Hiring a Polish Researcher

Not all records are available online yet. If you are in this situation, you may want to consider hiring a professional researcher. They can help you find the documents that organizations have not digitized yet. Since this may be an expensive option, you will need to be specific in your request, and you should try to use researchers recommended by trusted friends or groups. Also, check with one of the Polish genealogy societies for recommendations.  I have used this option when I could not find a birth record for my grandmother and a marriage record for my great-grandparents. I have also asked a researcher to track down living descendants of my grandparents’ brothers to find older pictures of the family and exchange family stories. I found that paying a researcher to find these documents and people was a bargain compared to the travel costs to perform the research myself in Poland.

Other tips in hiring a researcher in Poland:

• Your request should be for specific documents. Please do not ask for a generic search.
• Also, ask how they require payment and be careful with your payments.
• If you are contacting an archive of Polish group, be prepared to send your email or written request in the language of the country. The Polish Genealogy Society of America (PGSA) offers form letters that you can use for these requests. This jester is a sign of respect, and it may generate a more positive response from the archive. I usually send my request in English and Polish.

Another tip is to use books, local genealogy programs, genealogy societies, genealogy conferences, online educational offerings, and social media to sharpen your genealogy skills. Again, once you start your journey, it will probably be a lifelong passion.

“Remember to have fun.”