r/prawokrwi

Great-Grandparents: 
* Date married: 1925
* Date divorced: N/A
GGM: 
* Date, place of birth: Poland 1906
* Ethnicity and religion: Polish Baptist
* Occupation: housewife/homemaker
* Allegiance and dates of military service: N/A
* Date, destination for emigration: 1929 Canada
* Date naturalized: 1956
* Date, place of death: 2003 Canada
GGF: 
* Date, place of birth: Poland 1905
* Ethnicity and religion: Polish Baptist
* Occupation: Farmer/labourer
* Allegiance and dates of military service: Polish Military 1927-1928
* Date, destination for emigration: 1929 Canada
* Date naturalized: 1938
* Date, place of death: 1995 Canada
Grandparent: 
* Sex: female
* Date, place of birth: Canada 1940
* Date married: 1958
* Citizenship of spouse: Canadian
* Date divorced: N/A
* Occupation: Homemaker
* Allegiance and dates of military service: N/A
(If applicable)
Date, destination for emigration:
Date naturalized:
Date, place of death:
Parent: 
* Sex: Male
* Date, place of birth: 1960 Canada
* Date married: 1982
* Date divorced: N/A
You: 
* Date, place of birth: 1991 Canada

Any experts here think I have a promising case for citizenship by decent.
Great Grand father born in Poland 1905
Great Grand mother born in Poland in 1906
I have original copies of their Polish passports that confirm they were born in Poland.
Great grandfather served in the Polish army from 1927-1928. I have his military hand book.
Both immigrated to Canada in 1929
My grandfather naturalized in 1938
My grandma was born in 1940
My great grandma became a citizen of Canada in 1956
My grandmother and my father and myself have not held government positions and have not worked in the military.
I did read something about from 1920-1951 children took on the citizenship of their father. So if my grandma was born in 1940 and her father naturalized in 1938 would that break the chain? Her mother didn't become a citizen until 1956. 16 years after my grandma was born.
I also read that if my grandfather wasn't officially discharged from the military he was kept in the reserves and possibly remained a polish citizen even after obtaining his Canadianship. Any experts here that goon chime in?
Join the conversation

I’m soooo close to being able to ship my documents. I’m waiting for 1 more that will hopefully arrive any day now. 🤞🤞🤞🤞 I’m probably overthinking this but after all that work I want everything to arrive without issue.

I’ve put together all the documents in a 14in x 11.5in document mailer that is a little less than 1 lb. Is that the best way to package everything?

I was pricing out options and FedEx is about $250 and arrives a week later. UPS is $150, DHL is $210 and Pirate ship (UPS label) is $85-$100 and they all arrive in about 3 days. Is it really worth paying more or will Pirate Ship work?

Any other tips for shipping? Things you wished you knew?

Thanks!

Edit to clarify Pirate Ship uses UPS.

Great-Grandparents: 

* Date married: Unknown between 1901 and 1905

* Date divorced: None

GGM: 

* Date, place of birth: Rydisco Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: Catholic

* Occupation: Farmer/Housewife

* Allegiance and dates of military service: None

* Date, destination for emigration: Unknown (returned to Mlodow, Poland in 1908)

* Date naturalized: Don't think she was.

* Date, place of death: Don't know the date, but somewhere close to Mlodow, Poland.

GGF: 

* Date, place of birth: Don't know, but guessing around Mlodow Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: Catholic

* Occupation: Farmer and musician

* Allegiance and dates of military service: None

* Date, destination for emigration: We think in 1901, but returned to Mlodow, Poland in 1908.

* Date naturalized: Don't think he was.

* Date, place of death: Unknown; he and my GGM both died in Poland after 1920.

Grandparent: 

* Sex: Male

* Date, place of birth: Massachusetts

* Date married: 1933

* Citizenship of spouse: US

* Date divorced: Never

* Occupation: Farmer/Laborer

* Allegiance and dates of military service: None

(If applicable)

• Date, destination for emigration: Exercised Birth Right USA citizenship in April 2024.
• Date naturalized: Never
• Date, place of death: 1972, Massachusetts

Parent: 

* Sex: Male

* Date, place of birth: 1941, Massachusetts

* Date married: 1961

* Date divorced: Never

You: 

* Date, place of birth: 1968, Massachusetts

Appreciate any insight. Did some researching first and I know that the 1919 emigration date and pre 1951 marriage may be issues. Thanks!

