Here’s a chart listing Polish archives, provinces or voivodeships (Polish: województwo), and free, online Polish genealogy records in each locale.
The chart has five columns:
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Polish Archives
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Polish provinces where each archive has any territorial coverage
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a ✓ if Szukakawarchiwach.pl provides free image scans online in that area*
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a ✓ if GenBaza provides free image scans online in that area*
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a ✓ if Geneteka (the Polish Genealogical Society) provides free indexes online in that area*
This National Archives site has a general inventory of holdings at each archive and branch (copy and paste to translate.google.com for translation helps)
This is a map from the National Archives of Poland showing the territorial scope of each state archive (by shaded colors) with the provinces outlined in red.
This is a map with each Province/Voivodeship (Polish: województwo) in Poland. As you use the table below, if you’re not familiar with locations in Poland, this map will help you quickly find the province, then you can refer to the archive map to locate the archive.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
| Region of Poland | Archives in Poland | Szukajwarchiwach.pl Free images |
GenBaza Free images |
Geneteka Free indexes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Archives of Historical Records (Polish: Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych) Ul. 7 long 00-263 Warsaw, Poland 48 22 831 54 91 sekretariat@agad.gov.pl |
All Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| National Digital Archive (Polish: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe) 02-103 Warsaw ul. Hankiewicza 1 |
All Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Central Archives of Modern Records (Polish: Archiwum Akt Nowych) Street. Hankiewicza 1 02-103, Warszawa tel: (022) 58-93-118 sekretariat@aan.gov.pl |
All Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Bialystok (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Białymstoku) ul. Market Kosciuszko 4 15-426 Bialystok tel: (85) 743 56 03 sekretariat_ap@bialystok.ap.gov.pl |
Podlaskie (Województwo Podlaskie), a little in Masovia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Lomza (Polish: Oddział w Łomży) |
Podlaskie (Województwo Podlaskie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Bydgoszcz (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Bydgoszczy) 85-009 Bydgoszcz ul. Dworcowa 65 tel: +48 (52) 401 33 95 dz.info@archiwum.bydgoszcz.pl |
Kuyavian-Pomerania (Województwo Kujawsko-pomorskie), some in Pomerania and Greater Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Inowrocław (Polish: Oddział w Inowrocławiu) |
Kuyavian-Pomerania (Województwo Kujawsko-pomorskie), some in Greater Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| National Archives in Częstochowa (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Częstochowie) 42-200 Częstochowa ul. Rejtana 13 tel: (34) 3638231 sekretariat@apczestochowa.pl |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie), some in Świetokrzyskie, Łódz, and Opole | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archives in Elbląg with the Seat in Malbork (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Elblągu z siedzibą w Malborku) |
Pomerania (Województwo Pomorskie), some in Warmia-Masuria, Kuyavian-Pomerania | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Gdansk (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Gdańsku) 80-858 Gdańsk PO Box 401 Street. Wałowa 5 tel: 48 (58) 301 74 63 apgda@gdansk.ap.gov.pl |
Pomerania (Województwo Pomorskie) | |||
| Gdynia Branch (Polish: Oddział w Gdyni) |
Pomerania (Województwo Pomorskie) | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Gorzow Wielkopolski (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Gorzowie Wielkopolskim) 66-400 Gorzow Wielkopolski ul. Moscicki 7 (95) 783-53-21 sekretariat@gorzow.ap.gov.pl |
Lubusz (Województwo Lubuskie), some in Greater Poland | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Kalisz (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu) Street. Ponańska 207 62-800 Kalisz tel: +48 062 767 10 22 sekretariat@archivium.kalisz.pl |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie), some in Łódz, Lower Silesia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Katowice (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach) ul. Józefowska 104 40-145 Katowice tel: (32) 208-78-01 |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie), Lesser Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Bielsko-Biala
(Polish: Oddział w Bielsku-Białej) |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Cieszyn
(Polish: Oddział w Cieszynie) |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Gliwice (Polish: Oddział w Gliwicach) |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch Pszczyna (Polish: Oddział w Pszczynie) |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie) | |||
| Branch in Raciborz (Polish: Oddział w Raciborzu) |
Silesia (Województwo Ślaskie) | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Kielce (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Kielcach) ul. J. Kusocińskiego 57 25-045 Kielce tel: 41 53 260 11 kancelaria@kielce.ap.gov.pl |
Świętokrzyskie (Woejwództwo Swietokrzyskie), some in Lesser Poland, Lublin, and Subcarpathia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branch in Sandomierz (Polish: Oddział w Sandomierzu) |
Świętokrzyskie (Woejwództwo Swietokrzyskie), some in Subcarpathia and Lublin | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Koszalin (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Koszalinie) ul. Maria Sklodowska – Curie 2 75-803 Koszalin tel: 94 317 03 60 sekretariat@koscalin.ap.gov.pl |
