Poland
The Polish people have suffered through turbulent political conflicts that caused changing borders and jurisdictions in some parts. Some areas were alternately part of Russia, Germany and Austria. Thus, records could be written in a variety of languages. Wars have destroyed genealogical records in some areas. Most residents of Poland are either Catholic or Lutheran, and both churches have excellent records. Jewish residents of Poland were severely persecuted during World War II, and many of their villages and records repositories were destroyed.
Each Polish state has an archive where genealogical records, such as civil registrations, are preserved and made available for public study. Some of these records, as well as Catholic and Lutheran church records, have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The Family History Library is the largest repository of genealogical records in the world. Many of these collections are being digitized and made available online.
The Polish language uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Heritage Consulting has excellent Poland researchers who know the language and read Cyrillic. They have the versatility to read German for the Lutheran records, and Latin for the Catholic records. We also have a professional genealogist who resides full time in Poland, and visits the various state archives facilities there on behalf of our clients. While Polish research is challenging, there is good reason for optimism with a highly skilled professional genealogist on the task.