 Front cover of A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents 3rd edition | |
| Author | Judith R. Frazin |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Poland |
| Genre | Genealogy |
| Publisher | Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois |
Publication date | 2009 (third edition) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, wirebound) |
| Pages | 472 |
| ISBN | 978-0-9613512-2-9 |
A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents (including Birth, Marriage and Death Records) is a book written by genealogical researcher Judith R. Frazin as a tool to help researchers unlock the meaning of 19th-century Polish language civil records. Many researchers use such tools, including this guide, to help decipher records found in genealogical resources, such as the LDS Church's Family History Library. [1]
Judith R. Frazin has been a genealogist for more than 39 years, and is the author of three editions of A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents.
Polish is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In addition to being an official language of Poland, it is also used by Polish minorities in other countries. There are over 50 million Polish-language speakers around the world and it is one of the official languages of the European Union.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 16 million members and 65,000 full-time volunteer missionaries. In 2012, the National Council of Churches ranked the church as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.5 million members reported by the church, as of January 2018. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Contents
The book includes: A step-by-step guide, which teaches researchers how to divide each document into a series of "mini-documents" so as to make easier the task of understanding what each document says; 7 sample documents with important words and the information which follows these words highlighted; and 15 topical vocabulary lists, such as Age, Family and Occupations, which are composed of words that actually occur in 19th-century documents.
The first edition of the book (1984) [2] was significantly revised in its second edition (1989), [3] which expanded upon the various topical lists and added a listing of numerous given names as found in the relevant records.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, publisher of the book, released a third, revised edition in 2009. [4] Set in larger type, it further expands the topical lists, includes a map, and provides information about census records and how the Polish language works (including an explanation of case endings and name suffixes). The third edition also includes tips on how to locate one's ancestral town and records from that town.
Due to her work on the book, the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) recognized Judith Frazin's contribution to the field of genealogy by selecting her to receive its Wigilia award in 2000. [5] The PGSA's Wigilia Award honors individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to Polish-American Genealogy. [6] An earlier recipient of the award was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for its "efforts to microfilm eastern European records in areas that once belonged to the Polish Commonwealth." [7]
Genealogy is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. Although generally used interchangeably, strictly speaking, "genealogy" begins with a person who is usually deceased and traces his or her descendants forward in time, whereas, "family history" begins with a person who is usually living and traces his or her ancestors.
In July 2010, The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) conferred on her its annual award for "Outstanding Contribution to Jewish Genealogy via the Internet, Print or Electronic Product." [8]
