One of our readers, Debbie, had a question about a town, which she thought might have been in Galicja (“Galicia” in English). And because this is a blog about all things Polish, we’re talking here about the Polish Galicia, not the one in Spain.
Debbie wasn’t sure of the spelling, but luckily, I knew exactly what town she had in mind. Now, what are the odds of that? Huh?
You see, I am a huge fan of Feliks Falk (a well-known Polish movie director) and it just so happens that I read somewhere he was born in a place called Stanisławów (Stanislau). Which just so happens is exactly the place Debbie was looking for.
Stanislau via Google Maps
That’s the good news. The bad news is that now the town is known as Ivano-Frankivsk (or Iwano-Frankowsk in Polish). But until 1962, it had a different name – Stanislau in German, or Stanisławów in Polish. And it’s no longer in Austria. Between 1919 and 1939 it was in Poland, then in the USSR, and these days it’s in western Ukraine. So if someone had been born, let’s say in 1915, and lived all his life in Stanislau/ Stanisławów/ Ivano-Frankivsk, he would have lived in four different countries without ever leaving the town. That’s central Europe for you.
So what’s up with the name? The original one was given the place by a Polish nobleman – Andrzej Potocki to honor his father – Stanisław “Rewera” Potocki, who had something to do with fighting the Swedes during the “deluge” back in the 17th century. The guy liked to fight, apparently. He also defeated the Cossacks once upon a time and battled Russian armies. Now wonder his son named a town after him.
Then in 1962, the Soviets decided to change the name to honor a famous Ukrainian poet – Ivan Franko, who also happened to be born somewhere in the vicinity. At least they had the good sense to rename it after a poet, and not a revolutionary, because then in the 1990s it would have to be changed again. And as such, the name stuck. Ivano-Frankivsk, formerly known as Stanislau.
It actually looks like a very agreeable town, and I wouldn’t mind visiting it when I’m in Ukraine.
As an aside, I’ve already mentioned that Feliks Falk was born there, now I see that the little town was quite productive when it comes to performing arts. Zbigniew Cybulski (Polish James Dean) and Anna Seniuk (better known as Magda Karwowska from “Czterdziestolatek” – a famous Polish TV series) were also born in Stanisławów.
Image courtesy of Jewishgen Shtetlinks
Comments:
Asia:
Z góry przepraszam za komentarz niezwiązany z tematem.
Niedawno informowaliśmy, że Pani blog znalazł się na naszej liście 100 najlepszych blogów o języku i to na 6. pozycji!(www.lexiophiles.com/top100-language-blogs), dziś chcielibyśmy krótko tylko dać znać, że nasz portal-matka bab.la od czwartku oficjalnie istnieje również w polskiej wersji językowej, może zainteresuje to Panią lub Pani czytelników, to w końcu portal dla miłośników języków obcych, podobnie jak ten blog.
Oto link: bab.la
Będę wdzięczna za wszelkie komentarze, uwagi, sugestie i konstuktywną krytykę 🙂
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
Asia
Anna:
Hi Asia!
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, I suspect that most of my readers here can’t understand your message. So here it is in English:
“Your blog has been included in the top 100 of the best language blogs (and at number 6 no less!):
http://www.lexiophiles.com/top100-language-blogs
and today I’d like to let you know that our parent site bab.la is now also available in Polish. I hope this will be of interest to you and your readers, as it’s a site for language lovers, much like this blog. Here’s the link:
bab.la
I’d be grateful for all comments and suggestions. thanks!”
OK guys, so now go over to bab.la and spread some love. I already checked it out and I like it.
😉
Asia:
Hi Anna!
Thank you so much for your translation and nice words about bab.la (http://bab.la). I really hope your readers will enjoy our website.
Your blog is really impressive, good luck for the future!
All the best,
Asia
Debbie:
thanks so much for all the information!!
Anna:
Hi Debbie!
You’re welcome! Glad I could help! 🙂
Kat:
I have been searching for weeks (months) and I am still so confused about Stanislaw. Imagine my excitement reading your site and hoping all the mix up would be clear. Wrong again. I am beginning to think it is just my ‘mind’ but determined to one day find exactly where my grandmother lived as a young girl.
