This service is open to all Museum visitors who:
- want to deepen their knowledge about their family,
- are searching for their Jewish roots or
- simply want to discover the fate of their ancestors.
You can also order genealogical research without ever leaving your home. We will tailor the type of archival documentation and searched library sources according to your needs.
Genealogical searches can include:
- documentation stored in today’s Poland,
- digital databases from such areas Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania,
- immigration documentation from past and current Polish lands,
- library sources, and
- oral history resources.
Upon receiving your request, we will verify it. We will define your requirements and determine the possibility of finding information about your family. We will then send you an overview of the scope of the proposed research, along with a cost estimate.
The first stage of the search is free of charge. However, we would appreciate you making a donation in support of POLIN Museum’s statutory activities.
Our service is free of charge to Holocaust Survivors and to the Righteous Among the Nations.
To take advantage of our service:
Complete the Contact Form >>
Upon receiving it, a POLIN Museum specialist will conduct the initial research and propose a research plan which best serves your requirements.
After acceptance of the plan, our specialist will send you an Order Form and a payment link.
You will then receive monthly reports containing the results of your search.
At the end of the service, you will receive a package containing all the material which was discovered, together with the specialist’s report. You will meet the specialist online, who will summarise the research carried out for you.
Below are list our genealogy research services. Click to expand the descriptions.
Individual package >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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.
