Polish DNA and genealogy research

Recover the family story that history scattered.

Forgotten Branch combines DNA matches, Polish archives, historical geography, and traditional genealogy to rebuild missing family lines.

DNA evidence Matches, clusters, shared ancestry
Polish records Parish, civil, military, census
A family line, reconstructed
Present day Anna Kowalska
1948 Maria Nowak Marriage record
1945 Jan Kowalski DNA cluster
1892 Zofia Wiśniewska Parish register, Łomża
01

Start with a precise family question.

02

Compare DNA evidence with documentary records.

03

Separate proven facts from plausible leads.

Research services

Built for difficult Polish family questions.

Projects can focus on a single ancestor, an unknown parent line, a lost village, or a broader reconstruction of a Polish family branch.

D

DNA Match Analysis

Organize matches, identify family clusters, and connect genetic relationships to documented ancestors.

  • Shared-match clustering
  • Candidate tree building
  • Relationship hypotheses
A

Archive Research

Search church books, civil registers, military records, indexes, and regional archives.

  • Birth, marriage, and death records
  • Parish and village identification
  • Record translation
R

Family Research Report

Receive a documented explanation of the evidence, conclusions, limitations, and next steps.

  • Source citations
  • Timeline and historical maps
  • Confidence notes

Research method

A clear chain from clue to conclusion.

Every conclusion should be traceable to the evidence supporting it. The research process is designed to make that chain visible.

  1. 1

    Collect

    Names, dates, family stories, documents, DNA platforms, and known locations.

  2. 2

    Test

    Compare records, geography, naming patterns, and DNA relationships.

  3. 3

    Document

    Record the sources, explain the reasoning, and mark unresolved conflicts.

  4. 4

    Report

    Deliver findings in plain language with practical next steps.

Why Polish genealogy is different

The same village may have belonged to several countries.

Polish records can appear in Polish, Latin, German, or Russian. Borders changed, place names shifted, and families moved across regions that no longer exist under the same names.

Effective research follows the historical jurisdiction of the record rather than relying only on modern maps or surname databases.

01

Evidence before certainty

Strong conclusions are distinguished from tentative leads.

02

Privacy by default

Family and DNA information is used only for the agreed research purpose.

03

Plain-language findings

The result is an explanation, not an unexplained pile of documents.

Research inquiry

Start with the oldest person you can name.

Include an approximate date, a possible location, and whether anyone in the family has taken a DNA test.

Email inquiry

Email [email protected] This starter site does not store form submissions on the Raspberry Pi.