On September 29, 1939, Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union as a result of an agreement signed by the German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and the Soviet Premier Molotov. This called for Poland to be divided approximately along the Warthe River. One of the terms of this agreement was that German ethnics were to be relocated from the Russian area to the German area. As this was being done, all those who claimed German ethnicity were interviewed and given travel papers. These resettlement records are stored at the Berlin Document Center and are available on microfilm at the Family History Centers of the LDS church. Each film contains several thousand entries, giving the primary individual and his or her immediate family. If the record is for a married male, it will give the name of the wife and her family as well. If the record is for a married female, it usually does not give the name of her spouse, but will often contain the names of any minor children. The data include date and place of birth, occupation, parents place of birth and sometimes the date of birth, where the parents may have died and the date and place of marriage.

The database is a partial extraction or indexing of these films. This is only a very small percentage of the total records, and information may not be totally accurate. The accuracy is dependent upon the memory of the individuals and the spelling abilities of the transcriber. Some towns have many different spellings since the interviewer would write down the name as he heard it. A town with as simple a name as Brigidau has at least four different spellings, while the town of Przeczow has even more.

This partial extraction was made by Steve Stroud, president of the organization "Galizien German Descendants" in preparation for a file indexing of these films. There are 64 films, each containing many records, with each record containing at least three names and as many as 20. Many entries are for Galician Germans, but there are also many others from Russia, Bukowina, Wolhynia, Bohemia, Ukraine, Romania and other areas. The purpose of this extraction is to get an idea where family surnames come from and the towns covered in the films. About 20 volunteers are currently indexing the films. If you would like to participate in the indexing of these films, please contact Steve Stroud at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Betty Wray at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you would like to join the Galizien German Descendants, which publishes a quarterly newsletter pertaining to the history, culture and life of Galicia and the descendants thereof, a subscription to the newsletter is $15 per year in the US and Canada and $18 overseas. If you wish to subscribe, send a check or money order to:

Betty Wray, Editor
2035 Dorsch Road
Walnut Creek, CA
94598-1126

If you would like to obtain the certificate number on which a person appears, contact Steve Stroud at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by mail at

Steve Stroud
653 Douglas Ave.
Elgin, IL
60120

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