What I have is – Stanislaw, Austria, (Ellis Island records of three family members at different arrival dates – all said the same)
I know there is a Stanislaw Dolny and a Stanislaw Gorny and a Sw. Stanislaw. How will I ever determine which is the correct one?
Thank you
Halina:
Very interesting article about Stanislawow; my dad was born there and I would love to find out more about him. Is there any way to find brith certificates from that area. He was born in 1912. Bit of a challenge to find anything about him as I dont have any family contacts.
Franciszka:
Hi Halina
My Dad was born in Tarnopol, woj Tarnopolskie, not far from Stanislawow and I obtained his birth Certificate with this Archive in Warsaw which I have listed below. When you get his birth certificate it will give his parents names. On my Dad’s it gave which street/house number he was born at. After you get your Dad’s birth certificate then you can then get your grandparents because you will then have their names off your father certificate and so on…. go down the line to their parents etc, etc…..Once you reach family members born/married more than 100years ago, then you can go to the LDS library nearest library close to your home town and order films for Stanislawow and look at the records on mirofiche. Do you know where in Stanislawow your family came from or were they born in Stanislawow town it’s self? I’ve listed all the places in the Stanislawow region for you below.
GOOD LUCK!!
Urząd Miasta Stołecznego Warszawy
Wydział Archiwum
ul. Smyczkowa 14
Adres02-678 Warszawa
e-mail usc@warszawa.um.gov.pl
————————————————————
Bednarów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Bednarów (Stanisławów)
Bryń (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Bryń (Stanisławów)
Błudniki (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Błudniki (Stanisławów)
Chorostków Polski (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Chorostków Polski (Stanisławów)
Chryplin (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Chryplin (Stanisławów)
Ciężów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Ciężów (Stanisławów)
Czerniejów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Czerniejów (Stanisławów)
Dehowa (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Dehowa (Stanisławów)
Delejów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Delejów (Stanisławów)
Dorohów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Dorohów (Stanisławów)
Drohomirczany (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Drohomirczany (Stanisławów)
Dubowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Dubowce (Stanisławów)
Halicz (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Halicz (Stanisławów)
Hanuszowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Hanuszowce (Stanisławów)
Horocholina (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Horocholina (Stanisławów)
Hryniówka (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Hryniówka (Stanisławów)
Iwanikówka (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Iwanikówka (Stanisławów)
Jamnica (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Jamnica (Stanisławów)
Jezupol (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Jezupol (Stanisławów)
Komarów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Komarów (Stanisławów)
Kozina (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Kozina (Stanisławów)
Kołodziejów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Kołodziejów (Stanisławów)
Kryłos (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Kryłos (Stanisławów)
Kurypów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Kurypów (Stanisławów)
Lachowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Lachowce (Stanisławów)
Majdan (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Majdan (Stanisławów)
Marjampol Miasto (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Marjampol Miasto (Stanisławów)
Meducha (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Meducha (Stanisławów)
Międzyhorce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Międzyhorce (Stanisławów)
Niewoczyn (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Niewoczyn (Stanisławów)
Opryszowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Opryszowce (Stanisławów)
Ostrów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Ostrów (Stanisławów)
Pawełcze (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Pawełcze (Stanisławów)
Perłowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Perłowce (Stanisławów)
Pitrycz (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Pitrycz (Stanisławów)
Pobereże (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Pobereże (Stanisławów)
Podgrodzie (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Podgrodzie (Stanisławów)
Podłuże (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Podłuże (Stanisławów)
Pukasowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Pukasowce (Stanisławów)
Radcza (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Radcza (Stanisławów)
Rybno (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Rybno (Stanisławów)
Sapahów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Sapahów (Stanisławów)
