Hvordan finne Polsk/jødisk slekt før 1940?

[Vibeke Slaattun]

Jeg har kommet til ett bomvei i sporene etter slektninger fra Polen før 1940, de var også jøder. Jeg kan ikke polsk , kanskje de var fra daværende Tyskland? hvor skal jeg starte, siste sporet jeg har er fra dokumenter jeg fikk fra Bad Arolsen arkivet i Tyskland som stopper i 1941. Siste spor jeg har er at de bodde i en Getto i Sosnowiec. 

 

All hjelp tas i mot med stor takk!

 

[Per.H.Skaug]

Her er noe jeg har funnet ved å bruke kunstig intelligens, det gir noen svar som kanskje kan hjelpe litt på vei. Om ikke annet kan det gi noen holdepunkter for å starte (jeg har ingen erfaring med hverken Polsk eller Jødisk genealogi, så vet ikke om det også finnes andre og bedre kilder=.

 

Jewish ancestry in Sosnowiec (formerly Sosnowitz)

Sosnowiec, Poland (historically known as Sosnowitz), had a vibrant Jewish community for centuries before the Holocaust, and many people today can trace their ancestry to this city. 

 

Before World War II

• Jewish settlement in Sosnowiec began in the mid-19th century.
• The community grew rapidly alongside the city's economic development, driven by coal mining, industry, and trade.
• By 1939, the Jewish population reached approximately 28,000, accounting for 22% of the total population.
• Jewish communal life flourished, with synagogues, schools (including a high school and a Talmud Torah), a Jewish hospital, and various cultural and political organizations like Zionist movements and the Bund. 

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Holocaust

• The Holocaust tragically decimated the Jewish community of Sosnowiec.
• Thousands of Jews were confined to the Sosnowiec Ghetto and forced into labor camps.
• The majority of the population was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp between 1942 and 1944.
• A few hundred Jews who remained in hiding were eventually deported or murdered.
• Only a small number of Holocaust survivors remained in Sosnowiec after the war, most of whom emigrated shortly after. 

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If you are researching your Jewish ancestry in Sosnowiec, several resources can help:

• JewishGen: The website JewishGen provides a Yizkor book (memorial book) for the Sosnowiec community, offering historical information and lists of individuals.
• Yad Vashem: The Yad Vashem website contains a database of Holocaust victims and survivors, which may include individuals from Sosnowiec.
• Archives and genealogical societies: Consider contacting relevant archives and Jewish genealogical societies in Poland, Israel, or other countries where descendants of Sosnowiec Jews may reside. 

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Note: The Jewish Museum and Synagogue in Auschwitz (Oświęcim) preserves the Jewish heritage of the nearby region, which includes Sosnowiec, and may be a valuable resource for those researching their family history

Endret August 3, 2025 av Per.H.Skaug

[Per.H.Skaug]

Her er det mere info og flere mulige kilder:

 

1. Archives

• Polish State Archives: These archives hold vital records (births, marriages, deaths) that can be crucial for establishing familial connections.
• Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw: This institute also houses non-microfilmed records that may be relevant to Sosnowiec.
• The Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (Jerusalem, Israel): This institution holds a vast collection of documents and records pertaining to Jewish history, including those from European communities.
• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (USA): YIVO has a collection of records from over 1,500 landsmanshaftn (Jewish benevolent societies organized by town of origin). Searching their ArchivesSpace toolbar with "Sosnowiec" can reveal relevant records.
• Family History Library (Salt Lake City, USA): The LDS (Mormon) Family History Library contains a large collection of microfilmed Jewish records from Poland.
• USHMM Collections (USA): The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum includes resources related to the Holocaust, survivors, and victims which may mention individuals or families from Sosnowiec.
• Ancestry.com and Cyndi's List (USA): These websites offer searchable databases and indexes of resources related to Jewish genealogy. 

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2. Jewish genealogical societies

• Jewish Records Indexing-Poland (JRI-Poland): This is an ongoing project to create an online database of indices to 19th-century Jewish records from Poland, including those from Sosnowiec.
• Jewish Genealogical Societies (Global): Various local Jewish genealogical societies, many affiliated with the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) can provide support and resources for tracing ancestry.
• The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) (Israel): IGRA focuses on creating databases from records found in Israel related to Jewish communities, both within and outside the country.
• JewishGen: A global platform with extensive databases, research tools, and resources, including the JewishGen Family Finder, which can help connect researchers with others tracing ancestry from Sosnowiec.
• Routes to Roots Foundation (USA): This organization focuses on Jewish and civil records in Eastern Europe. Their database allows searching for records based on locality. 

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3. Other considerations

• Holocaust Records: Given the tragic history of the Sosnowiec Ghetto and the subsequent deportation of Jews to Auschwitz, consulting Holocaust-related records is crucial. The USHMM and other Holocaust remembrance institutions offer valuable resources.
• Landsmanshaftn Records: Landsmanshaftn, or Jewish benevolent societies, were often formed by individuals from the same town or region after immigrating. These records may contain valuable information on Sosnowiec families.
• Oral History: Interviewing living relatives and other descendants of Sosnowiec Jews can offer valuable clues and personal narratives.
• Yizkor Books: Memorial books published by former residents of Jewish communities commemorate those lost in the Holocaust. Some Yizkor books may contain information on Sosnowiec, according to JewishGen.