Commisions & application forms
The Archdiocesan Archives in Katowice
do not make record books available for direct use,
for hobby search of data for genealogy trees.
Record books xeros, photocopies, or scans
are also
unavailable.
The first step before using our Archives’ resources should be checking which of the record books of individual series have been gathered by our Archives. This information can be found in RECORDS SEARCH QUERY section.
Having chosen the deanery, the next step is to choose the village/town/city and the appropriate parish, if there are more than one for the place of your choice (i.e. in Katowice or Chorzów).
After establishing that our Archives have the records you are interested in, you should address the Archives applying to start the search query:
1/ IN PERSON – by visiting the Archdiocesan Archives in Katowice. You will need an ID and any documents showing your DIRECT KINSHIP (i.e. grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.) to the person you are searching for.
2/ BY LETTER – if it is impossible for you to appear here in person, you should address the Archives in a traditional manner (by letter), which is accounted for when you live abroad and cannot come to Poland. As from our experience, it should not be a problem, having done a search query for a person from Australia in this manner.
When it comes to this method, it is obligatory to attach a copy of your ID or passport, confirmed by your local city/town hall or notarised.
3/ BY PROXY – if you live abroad, it is possible for you to appoint proxy (a family member, an acquaintance, or an attorney) to find your ancestors. Such a person should have their ID and a notarised original power of attorney.
It is worth mentioning, that we do not give any personal data to people only related to the searched person in terms of marriage (i.e. in-laws). Being that the case, you should be able to present a court order.
E-mails and phone calls will not be regarded as binding
in terms of starting a search query
and as such will be treated as a clarification of information on a searched person.
When applying for a search query it is also advised to send us (or take with you):
1/ your own genealogy tree
2/ authenticated documents from parish offices or marital status offices, which often convey additional information on your spouse or birthplace – very helpful in terms of parish selection, which may result in shortening the time spent on the search.
ARCHDIOCESAN ARCHIVES’ STAFF ONLY
have the right to
PERFORM A SEARCH IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Your personal data (name, address, ID’s serial number, telephone number, e-mail) and your ancestor’s data (landlord’s/landlady’s) should all be included in the application form.
Check SEARCH QUERY APPLICATION FORMS
genealogic, heritage, ownership
Sealed and signed genealogy trees and certified copies guarantee the data in them to be authentic. Remember that certified copies are made in the language(-s) of the record book of the original. We do not translate them into any other language.
The information from the record books are rewritten with all the mistakes, errors, and abbreviations used in original, i.e.:
Cause of Death: uwi????d starcy [!] the right spelling is „uwi????d starczy”
Stand: Jgf [Jungfern] Jgf – abbreviation describing a miss
Stand: Einl.[ieger] Einlieger – a member of the poorest social class
that lived in the countryside
Name des Täuflings: Neszka Neszka – a local version of the name Agnieszka
CC. LL. - [Conjugum legitimorum] CC. LL. – from a legal relationship (legitimate child)
The Archives’ staff use the “[]” signs to acknowledge the spelling in the certified copy and also to dissolve the abbreviations used in the record book.