Siedliska (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Siedliska (Stanisławów)
Sielec (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Sielec (Stanisławów)
Siemikowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Siemikowce (Stanisławów)
Sokół (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Sokół (Stanisławów)
Stanisławczyk (Brody)
Poland, Tarnopol, Stanisławczyk (Brody)
Stanisławczyk (Łopatyn)
Austria, Galizien, Stanisławczyk (Łopatyn)
Stanisławice (Bochnia)
Austria, Galizien, Stanisławice (Bochnia)
Poland, Kraków, Stanisławice (Bochnia)
Stanisławowo (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki)
Poland, Warszawa, Stanisławowo (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki)
Stanisławów
Poland, Stanisławów
Stanisławów (Mińsk Mazowiecki)
Poland, Warszawa, Stanisławów (Mińsk Mazowiecki)
Stanisławów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Stanisławów (Stanisławów)
Stanisławów (powiat)
Poland, Stanisławów, Stanisławów (powiat)
Stebnik (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Stebnik (Stanisławów)
Subotów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Subotów (Stanisławów)
Temerowce (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Temerowce (Stanisławów)
Tustań (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Tustań (Stanisławów)
Tyśmieniczany (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Tyśmieniczany (Stanisławów)
Uhorniki (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Uhorniki (Stanisławów)
Uhrynów Dolny (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Uhrynów Dolny (Stanisławów)
Wiktorów (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Wiktorów (Stanisławów)
Wodniki (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Wodniki (Stanisławów)
Wołczków (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Wołczków (Stanisławów)
Wysoczanka (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Wysoczanka (Stanisławów)
Zagwóźdź (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Zagwóźdź (Stanisławów)
Załukiew (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Załukiew (Stanisławów)
Łany (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Łany (Stanisławów)
Łesiówka (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Łesiówka (Stanisławów)
Łysiec (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Łysiec (Stanisławów)
Łysiec Stary (Stanisławów)
Poland, Stanisławów, Łysiec Stary (Stanisławów)
Peter:
Hi , Ladies .
I’m from Stanislaw ( Ivano-Frankivsk ) , live in Chicago .
My son still live with family in Stanislaw .
So he can try to help with information , church records , hotel , transportation .
Paul Winton:
My father was born in Stanislawow on the 29th of October 1915.His parents were Edward and Tekla Wolczek.From what I remember he had two sisters.Can anyone help me trace my Polish family.
Marvin Zweier:
My wife and myself whose parents were born in Stanislawow(Dniester River area) and Kolomyla(Prut River Area),iVano-Frankovsk oblast province, have been trying to get to there birth city area’s, and need help how to travel to these two raea’s. They came to the United States in the 1920’s. I have my mothers passport, and ship document written in Polish but cannot translate as we only speak English. We would be traveling from Northern Italy, a city called Brescia to get there. WE need themost economical means to travel there and have sleeping accomodation for 3-4 days. Any help or referrals anyone can provide us would be most helpful. If a tour guide is available,they would have to be able to speak to us in English. Thank you for your suggestions and help.
Monica (Niederhoffer) Bloxam:
What an amazing site! I too am trying to trace my family history. My father was born in Stanislawow in 1911. I believe my grandmother (Regina Kern) was also born there but am not sure. My husband and I are planning a trip to the area next year – driving from London. Any hints, tips, ideas on how to trace the family history. Hope to do the same for my mother (Leontina Auerbach, born Faurei, Putna, Romania) during the same trip. We’d love to find private bed and breakfast accommodation. Ideas anyone? Monica
sand bertish:
Marcus Zusman Bertish and Fiege Bertish my great great granparents were born there in the early 1800 . most interesting to hear about there town being in 4 countires over these years
thyank you for the info
this message comes from Spain
Debbie:
My daughter found this site for me & I am very excited reading the posts. I am just starting a search of my Father’s family. My grandfather, Solomon Julius, was born in Stanislalow, Austria in 1896. I do have an old photo album w/pictures of his Father & Mother & my grandmother wrote the last name as Yankef, so I’ll have to search both names. Thanks to everyone who posted info. to help in where to look, it is greatly appreciated!
Bar:
@Debbie Solomon or (Salomon)
Bar:
@Debbie Solomon or (Salomon)
Spelling correction
bar:
@Debbie Hi Debbie Yankef is a nickname for Julius. Solomon (or Salomon) is the family (last) name. you might find alot more information on http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/
Best of luck on your search!
