“Szukaj w archiwach” – service for those looking for
Friends often ask me where to find archival materials.
Some want to start a genealogical search for their ancestors, others need information about a past event.
To start, I recommend the website www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl.
“Search in Archives is a website whose goal is to provide online descriptions and scans of archival materials from state archives and other institutions. This allows you to access many collections without leaving home. Access is completely open – no login required and free of charge.”
SwA is available to anyone, but please remember to read the terms and conditions beforehand, as the website contains materials that may be subject to copyright!
How can you search for materials?
It’s really very simple, because the website’s structure is multi-level, which makes searching much easier:
ARCHIVE — TEAM — SERIES — UNIT
Archive – select the Archive you’re interested in.
Team – this is most often an institution, public or private, but can also be an individual if you’re searching for someone’s legacy.
Series – this is a narrowed topic related to the aforementioned institution or individual, for example, specific organizational units (“administration department documentation” within a given institution).
Unit – this administration department documentation consists of various archival units, such as folders, notebooks, etc. “Normative files of the own unit, 1980-1990.”
Every year, more and more document scans appear on SwA, so there’s no need to schedule a personal visit to the Archive. You can use the comfort of your home.
I wish you fruitful searches,
Aga
