What does it mean to be from Russia Poland on a birthcertificate circa 1908?

Question

Specifically looking for regional information from that time period that might help me identify my husband's grandfather's heritage.

Ok, actually when I looked up his name on ellisislandrecords.org (if it was him ) it listed Russia Poland. But on the actual birth certificate it lists Russia as my husband's maternal great -grandparents birthplace.The names are Szwonckoski (Great Grandfather) and Mary Rejdel or Rijdel. The grandfather was born here in the US in Holyoke MA 1911.

Answer 1

In the 1800s, Poland was partitioned between Prussia (which became part of Germany in 1871), Austria-Hungary and Russia. The Russian partition was in the eastern part of the country and extended into Lithuania (which was part of the Polish Congress before the partition) and the Ukraine. It won't help you narrow down where he was from all that much because there were 1.2 million people living in the Russian partition, which was everything from Warsaw east.

If you want to give us the information you have on the Polish parent listed on the birth certificate (name, DOB, where they lived in the US, spouse's name, religion, etc) we'd be glad to see what we can find.

BTW, because the Russians treated the Poles as veritable slaves, they were the last of the three groups of Poles to emigrate. Most came over after the 1906 immigration reforms and their Declarations of Intent and Naturalization petitions are full of juicy information...including hometown, parents' names, other relatives living in the US, etc. It would be the first place you'd want to search for more information on them.

Answer 2

Genevieve is right. Poland ceased to exsit as a nation as it was divded up by Russia, Prussia and to a lesser extent by Austria. I have ancestors that came from Prussian Poland. Warsaw for instance was under the rule of Russia and then it was changed to Prussia. Therefore they lived under both Russian and Prussian rule.

The Treaty of Versailles brought Poland back into national existence.

Also, from oral family history via my Jewish maternal grandfather, Genevieve is correct, the Russians were terrible overlords. After Warsaw came under Prussian rule, life was much better.
The Hohenzollerns had a sense of duty and responsibility to their subjects that the Tsars did not have.

Answer 3

It seem one parent was Russian and one was Polish, thus the birth certificate proves "Dual-Citizenship". I assume this be your Husband's Father? So, the Grandfather was either Russian or Polish and his wife the other? I not good at Family Tree stuff, but, your going to need to trace back what Birth Certificates you have to obtain more names to search.

Answer 4

Are you sure it wasn't Prussia. I believe Prussia split into Germany and Poland long ago. I have one ancestor from that area. I am not that good with history tho.

Answer 5

Poland, was at one time, occupied by Russia--Poland was also known as Prussia during that time.