Carolle:
I am confused. There appear to be 2 Stanisławów:
There is present day Ivano Frankivsk in Ukraine which you describe in this post: 48°56′ / 24°43′
Is there not another Stanisławów in present day Poland near Warsaw ? 52°18′ 21°33′
I am researching the roots of my Polish great grandfather.
Irv Osterer:
Hi Carolle
My mother in law Evelyn is from the Stanislowow near Warsaw. She is 93 years old and very, very sharp. She may have known your great grandfather.
Feel free to email me irvosterer@rogers.com
Michelle:
Thanks for your information. My grandparents were born and raised in Stanislau, Austria-Hungary in the late 1880s. They left there in the days preceding WWI, but left many family members behind. On October 12 1941 the Jews included most of those in my grandparents families were rounded up in a Nazi Aktion and wantonly slaughtered. If anyone has informationregarding the family Izenberg or Eisenberg (spellings may vary) please reply to this post.
Kathie Lopez:
My grandfather’s citizenship papers show he is from Czerniejow Stanislau Austria. I saw the name of this city at the Holocaust Museum today as being wiped out of their Jewish population.
Bruce Berman:
My grandmother was born in 1890 in Stanislowie and came to the U.S. in 1905.
During that time what country was Stanislowie in?
marion Myrosz:
Desperately trying to trace husbands paternal family. His father was born in Wodniki not sure if that’s the Ukraine or Poland old Czech Republic.
He was prisoner of war from age 19 and relocated in Gloucestershire UK. Only had one sister, believed to have ended up in United States but never saw any of his family again.
Would love to trace birthplace and visit.
Tony Jasinski:
Hi, Im currently trying (without too many leads) to trace my fathers place of birth. He was born in 1933 im told in a place called Kremidow (not sure of the actual spelling) SE Poland at the time and he tells me the nearest large town that he remembers was Stanislawow. I now understand it to be in the Ukraine. Whilst I can track Stanislawow and the general area i cannot see any sign of a Kremidow? Any suggestions?
Miroslaw Jasinski:
@Tony Jasinski Hi. My father Michał Jasinski was born in 1930 in a present Ukraine ,village Kremidów about 20 km SE of Halicz and about 60 km from Ivano-Frankowsk formerly Stanisławów.
Tony Jasinski:
@Miroslaw Jasinski Dear Miroslaw,
Firstly my apologies for not replying sooner. When I last posted my initial message in Oct 2016 I kept checking for some time but there was little response until now!
Sadley my father passed away in September last year aged 83. He was the last of 5 Children, three brothers ( Antic, Jan and Stan and a sister called Stefanie.
Im very intriged, but did you mean that your father Michal was born 3 years earlier in the same village? and that said would mean that we could be related? The other information is also very useful as I would very much like to visit the area some time in the future if it were possible! Miroslaw if you are in a position too I would be very happy for you to contact me, I live in the UK and my email address is tonyjasinski@hotmail.com Any further info that you may have would be very useful and I would very much appreciate it. Again many thanks for making contact. Very goods news.
Regards and best wishes
Tony
Ron:
@Miroslaw Jasinski I have just started my search for information about Kremidow. Until yesterday I had no idea my mother was from there. Her Name was Hanna Wiener, Daughter of Karl Wiener and Rose or Reizel Brod Wiener. She was born April 10, 1928. She had 2 older sisters Elza and Nesha. I’m not sure of the spellings of the first names. Incredibly my mother survived the Holocaust, but as far as we know, she was the only survivor.
Any suggestions for locating records about family would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Tony Jasinski:
@Ron Hi Miroslaw,
Very interesting to hear about your mother too. Unfortunately her maiden name and those of her sisters are not familier to me but I am limited to any past history.
I do know that my father was deported to Siberia at the age of 6 (1939?) with his mother and the children.
His mother was also called Rose (or Rozelia?) and dad was called Joseph but unfortunately he was killed when my father was very young. I never knew my grandparents! but I am lead to belive that my grandfather was an Officer of the Polish Army and when retired they took possession of a farm in Kremidow and became farmers!
Could you please clarify that your father Michal Jasinski was born in Kremidow in 1930 three years before my father? and who was his father?
