Heritage · Genealogy
Find Your Polish Relatives
Tracing your Polish ancestry is often the first step toward the Karta Polaka or Polish citizenship — and a journey worth taking for its own sake. While we prepare our own guides and tools, these resources will get you started.
Where to start your research
AncestorRecords.org
Convenient access to a wide range of genealogical records — birth, service, census, marriage, death, and more — to help you trace your family roots and build a family tree. A helpful starting point for finding records related to your ancestors.
MyHeritage
Build your family tree, upload and browse photos, and search billions of historical records. MyHeritage also offers DNA testing and supports many languages, making it easier to connect with relatives worldwide.
Geneteka
A free index of over 47 million birth, marriage, and death records from more than 4,500 Polish parishes and civil registries, built by volunteer genealogists. Search by surname and region to find where your family lived — the classic first stop for Polish research.
Szukaj w Archiwach
The official portal of the Polish State Archives: around 85 million scans of original documents — vital records, censuses, maps, photographs — free to browse. Once Geneteka tells you where to look, this is where you see your ancestors’ actual records.
Discover your Polish roots
Watch Peter, one of Janusz’s students.
Peter explains how to research your Polish roots using genealogical websites, archival resources, and local record offices — where to start, how to interpret records, and tips for connecting with Polish relatives.