Western Pomerania (Woejwództwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) and Pomerania | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Slupsk (Polish: Oddział w Słupsku) |
Pomerania (Woejwództwo Pomorskie) and possibly Western Pomerania | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch Szczecinek (Polish: Oddział w Szczecinku) |
Western Pomerania (Woejwództwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) and possibly Pomerania | ✓ | ✓ | |
| National Archives in Krakow (Polish: Archiwum Narodowe w Krakowie) ul. Sienna 16 30-960 Krakow tel: 48 (12) 422 40 94 informacja@ank.gov.pl |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie), some in Subcarpathia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Bochnia (Polish: Oddział w Bochni) |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Nowy Sacz (Polish: Oddział w Nowym Sączu) |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Tarnów (Polish: Oddział w Tarnowie) |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie), some in Subcarpathia | ✓ | ||
| Branch of Nowy Targ (Ekspozytura w Nowym Targu) |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie) | |||
| Branch of the Spytkowice (Ekspozytura w Spytkowicach) |
Lesser Poland (Województwo Małopolskie) and possibly Silesia | |||
| State Archives in Leszno (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Lesznie) Street. Solskiego 71 64-100 Leszno tel: (065) 526 97 19 info@archiwum.leszno.pl |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie) and Lubusz and Lower Silesia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archives in Lublin (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Lublinie) ul.Jesuit 13, 20-950 Lublin tel: (81) 528 61 40 kancelaria@lublin.ap.gov.pl |
Lublin (Województwo Lubelskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Chelm (Polish: Oddział w Chełmie) |
Lublin (Województwo Lubelskie) and Masovia | ✓ | ||
| Branch Kraśnik (Polish: Oddział w Kraśniku) |
Lublin (Województwo Lubelskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Radzyń Podlaski (Polish: Oddział w Radzyniu Podlaskim) |
Lublin (Województwo Lubelskie) and possibly Masovia | |||
| State Archive in Lodz (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Łodzi) pl. Freedom 1 91-415 Lodz tel: (42) 632 62 01 kancelaria@lodz.ap.gov.pl |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branch in Sieradz (Polish: Oddział w Sieradzu) |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Olsztyn (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Olsztynie) ul. Part Y Zantów 18 10 521 Olsztyn tel: (89) 527 60 96 |
Warmia-Masurian (Województwo Warmińsko-Mazurskie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archives in Opole (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Opolu) ul. Castle 2 45 016 Opole tel: (77) 454 40 75 kancelariat@opole.ap.gov.pl |
Opole (Województwo Opolskie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Piotrkow (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Piotrkowie Trybunalskim) ul. 4 Toruń 97 300 Piotrkow Trybunalski tel: 44 649 69 71 kancelaria@piotrkow-tryb.ap.gov.pl |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie), some in Śwletokrzyskie | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (Polish: Oddział w Tomaszowie Mazowieckim) |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Plock (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Płocku) ul. Casimir the Great 9b 09-400 Plock sekretariat@plock.ap.gov.pl |
Masovia (Województwo Mazowieckie), some in Łódź and Greater Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Kutno (Polish: Oddział w Kutnie) |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie), small portion in Greater Poland | |||
| Branch in Łęczyca (Polish: Oddział w Łęczycy) |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie) | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Poznan (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Poznaniu) ul. 23 February 41/43 60-967 Poznan archiwum@poznan.ap.gov.pl |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie), small portion in Western Pomerania and Łódź | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Gniezno (Polish: Oddział w Gnieźnie) |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie) | |||
| Branch in Konin (Polish: Oddział w Koninie) |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie), small portion in Łódź | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch Pila (Polish: Oddział w Pile) |
Greater Poland (Województwo Wielkopolskie) possibly Western Pomerania | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Przemysl (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Przemyślu) ul. Lelewela 4 37-700 Przemysl tel: (016) 670 35 38 archiwum@przemysl.ap.gov.pl |
Subcarpathia (Województwo Podkarpackie) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Radom (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Radomiu) ul. Werner 7 26-600 Radom tel: (48) 377 90 50 kancelaria@radom.ap.gov.pl |
Masovia (Województwo Mazowieckie), small portions in Łódź, Śwletokrzyskie | ✓ | ✓ | |
| State Archive in Rzeszów (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Rzeszowie) ul. Varna 57 35 612 Rzeszow tel: (0-17) 230 48 08Podkarpackie / Subcarpathian |
Subcarpathia (Województwo Podkarpackie), small portion in Lesser Poland | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sanok Branch (Polish: Oddział w Sanoku) |
Subcarpathia (Województwo Podkarpackie), possibly Lesser Poland | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Siedlce (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Siedlcach) ul. Kosciuszko 7 08-110 Siedlce tel: (0-25) 63 225 74 archiw@siedlce.ap.gov.pl |
Masovia (Województwo Mazowieckie), small portion in Podlaskie and Lublin | ✓ | ||
| State Archive in Suwalki (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Suwałkach) ul. T. Kościuszki 69 16-400 Suwalki tel: 566 87 21 67 archiwum@suwalki.ap.gov.pl |