Apologies for the questions but I am facinated to find out more and that you were kind enough to point me in the direction of Kremidow.
Kind regards
Tony
Halina Footner:
What a wonderful site. Can anybody help me to locate my mother’s parents. My mother, Helena Hohol was born 4 July 1925 at Horoholina in the shire of Stanislawow. Helena was the daughter of Piotr and Anna Hohol. They also had 2 older sons. Anna’s maiden name is Ostapiszek. Helena’s mother (Anna) died not long after Helena was born. Helena was adopted by neighbouring farmers with no official papers. She was adopted by Maria Petrus. I have no information on Maria Petrus’s early life except that she was a neighbour of the Hohols, who kindly offered to look after Helena after hearing that her mother had recently died. I believe Helena’s 2 brothers and father were killed during the second world war. I do know that my mother and Maria Petrus were sent to Siberia in either 1939 or 1940 and survived that ordeal. Can anyone help me trace my Polish family.
Kim:
@Halina Footner Hi Halina
My grandmother Elzbieta Trelinska (born Plachecka) ( born in 1918 was also sent to Siberia in 1939/40 . She then managed to get to Teheran with with 5 younger orphan girls.I wondered if the name would ring a bell with your mother. There were so few that made it alive. a month ago I contacted a genealogist in Poland and hopefully he will be able to prove me with more info at the end of the month. he should be able to get your mothers birth certificate, they have amazing record keeping systems.
Kind regards
Kim (Morze) Finkelstein
Halina Footner:
Would appreciate any information on any traces of my family.
Bar:
@Halina Footner Hi Kim you may want to Google Teheran children these were orphans who were saved during the war and the the rescue operation was called. Teheran Children. Check out ancestry.com and Jewishgen.com
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60835 Good luck!
Bar:
@Halina Footner Hi Kim you may want to Google Teheran Children. these were orphans who were saved during the war and the the rescue operation was called. Teheran Children. Check out ancestry.com and Jewishgen.com
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60835 Good luck!
Bar:
@Bar In addition check out Teheran Children 50th year reunion and video clips
http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/a-tehran-child-in-passaic/
Marty Hershock:
Hi All.
Please excuse my broad post but I am hoping that someone here might be able to assist me. For many years I have been struggling to extend my knowledge of my Polish ancestors back across the Atlantic to Europe. Unfortunately, I have had little success to date. I am hoping that someone out there might be able to provide me with some guidance to move my query forward.
My grandfather, John (or Jan), purportedly arrived in the U.S. on May 6, 1901 (there is no official record of his doing so and family lore has it that he was a maritime fireman and jumped ship in New York City). His family name is recorded in various ways. He went by Hershock in the U.S. most of the time but the name Hucak and Hurcak can also be found, the latter in particular as it shows up in his Declaration of Intention documents and that is the spelling that he claims as his baptismal name. He claims to have been born on May 8, 1874 in Strzelce, Galicia, Austria to parents Karel and Anna (last name unknown as she dies when he was an infant). The nearest large city is listed as Stanislaw. He is also said to have had a sister, Karolina (married name Sztewczuk) who was settled in Bayonne, NJ (USA) before he arrived in 1901. He lists his nationality as Polish and spoke Polish as his primary language. It is said that he also spoke German and that he served in the army.
My grandmother, Mary/Marie/Marya Louise Barsz/Barszcz is said to have arrived in the U.S. sometime in 1903. She was born in Krzemienica, Galicia, Poland, on September 8, 1881. I know that she had a number of siblings but the only name I have is for her sister Frances. She and my grandfather married in 1904.
The family first settled in NJ (USA) from 1904-1915, then in PA (USA) from 1915-1918, and then made its way to Detroit.
I would welcome any information that any of you might offer relative to either family or the towns that they came from. Thanks for reading through all of this and for any help that you might be able to provide.
Peggy:
I’ve been told my grandmother was from “Yasien, Galicia”. She came to the U.S. as a child in 1905. However, I can’t find any information regarding this town except for some indications in other records (census, etc.) that it may have been near “Stanislau-Austria Poland”. Has anyone here ever heard of Yasien? (or anything that sounds like “Yasien”?).