SEZAM AND ZoSIA is now just ZoSIA – the only official information system used by the State Archives of Poland. The Polish Archive Systems have been consolidated. It’s easiest to use  Szukakawarchiwach.pl  to find digitized scans of Polish records.

This is a historical write-up of the former system that we’ll leave for historical purposes but it’s no longer accurate.

SEZAM and ZoSIA (was at http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/sezam.php) (sometimes referred to only as SEZAM throughout these listings) is a free, online search system for archive collections in Poland.

SEZAM and ZoSIA is similar to IZA but at SEZAM your search returns first display the record creator, then you can select the individual fonds (record collections). At IZA, search returns display the fonds (record collections), then link to the creator at SEZAM. For beginners, the SEZAM system is probably easier to search and the historical write-ups are incredible.

SEZAM allows you to search across more than a hundred Polish archives to locate specific collections and their holding repository. There are no actual records or images on SEZAM. You will need to visit the repository onsite or hire a researcher to make inquiries for you. (Sometimes SEZAM will link civil registration and parish record results to the images at Szukakawarchiwach.pl  or will mention they are available at AGAD. SEZAM will also have links to ELA wherever you see “LISTS OF THE POPULATION” links and SEZAM will link to PRADZIAD wherever you see “MARITAL STATUS FILE” links.)

SEZAM searches for many record types, including Military and Vital Records. Search parameters include:

• Archive (every state and national archive in Poland, many branch archives, 20+ other archives-menu has the archive name and assigned archive number in parentheses, this number is consistent throughout Polish archive sites)

• Team number

• Team name/creator of the documentation

• Field operations creators

• Category (70+ choices including vital records, military, religious, libraries, registry offices)

• The history of the creator

• Content

• Date range

SEZAM gives very detailed information about the collections and helpful historical explanations of the creator of the documents. Example of a SEZAM and ZoSIA search result and information provided.

SEZAM is an acronym for  System Ewidencji Zasobu Archiwalnego (English: Archival Holdings Registration System).

ZoSIA is an acronym for Zintegrowany System Informacji Archiwalnej  (English: Integrated Archive Information System).