by Gene Maas

Archival research in Poland can be a rewarding experience if you are well prepared

and make advance reservations before arriving at the archive. It also requires patience to deal with the language problems and an unfamiliar bureaucracy. Based on my experience at the State Archive in Szczecin, I would recommend having a Polish-speaking interpreter accompany you on your first visit.

The archive is very security conscious and foreign visitiors must leave their passports with the receptionist before passing through a locked entry. Cameras and bags are not allowed beyond this point and have to be placed in lockers before one proceeds to the reading room on the second floor.

The reading room is open weekdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (6:00 pm on Monday). There are no entrance fees or charges to see the archival materials. Information can be extracted from church books and other materials by hand but one is personally prohibited from making facsimile copies of any kind. The Archive will make photocopies for a substantial fee.

This article is a brief excerpt from Die Pommerschen Leute (The Pomeranian People), a quarterly newsletter designed for people who have an interest in Pomeranian ancestry. Click here for more information.