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Lecture by Adam Bartosik, Kawiarnia Naukowa 1a, 9 June 2016 Genealogy is wrongly associated only with establishing family connections of princely, magnate or royal families. Adam Bartosik spoke at Kawiarnia Naukowa 1a about how each of us can seek information about our ancestors. The historian argued that it is worth researching our roots, even if they are not noble. This is because we are restoring the memory of people who did not have a chance to permanently enter the pages of history. - We have to remember that 80% of people in Mazovia, and 90% in the whole country, were ordinary people. They were townspeople, peasants, Jews, merchants, various colonists, Olenders. People who simply came here, left and we really know little about them. That is, about ourselves - said the guest of Kawiarnia Naukowa 1a. We should start looking for information about our ancestors by interviewing living family members who can point to deceased relatives. Only then can we begin searching for information in archives. The primary source here are parish registers. As the historian said, since the 16th century, information about baptisms, marriages and deaths has been recorded in them. They often also contain information about the profession or cause of death of the people mentioned in them. However, to read them, knowledge of Latin is necessary. In the areas of Poland that became part of the Duchy of Warsaw at the beginning of the 19th century, parish registers can also provide information about people who were not Catholics. Adam Bartosik explained that under the Napoleonic Code introduced in these lands, the parish priest became a civil registrar whose duty was to record information about all people living in his parish, including Jews and Protestants. How to write a history of your own family, how to use the internet for genealogical research, and many other useful information in researching your roots can be learned from the attached film from the lecture. We invite you to watch.