Włodzimierz Bagieński - Population record in South Mazovia from the middle of nineteenth to the middle
of twentieth century


Permanent and temporarily registered residents were subject of compulsory registration in offices of lowest administrative level. Archival materials of local towns and communes' authorities of region Mazovia within historical boundaries are kept inter alia in State Archive of the Capital City of Warsaw - in its head office and remote units.

Archival population record from South Mazovia region landed form 1959 from existing offices to the holdings of State Archive in Góra Kalwaria. This post was cancelled in the middle of 2003 and its holdings now makes up a part of holdings of State Archive of the Capital City of Warsaw, Branch in Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

Of nineteenth century (until 1918) characteristic forms of population record were tomes of permanent and temporary population, set up both, in towns, and in rural communes of South Mazovia - the oldest retained until today is a tome originated in Piaseczno, dated on 1842. Orientation in tomes of population record was facilitated by - sparsely retained until today - alphabetical indexes. Apart from population tomes set up in offices were also checks of foreigners and women. Nineteenth-century population record - likewise other files in Russian authorities - was during World War One removed far into Russia. Prior to it - during "January Upraising" and after - during World War Two, it was many times deliberately devastated by insurgents and guerrilla.

After independence regaining, for relatively long period - nearly till the end of twenties - the principles regarding keeping population record, had not changed. Only from 1928 instead of so-far kept tomes the communes' administration in South Mazovia began carrying on registers of permanent residents, tomes of checking population movements as well as domestic registration books.

Files containing population record from years 1939-1944 and 1944-1951 have not been retained in satisfactory condition. During the first period this documentation in many cases had been destroyed due to war operation. While the files made until the end of 1951 had been taken up by Public Safety Office.

Population record includes general statistical data, so far not applied in historical studies, which allow observing population migrations (inflow from outside is perceptible thanks to records of places of births and dates of changes of residents places). It is irreplaceable source when carrying out investigations into composition and demographic structure of population. It can be useful when verifying data concerning individual citizens, suitable for genealogical studies. In many cases, at lack of materials in family archives, it forms basis of initial data for continuation of inquiries in - older than nineteenth- century population record - material status files.