Great-Grandparents: 

* Date married: 28 Oct 1923, USA

* Date divorced: NA

GGM: 

* Date, place of birth: 19 Mar 1906, USA

* Ethnicity and religion: ? , Catholic

* Occupation: house wife

* Allegiance and dates of military service: n/a

* Date, destination for emigration: n/a

* Date naturalized: listed as USA citizen on death cert

* Date, place of death: 27 Sep 1963, USA

GGF: 

* Date, place of birth: 20 Feb 1904 Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: Ethnicity (?) Catholic

* Occupation: Coal Miner

* Allegiance and dates of military service: none known

* Date, destination for emigration: 1919 > USA

* Date naturalized: uncertain, between 1930/1940 US census

* Date, place of death: 1 Nov 1979 USA

Grandparent: 

* Sex: F

* Date, place of birth: 17 Mar 1925, USA

* Date married: 31 Mar 1947

* Citizenship of spouse: USA

* Date divorced: NA

* Occupation: housewife

* Allegiance and dates of military service: NA

Parent: 

* Sex: M

* Date, place of birth: 2 Feb 1952, USA

* Date married: 23 Aug 1980

* Date divorced: NA

You: 

* Date, place of birth: 24 Nov 1987 USA

All the NPRC could send me was his final pay voucher that shows he served for 3 years and was discharged in September of 1945 at the convenience of the Government (AR615-365).

County clerk does not have a copy of his DD214.

I'm assuming it is completely impossible to prove his military service?

GGGM: Born September 1868 in Posen Poland, emigrated to the USA, married a US citizen prior to my GGM’s birth, unknown if she ever became a US citizen. Both parents of this ancestor were Polish, born in Poland.

GGF: Born November 24, 2894 in England, emigrated to the USA, served in the Canadian Army during WWI, married my GGM in 1918, currently unknown if he ever became a US citizen.

GGM: Born April 8, 1900 I’m the United States, married in 1918 and consequently lost her US citizenship due to marrying a foreigner (she involuntarily became a British subject upon marriage), it is currently unknown if/when she regained her US citizenship and by what means.

Grandfather: Born March 25, 1927 in the United States, served in the US Navy 1945-1946, married in February 1948 to a German woman who naturalized as a US citizen just prior to my mother’s birth.

Mother: Born June 24, 1950 in the United States, married in August 1972 and never divorced.

Me: Born April 13, 1980 in the United States.

I can't believe I have to reiterate this again, but we don't allow AI for the simple reason that it doesn't understand the laws and misleads users into drawing incorrect conclusions.

Not many (living) people understand these laws either, but of the few that do, a decent chunk of them are in here. Ask them, not the bot.

Thanks for your cooperation and support.

Hey everyone,

I’m at a major crossroads regarding my roots, and I’m looking for some honest perspectives from people who might understand the emotional tug-of-war I’m currently in.

Here is my situation: I grew up in Germany, and my family life was complicated. My parents divorced very early, which left a lot of gaps and unspoken history in my upbringing. However, I’ve always carried one undeniable connection to my heritage: a very traditional, distinctly Polish last name.

Driven by a need to fill those family gaps, I fell into genealogy. I’ve been doing extensive family research for over 20 years now—essentially half my life. I’ve built a massive tree, hired professional researchers, and spent countless hours tracing my lineage.

The main anchor of my research is my great-grandfather. He was born and raised in Poland, worked hard in heavy industry, and lived there until around 1919 before relocating to Germany. It’s through his line that I qualify for Polish citizenship by descent. Recently, I even hired a legal firm in Poland to start preparing the administrative process.

But now that the application is within reach, I’m hesitating. I’m asking myself: Am I doing this for the right reasons, and is it worth the final push?

Here is the conflict:

• The Identity Gap: Despite my last name and my 20 years of historical research, I don’t speak Polish. Growing up in Germany after my parents' divorce meant I was entirely disconnected from the living culture. Sometimes, looking at the application makes me feel like an imposter.
• The Symbolic vs. The Practical: Since I already live in Germany, I don't need the passport for freedom of movement or legal benefits. It would be a 100% emotional and symbolic decision—the ultimate, tangible closing of a chapter after two decades of searching for my family’s story.
• The Bureaucratic Exhaustion: Proving a lückenlose (unbroken) line over generations with strict authorities, old legal loopholes, and certified translations is incredibly draining.

Has anyone else with a strong family name but zero language skills gone through this process? Did getting the official citizenship make you feel more connected to your roots, or did you realize that the 20-year journey of discovering your family's history was already enough?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

There seems to be some applications on there with not much movement. I see why this would be - and for obvious reasons - they will remain like this for quite some time.

However, do you (mods) think, for the sake of the curious on here, that we could have a “most recent update” and “date updated” section?

Just an idea for now but we could post a comment on the mega thread where people have posted the tracker details? I am happy to potentially chip in somewhere and contact people directly. I would seek permission for any involvement first before doing so.

I feel this would help visualise the process that we go through and what stages are involved. Understandably it would do nothing for timing as each case is individual. But without being too specific in the description, it could give those who are waiting a taste of what to expect and interestingly what other people are going through.

