linking Your Family tree to Polis Czech and Slovak Localities
- Chapter 1. Your Polish, Czech, Or Slovak Heritage
- Take pride in your Eastern European heritage. This chapter briefs you on why you should research your Polish, Czech, and Slovak ancestors.
- Chapter 2. Jump-Starting Your Polish, Czech, and Slovak Research
- Maximize your research time by planning ahead, This chapter outlines how to identify your goals, build a family tree, and apply key genealogical principles.
- Chapter 3. Identifying Your Immigrant Ancestor
- Unlock the two keys to European research: the name of your immigrant ancestor and his hometown. This chapter offers strategies for finding these crucial pieces of info that will guide the rest of your research.
- Chapter 4. The History Of Poland
- Dive into the turbulent history of Poland with this crash course guide to Polish history through the Commonwealth era, the partitions, the world wars, and beyond.
- Chapter 5. The History of the Czech and Slovak Republics
- Catch a glimpse of these countries' histories, from their time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the formation of Czechoslovakia and eventual independence.
- Part 2. Getting to Know the Old Country
- Chapter 6. Understanding Eastern European Geography
- Learn how geography shaped your ancestors' lives by using maps, atlases, and gazetteers.
- Chapter 7. Languages, Surnames, and Given Names
- Master the mother tongue with these resources for learning the basics of the Polish, Czech, and Slovak languages and naming conventions.
- Part 3. Tracing Your Family in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia
- Chapter 8. Vital Records
- Discover the most basic "wheres" and "whens" of your ancestor's life with this guide to birth, marriage, and death records.
- Chapter 9. Census Records
- Reach into the past to find where your ancestors lived in a given year. This chapter outlines where to find (and how to use) census records in Eastern Europe.
- Chapter 10. Military Records
- Follow the tracks your military ancestors left behind with this guide to military records from Eastern Europe.
- Chapter 11. Other Record Resources
- Expand your research horizons with these resources you may not have thought to check. This chapter details how to use records like newspapers and local histories.
- Chapter 12. Heritage Travel and On-Site Research
- Walk a mile in your ancestors' shoes with these helpful travel tips.
- Part 4. Advanced Source and Strategies
- Chapter 13. Putting It All Together
- Check out these case studies from genealogists who have tracked down their Polish, Czech, and Slovak ancestors.
- Chapter 14. What To Do When You Get Stuck
- Conquer your research roadblocks with this guide to resources for when your genealogical research comes to a standstill.
- Appendix A. Understanding Polish
- Appendix B. Understanding Czech
- Appendix C. Understanding Slovak
- Appendix D. Us Genealogy Archives and Libraries
- Appendix E. Civil Record Archives in Europe
- Appendix F. Church Record Archives in Europe
- Appendix G. Sample Letters to Request Records
- Appendix H. Polish, Czech, and Slovak Historical and Genealogical Societies
- Appendix I. Websites and Publications
- Index