For many years, the Resource Center at POLIN Museum has provided support to all the visitors searching for their roots and wishing to rediscover the life stories of their ancestors, build family trees, or deepen their knowledge of local history of Jews in specific locations within the borders of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Center staff boasts many years of experience in genealogical research and in working with archival resources. In response to numerous queries we receive regarding genealogical research, as of June 2021, we are introducing a new family history research service at the POLIN Resource Center.
You may now approach us to request research into the genealogy of your family without leaving your home. Before we begin, we will determine the scope of genealogical study with you and carry out a free-of-charge preliminary search to establish the accessibility of the information available on the history of your family. We select the type of archival documentation and library resources to meet the requirements of your specific search.
Within the offered packages, we search:
- documentation held in Polish archives;
- digital databases containing archival sources from the territories of e.g. Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, as well as documentation on immigrants from Poland within both its present-day and pre-WW2 borders;
- library sources
- oral history resources.
The service we provide within the offered packages include thorough archival and library research of materials in Polish, Russian, and German.
How can you use our service?
- Fill in the contact form >>
- Based on the *provided information about your ancestors, our specialist will carry out preliminary research and will recommend a package that is best suited for your query,
- Fill in the order form sent out by our specialist and make the payment,
You will be kept up-to-date on the results of our research in monthly reports. Within the time frame agreed upon in the Terms and Conditions, you will receive a packet of materials we will have discovered, including a summary and a historical overview of the resources.
Individual package: USD 500 >>
The service is addressed to people who already have some knowledge on their ancestors but want to fill in the gaps, discover missing information, find new facts from the family history. If you have carried out a genealogical research before, but your research has stalled – this is the package for you. It provides you with the opportunity to commission a search for specific information about your ancestors in the selected archival resources.
Before starting our cooperation, you will be offered a free-of-charge consultation based on which we will determine the viability of the assignment and decide which archival sources may be included in the scope of the research. The type and scope of documentation will be selected based on your past research and individual preferences.
As part of the package, you will receive:
- search report containing a list of recovered materials
- scans of recovered materials
- translation of the materials
- ongoing contact with a consultant.
Standard package: USD 1,750 >>
We will search for direct ancestors of one person (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., not including their siblings).
You will receive:
- search report containing a list of recovered materials
- ancestry visualization – a family tree
- scans of recovered materials found
- translations of materials
- a written overview of the family history with historical, social and geographical context and visual materials – up to 10 pages.
In the course of our genealogical research, we keep in touch with our customers and send them monthly reports on our work.
Within the standard package, we search:
- vital records – the most important source for family research, allowing us to discover basic information about your ancestors: dates and places of birth, marriage, death, names of parents, children, spouses
- in the absence of vital records for the persons you are looking for, we search the population register for the most important information about your ancestors.
Extended package: USD 3,500 >>
We will search for direct ancestors of one person (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., not including their siblings). In addition, we will look for information on collateral members of your family (up to 10 people).
You will receive:
- search report containing a list of recovered materials
- ancestry visualization – a family tree
- scans of recovered materials
- translations of materials
- ongoing communication with the researcher
- a written overview of the family history with historical, social, and geographical context and visual material – up to 20 pages.
Within the extended package, we search:
- vital records – the most important source for family research, allowing us to discover basic information about your ancestors: dates and places of birth, marriage, death, names of parents, children, spouses
- other archival documentation, including but not limited to:
- population censuses
- school and university records
- passports and identity cards
- documentation from the Holocaust period
- documentation on acquisition of citizenship
- records of religious communities
- court records and notary deeds
- business registers
- military records
- electoral registers
- staff lists
- cadastral records
- real estate cadastre
- maps and plans.
In the course of our genealogical research we keep in touch with our customers and send them monthly reports on our work.
Premium package: 5,000 USD >>
We will search for direct ancestors of one person (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., not including their siblings). In addition, we will look for information on collateral members of your family (up to 20 people).
You will receive:
- search report containing a list of recovered materials
- ancestry visualization – a family tree
- scans of recovered materials
- translations of materials
- a written overview of the family history with historical, social, and geographical context and visual material – up to 30 pages.
Within the premium package, we search:
- vital records – the most important source for family research, allowing us to discover basic information about your ancestors: dates and places of birth, marriage, death, names of parents, children, spouses
- other archival documentation, including but not limited to:
- population censuses
- school and university records
- passports and identity cards
- documentation from the Holocaust period
- documentation on acquisition of citizenship
- records of religious communities
- court records and notary deeds
- business registers
- military records
- electoral registers
- staff lists
- cadastral records
- real estate cadastre
- maps and plans.
- library sources, including:
- press materials (obituaries, advertisements, announcements)
- address books and telephone directories
- professional directories and registers (e.g. doctors, lawyers, teachers)
- directories, shematisms (statistical compilations), and calendars
- regional publications (monographs of towns, cemeteries, institutions)
- biographical and geographical dictionaries
- journals and memoirs
- albums with archival photographs.
In the course of our genealogical research we keep in touch with our customers and send them monthly reports on our work.
Please note:
None of the packages include DNA testing or creating family websites.