Will it be possible to confirm my citizenship in my situation? Or will it be impossible because my grandparents didn't choose Polish citizenship and remained in the Ukrainian SSR? I'm not sure about the karta polaka because my grandfather declared himself Ukrainian, even though he never had one in his family. As far as I understand, my mother has the right to repatriation, but I haven't found any information anywhere about whether her adult child can go with her.

Great-Grandparents:

* Date married: January 18, 1958

* Date divorced: -

GGM: Teklya

* Date, place of birth: February 12, 1934 Tylicz Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: I can't say for sure, but her last name is Krynytska. But grandma said that her mother-in-law was polka

* Occupation: idk

* Allegiance and dates of military service: -

* Date, destination for emigration: fled from the war in October 1939, Slovakia. November 1941, Stanislav region, Ukrainian SSR.

* Date naturalized: I don't know when exactly, but she was definitely a citizen of the USSR.

* Date, place of death: -

GGF: Ivan

* Date, place of birth: February 1934, Dolina, Stanisła Voivodeship

* Ethnicity and religion: Pole, Roman Catholic

* Occupation: idk

* Allegiance and dates of military service: USSR 1952

* Date, destination for emigration: -

* Date naturalized: After the annexation in 1939, he received USSR citizenship

* Date, place of death: -

Grandparent:

* Sex: m

* Date, place of birth: January 1957. Lugansk

* Date married: 1978

* Citizenship of spouse: USSR

* Date divorced: 1993

* Occupation: idk

* Allegiance and dates of military service: USSR 1975

(If applicable)

Date, destination for emigration:-

Date naturalized:-

Date, place of death:-

Parent:

* Sex: f

* Date, place of birth: 13.04.1985 Khabarovsk

* Date married:-

* Date divorced:-

You:

* Date, place of birth: 13.09.2007 Moscow

Hello. I filled out a form on another sub and was told that I do qualify for citizenship by descent. My great-grandfather was born in Warsaw in 1902 and lived there until leaving for America in September, 1922. He was Jewish. I was told by JHI that there is no birth record of him using the name (the name he used in Poland vs. the Americanized name he took on arrival) and his father's name that he listed on his ship passenger list, most likely due to the war. However, many other people have this same obstacle because the destruction of records was so wide-spread, yet still manage to prove lineage and residency. How? I'm stumped. Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi all, I was recommended to join this by someone in a shared group on Facebook for pre-1920 partition information. Maybe there is hope for me, maybe there is not - that's why I'm here. I fear I am one generation too distant for citizenship confirmation but I'll let the experts decide please. At the time (2005), Karta Polaka was not available to obtain. I grew up, life happened, and now I am hoping to find my ties back to Poland so I can continue to teach my children (my teenager is currently making his family tree and took his DNA testing). My family passed down the language and cultural traditions all the way to my father but my father did not learn the language fully to pass onto me sadly so I am learning the language on my own with a tutor. Dziękuję

Great-Great Grandparents: 

* Date married: 1901?

* Date divorced: N/A

GGGM: Jozefa Mroczek

* Date, place of birth: May 15, 1881 in Gumniska/Dębica, Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: Polish, Roman Catholic

* Occupation: Homemaker

* Allegiance and dates of military service: N/A

* Date, destination for emigration: 1899 to the US

* Date naturalized: First Papers only, October 1926

* Date, place of death: May 3, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois

GGGF: Jannes/Jan Jajo

* Date, place of birth: April 17, 1875 in Gumniska or Kraków, Poland (conflicting info?)

* Ethnicity and religion: Polish, Roman Catholic

* Occupation: Farmer, Roller for a steel mill

* Allegiance and dates of military service: N/A

* Date, destination for emigration: 1901 to the US

* Date naturalized: First Papers only, possibly 1926 as well

* Date, place of death: December 24, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois

Great-Grandparent: Stanley Jajo

* Sex: Male

* Date, place of birth: November 19 1921, Michigan

* Date married: September 7, 1946, Chicago Illinois

* Citizenship of spouse: American

* Date divorced: N/A

* Occupation: Press operator for an auto parts shop

* Allegiance and dates of military service: N/A

(If applicable)

• Date, destination for emigration:
• Date naturalized:

Grandparent: Roxanne Jajo

* Sex: Female

* Date, place of birth: June 30, 1952 in Michigan

* Date married: Unknown at this time

* Date divorced: Unknown

Parent: James McDowell

* Sex: Male

* Date, place of birth: July 1971 in Michigan

* Date married: N/A (he and my mother did not marry, he married someone else later on)

* Date divorced: N/A

You: 

* Date, place of birth: Aug 10 1989 in Flint, Michigan

Good afternoon,

My name is Nicoli and I am researching my Polish ancestry in order to apply for confirmation of Polish citizenship by descent. Below is the information I have gathered so far about my family lineage, including the records that I have already located in Polish archives and genealogical databases.

My Polish lineage comes from both my great-grandfather's and great-grandmother's descendants, both on my mother's side.

