Poland "How to" Guides

Poland "How to" Guides

How to use the guides
Select a guide from the list below based on your interests. Please note that some guides need to be completed in sequence to ensure a successful experience. Build your research knowledge and confidence with each activity you complete.

Each guide comes with three parts - Instruction, which includes a guided activity, Assignment, to test what you've learned, and an Answer key, to check how you did on the assignment. The guides are also rated as either Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. The majority are designed for beginners.

The guides are available in PDF form designed to be downloaded and printed. To view a guide, click on its title. Once the guide has opened, use the PDF tools found in your browser to print and save the document.

PLEASE NOTE: Some guides are designed to be completed using resources found in the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. These are indicated by an * following the title of the guide. If you cannot visit the Family History Library, check your local library or your local FamilySearch Family History Center for availability of the resources described in the guide.

Available Guides
This is a work in progress. Please check back often for new and/or updated guides.

General research:


 * Collection of various tutorials for Polish research


 * Inserting Special Characters - [[Media:1-Diacritics-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]]

For all areas of Poland:


 * Geneteka: Indexed Records - [[Media:1-_Geneteka_-_Indexed_Records_-_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-_Geneteka_-_Indexed_Records_-_Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-_Geneteka_-_Indexed_Records_-_Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Geneteka: Accessing Records - [[Media:1-Geneteka Accessing Records-Instruction D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Geneteka Accessing Records-Activity D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Geneteka Accessing Records-Answer Key D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Polish State Archives Online - [[Media:1-Polish State Archives-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Polish State Archives-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Polish State Archives-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * (1930s) Skorowidz Gazetteer Online - [[Media:1-Skorowidz Online-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Skorowidz Online-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Skorowidz Online-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]

For areas of Poland that were once part of Austria:

For areas of Poland that were once part of Prussia and Germany:


 * 1905 Prussia Gemeindelexikon - [[Media:1-1905 Prussia Gemeindelexikon-Instruction2.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-1905 Prussia Gemeindelexikon-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-1905 Prussia Gemeindelexikon-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * FamilySearch Left-Side/Right-Side Images - [[Media:1-FS_Left-Side_Right-Side_Images-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-FS_Left-Side_Right-Side_Images-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-FS_Lef-Side_Right-Side_Images-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Germany Map Guide* - [[Media:1-Map Guide, Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Map Guide, Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Map Guide, Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Kartenmeister Gazetteer - [[Media:1-Kartenmeister-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Kartenmeister-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Kartenmeister-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Metryki.GenBaza.pl - [[Media:1-Metryki.GenBaza.pl_-_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyers Gazetteer* - [[Media:1-Meyers-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyers Abbreviations - [[Media:1-Meyers Abbreviations-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers Abbreviations-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers Abbreviations-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyers Online - [[Media:1-Meyers Online-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers Online-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers Online-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyers Online: Meyersgaz.org - [[Media:1-Meyers Gazetteer Online-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers Gazetteer Online-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers Gazetteer Online-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Poznan Marriage Project - [[Media:1-Poznan Marriage Project, Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Poznan Marriage Project, Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Poznan Marriage Project, Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German civil birth records - [[Media:1- Germany - Civil Registration Births-Instruction D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2- Germany - Civil Registration Births-Activity D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Activity,]] [[Media:3- Germany - Civil Registration Births-Answer Key D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German civil marriage records - [[Media:1-Germany - Civil Registration Marriages-Instruction D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Germany - Civil Registration Marriages-Activity D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Germany - Civil Registration Marriages-Answer Key D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German civil death records - [[Media:1- Germany - Civil Registration Deaths-Instruction D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2- Germany - Civil Registration Deaths-Activity D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3- Germany - Civil Registration Deaths-Answer Key D Jones Dec 2018 JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Westpreussen.de - [[Media:1-Westpreussen.de-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Westpreussen.de-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Westpreussen.de-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Using Archion.de - [[Media:1_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Instruction_B_Johnson_Oct_2018_JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Activity_B_Johnson_Oct_2018.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Answer_key_B_Johnson_Oct_2018_JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]

For areas of Poland that were once part of Russia:
 * 1877 Gazetteer for the Kingdom of Poland - [[Media:1-1877_Gazetteer_for_the_Kingdom_of_Poland-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-1877_Gazetteer_for_the_Kingdom_of_Poland-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-1877_Gazetteer_for_the_Kingdom_of_Poland-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Cyrillic Alphabet - [[Media:1-Russian Alphabet Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Russian Alphabet Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Russian Alphabet Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Cyrillic Script - [[Media:1-Russian Script-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Russian Script-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Russian Script-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Metryki.GenBaza.pl - [[Media:1-Metryki.GenBaza.pl_-_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Polish Birth Records - [[Media:1-Poland Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Poland Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Poland Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Polish Marriage Records - [[Media:1-Poland Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Poland Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Polish Death Records - [[Media:1-Poland-Death Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Poland-Death Records in Paragraph Format-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Poland-Death Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Russian Birth Records - [[Media:1-Russia Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Birth Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Russian Marriage Records - [[Media:1-Russia Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Russia Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Russia Marriage Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading Russian Death Records - [[Media:1-Russia Death Records in Paragraph Format-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Russia Death Records in Paragraph Format-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Russia Death Records in Paragraph Format-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * RGN Gazetteer - [[Media:1-RGN Gazetteer-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-RGN Gazetteer-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-RGN Gazetteer-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Spiski Gazetteer - [[Media:1-Spiski Gazetteer-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Spiski Gazetteer-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Spiski Gazetteer-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]

Other "How to" Guides
Looking for help in other countries? Check out the full list of "How to" guides.

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