Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Writing /Publishing

I'm a professional genealogist specializing in Poland and the lands of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - today's Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus. I conduct comprehensive, from-the-ground-up family research in original archives, working with records in Polish, Russian, Latin, and German, and present my findings as narrated family histories rather than bare lists of dates.

Many of the families I work with are Americans, Canadians, and others whose ancestors emigrated from these lands in the 19th and 20th centuries. My work has been welcomed by the Polish-American genealogy community: I've presented a webinar for the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast, and my articles have been translated and published in Gen Dobry!, one of the longest-running Polish genealogy publications in the United States.
 

My focus is comprehensive family history research and narrated family chronicles - not citizenship or inheritance cases, standalone documents or translations, or searches for living relatives.

About me

I've worked professionally in genealogy for over a decade. I trained at the University of Silesia and the University of Economics in Katowice, and I'm a founding member of the Association of Polish Professional Genealogists, a member of the Polish Genealogical Society, and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Since 2021 I've lectured on "Genealogy: Theory and Practice" at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw — the only postgraduate genealogy program in Poland.

My own family research has traced nearly 3,000 relatives and more than 400 ancestors, reaching documents from the late 16th century. In 2013 I founded More Maiorum, Poland's only genealogy magazine, which I continue to edit and where historians, regionalists, and researchers publish their work. My research and the magazine have been featured across Poland's leading press and national television, including the Polish editions of Forbes and Newsweek.

I also collaborate with trusted genealogists across Poland and beyond its borders, so I can reach records wherever they are held.

Geographic Specialities
The lands of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus, including the historic regions of Galicia and the eastern borderlands (Kresy), and the areas of the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian partitions. I also trace ancestral origins from U.S. immigration records back to their exact place of origin in these lands.

Testimonials
The report’s highly clear and narrative style deserves special mention. The combination of hard demographic data with a broad historical context – everyday life, social status, the realities of Galicia, oppression and migration – means that the report is not merely a list of dates, but a fully-fledged account of the family’s history.

A major advantage was the consistent inclusion of house numbers and social status, as well as the incorporation of maps and illustrations, which makes it much easier to visualise the surroundings in which our ancestors lived. The translations and explanations of the Latin entries are clear and easy to understand, even for those who are not professional genealogists.

The greatest satisfaction came from discovering the continuity of my family’s settlement and property in a single village over many generations. This completely changed my perception of my family’s history — from an anonymous village to a family with deep-rooted ties to the land. It was also deeply moving to trace ancestors involved in the events of the Galician Massacre and to document the fate of my great-grandfather in General Haller’s Army.

I was afraid that the research would amount to nothing more than a few records without any broader context. However, the report showed that, with the right methodology, it is possible to broaden the perspective significantly, even in the face of gaps in the sources.

Marcin Ryndak
Chicago, USA

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Alan Jakman of More Maiorum played a key role in locating and evaluating genealogical documents for my research project. He worked with records in German and Polish and gained access to important documents, such as birth and marriage certificates from the early 20th century and the late 19th century, from what were formerly German territories and are now part of Poland. Without the help of a Polish-speaking researcher, I would not have been able to locate and analyse these documents. Alan Jakman was able to sketch out family trees and identify missing family members based on relatively scant information. His detective work was indispensable for gaining a better understanding of my family’s origins, identity and position in society. Furthermore, Alan Jakman worked under difficult conditions, with limited access to archival materials during the pandemic and under considerable time pressure. I am immensely grateful for his services.

Dr Petra Rau
Norwich, UK

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I’m absolutely delighted! Excellent work! I believe that knowing one’s roots and family history is an important legacy that shapes one’s identity and brings the family together. What’s more, it’s important academic research.

Adam Wudarczyk
Warsaw, PL
 

Research Time Periods

• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century

Languages

• Communication / correspondence: English, Polish.
• Research / document reading: Polish, Russian, Latin, German.

Affiliations

Association of Polish Professional Genealogists (Stowarzyszenie Polscy Profesjonalni Genealodzy)
Polish Genealogical Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne)

I am a lecturer in the only postgraduate studies in Poland "Genealogy: Theory and Practice" at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.

Degrees
Master's Degree