The lineage is as follows:

On my great-grandfather's side (Sperling)

My great-grandfather's mother:

1. Marianna Skowrońska
   Born in 1858 in Karolinów, parish Jeruzal (Skierniewice region), Poland.

Her parents were Jakub Skowroński and Marianna Kowalska. I located the baptism record in the Polish genealogical database (Geneteka), with the following details:
- Year: 1858
- Record number: 17
- Parish: Jeruzal

I have a reference to the record and the archive where the original book is located.

My great-grandfather's father: (Marianna's husband)

1. Reinhold Sperling
   Born in 1853 - Turek, Polsko
   His parents were Karl Philipp Sperling and Agata Sperling

From this point forward, the rest of the lineage is documented with Brazilian civil records.

My great-grandfather:
2. Luiz Sperling
Son of Reinhold and Marianna
Born in 1898 in Brazil.

My grandmother:

3. Regina Sperling Soares
   Daughter of Luiz Sperling and Verônica Potrykus
   Born in 1932 in Brazil

My mother:

4. Rita Mara Sperling Soares Pires Born in 1968 in Brazil.

Me:

5. Nicoli Sperling Pires
   Born in 2001 in Brazil

Reinhold and Marianna came to Brazil by ship in 1890. They already had 3 children when they came, along with their children.

Reinhold did not become a naturalized Brazilian citizen.

——————————————————

And the lineage on my great-grandmother's side:

My great-grandmother's mother:

1. Paulina Bereza Denko
   Born in 1878 in Poland
   Her parents were Adam Denko and Albina Bereza

My great-grandmother's father (Paulina's husband):

1. Alexsander Potrykus
   Born in 1873 in Poland
   His parents were Johann Potrykus and Mathilde Plotka

Johann Potrykus
Born in 1848 in Przodkowo, Pomeranian region (near Gdańsk), Poland.

I found the indexed birth/baptism record in the Geneteka database with the following details:
- Year: 1848
- Record number: 5
- Parish: Przodkowo

I also located the indexed marriage record of Johann Potrykus with Mathilda (Matylda) Płotka, with the following details:
- Year: 1873
- Record number: 1
- Parish: Przodkowo

These records indicate the exact parish books where the original documents are stored.

From this point forward, the rest of the lineage is documented with Brazilian civil records.

My great-grandmother:
2. Veronica Potrykus
Born in 1900 in Brazil. She was the couple's first daughter.

My grandmother:

3. Regina Sperling Soares
   Daughter of Luiz Sperling and Verônica Potrykus
   Born in 1932 in Brazil

My mother:

4. Rita Mara Sperling Soares Pires Born in 1968 in Brazil.

Me:

5. Nicoli Sperling Pires
   Born in 2001 in Brazil

Johann and Mathilde came to Brazil with their children in 1891. At the time of their arrival in Brazil, Alexsander was 17 years old.

According to the information I have found, Aleksander did not register his birth in Brazil, which suggests that his birth was only recorded in the Polish parish records.

———————————————————-

At the moment, I have already located references to the following Polish records:

- Birth record of Johann (Jan) Potrykus – 1848 – Parish Przodkowo
- Marriage record of Johann Potrykus and Mathilda Płotka – 1873 – Parish Przodkowo
- Birth/Baptism record of Marianna Skowrońska – 1858 – Parish Jeruzal

These records appear in the Polish genealogical database and indicate the parish books where the original documents are stored in the Archiwum Państwowe w Gdańsku.

My goal is to confirm whether this lineage would qualify for confirmation of Polish citizenship by descent, considering that the ancestors emigrated from Poland before 1920.

I would appreciate your evaluation of the case and advices

GGM:
Date, place of birth: 1915 (probably Austro-Hungary)
Ethnicity and religion: Polish, Jewish maybe German
Occupation: Unknown
Allegiance and dates of military service: None
Date, destination for emigration: 1950→ USA
Date naturalized: After 1950 (exact date unknown
Date, place of death: 1988 USA Michigan

GF:
Date, place of birth: Dec 5 1936, Stanislawow Poland (Currant day: Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine)
Date married: 1960-70s
Citizenship of spouse: USA
Divorced: yes
Allegiance and dates of military service: United States, Air Force late 50s early 60s
Date, destination for emigration: 1950 New Orleans
Date naturalized: naturalized but unknown
Date, place of death: May 4, 2026 USA

Parent:
Sex: Male
Date, place of birth: 1976, USA
Date married: [optional]
Date divorced: N/A

You:
Sex: Male
Date, place of birth: 1997, USA

I believe I might be eligible for a Polish citizenship, but I am missing birth records for my grandpa and great grandmother. I’m very new to this so any advice would be greatly appreciated on where to start and where to spend my time. Or If I’m even eligible. Thanks in advance!