Podlaskie (Województwo Podlaskie) and Warmia-Masuria | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Elk (Polish: Oddział w Ełku) |
Warmia-Masurian (Województwo Warmińsko-mazurskie), possibly Podlaskie | )✓ | ||
| State Archive in Szczecin (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Szczecinie) ul. St. Wojciech 13 70-410 Szczecin tel: (91) 434 38 96 sekretariat@szczecin.ap.gov.pl |
West Pomerania (Województwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch Międzyzdroje (Polish: Oddział w Międzyzdrojach) |
West Pomerania (Województwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Stargard (Polish: Oddział w Stargardzie) |
West Pomerania (Województwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch of the Strzmiele (Polish: Ekspozytura w Strzemielu) |
West Pomerania (Województwo Zachodnio-pomorskie) | |||
| State Archive in Toruń (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Toruniu) Branch and Directorate Square Rapacki 4 87-100 Torun tel: (0-48) (0-56) 47 54 622 archiwum@torun.ap.gov.pl |
Kuyavian-Pomeranian (Województwo Kujawsko-pomorskie) and Warmia-Masuria | |||
| Branch in Wloclawek (Polish: Oddział we Włocławku) |
Kuyavian-Pomeranian (Województwo Kujawsko-pomorskie), possibly Warmia-Masuria | |||
| State Archives in Warsaw (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Warszawie) ul. Curves Circle 7 00-270 Warsaw tel: (00 48) 22 635 92 42 archiwum@warszawa.ap.gov.pl |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie), some in Warmia-Masuria and Łódź | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Grodzisk (Polish: Oddział w Grodzisku Mazowieckim) |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie) and possibly Łódź | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Łowicz (Polish: Oddział w Łowiczu) |
Łódź (Województwo Łódzkie) and possibly Masovia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Branch in Mlawa (Polish: Oddział w Mławie) |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie) and Warmia-Masuria | |||
| Branch in Otwock (Polish: Oddział w Otwocku) |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie) and Łódź | ✓ | ||
| Branch of Pułtusk (Polish: Oddział w Pułtusku) |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie) and Warmia-Masuria | |||
| Branch of Nidzica (Polish: Archiwum Dokumentacji Osobowej i Płacowej) |
Masovia (Woejwództwo Mazowieckie) and Łódź | |||
| State Archive in Wrocław (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe we Wrocławiu) sekretariat@ap.wroc.pl |
Lower Silesia (Woejwództwo Dolnoślaskie) | ✓ | ||
| Branch in Boleslawiec (Polish: Oddział w Bolesławcu) |
Lower Silesia (Woejwództwo Dolnoślaskie) | |||
| Branch in Jelenia Gora (Polish: Oddział w Jeleniej Górze) |
Lower Silesia (Woejwództwo Dolnoślaskie) | |||
| Branch in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki (Polish: Oddział w Kamieńcu Ząbkowickim) |
Lower Silesia (Woejwództwo Dolnoślaskie) | |||
| Branch in Legnica (Polish: Oddział w Legnicy) |
Lower Silesia (Woejwództwo Dolnoślaskie) | |||
| State Archive in Zamosc (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Zamościu) ul.Hrubieszowska 69A 22-400 Zamosc 084 542 10 37 archiwum@zomsc.ap.gov.pl |
Lublin (Woejwództwo Lubelskie) | ✓ | ||
| State Archives in Zielona Góra (Polish: Archiwum Państwowe w Zielonej Górze) Avenue of the Polish Amry 67A 65-762 Zielona Gora tel: 48 (68) 329 98 01 sekretariat@archiwum.zgora.pl |
Lubusz (Województwo Lubuskie) and Greater Poland | ✓ | ✓ |
*This is just the author’s assessment, it may not be accurate. Please verify record coverage by checking the image/index sites.
I am looking for more of my Grandfather’s other two brothers. The last name of my Grandfather was Palka. His first name was Kasimiz Palka and one of his brother’s name was Mieczyslaw. Then my Great-Grandmother’s name was Michalina (Twauski) Palka and my Great-Grandfater’s name was Stanlislaw Palka. I’m wondering it there are any other children / siblings for this family. Where else can I find more information regarding the rest of my family.
Cheryl,
We aren’t professional genealogists but before you hire a professional to help with your research, you might try a few things after you’ve talked to all your family and gathered as many facts as possible:
1. Check the FamilySearch catalog for more online records from Poland or whatever locale you think your grandfather lived in.
2. Check the FamilySearch Community for helps and tips or ask to be put in touch with someone specializing a particular region who can help direct your efforts.
3. Search on the subscription sites at MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com and see if your family names show up in any records or family trees on those sites. You’ll probably need to start a free trial to see the actual record, but to get a list of possible results is always free.
4. Hire a professional with expertise in the region where your family lived. A professional in the area would know what records to look for to trace your family.
We’ll be adding more Polish collections, but not until 2022. We’re focusing on US records for the rest of 2021.
Best with your research,
Alyson
Alyson Please could you advise how I would go about finding my late fathers birth certificate he was born in Przemysl in 1918
Many thanks
I’m not a professional genealogist so I’d recommend you reach out to a genealogist who specializes in Polish records or try the online Polish digital archives to see if they have any birth records available for 1918. These are image only collections and you’ll need to search the appropriate region, image by image: https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/ or http://www.szukajwarchiwach.pl/ I haven’t been able to get the Polish Digital Archive site to come up because of slow load times but perhaps you’ll have better luck.