Metrical books currently missing from the Przemyśl diocese

English version of the note: 

https://spisypoddanych.blogspot.com/2023/03/ksiegi-metrykalne-obecnie-zaginione-z.html

The topic is not related to the main line of the blog, but in some way explains why the lists of subjects often remain the only way to learn the genealogy of ancestors in the Podkarpacie region.   

Added on September 22nd 2023:

Sławomir T. Nowak help was very important for achieving the results presented below.

We managed to confirm the statements of L. Weirauch and his secretary regarding the transportation of metrical records from Krakow to Coburg in 1945. Therefore, it can be assumed that other facts related to this matter are also true in their testimonies.

Chronology:

• August 1944 - The removal of records from Sieppenstelle Krakau "to the Reich," with Max Kassbacher mentioning in private conversation that they were taken to Karpacz.
• After August 1944 - The new headquarters of Sippenstelle Krakau is established in Janowice Wielkie.
• March 1945 - One railcar containing records from Sippenstelle Krakau arrives in Coburg.
• November 1945 - Report from the intelligence of the US 3rd Army about vital records located in Coburg.
• March 1946 - Commissioning the transport of metrical materials from Coburg to the "Monuments Fine Arts and Archives" collection point in Bamberg.
• March 20, 1946 - Lt. Albright transports metrical materials from Coburg to Nuremberg using two trucks.
• March 21, 1946 - Lt. Albright transports the remaining materials using two trucks.
• May 1946 - K. Estreicher's restitution transport arrives from Nuremberg to Krakow, including 68 crates of metrical records from Sippenstelle Krakau.
• November 1946 - The Polish side requests the return of 80 crates of vital records found in Coburg.
• February 1947 - Information is sent to the Polish side about the transfer of vital records found in Coburg to the collection point in Bamberg.
  

 

PDF with polish request:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n9XZYkMtLCdexCqFpGcoQBZVKvQQQPir/view?usp=sharing

Information from the National Archives of Poland (ANK) regarding metrical records brought from Nuremberg in May 1946:

 

Possible scenarios, considering the information mentioned above (from the most probable):

A) The "Przemysl" vital records went missing in Coburg in 1945 or early 1946.

B) Another place of removal for the vital records – a third transport (Karpacz, as mentioned by Max Kassbacher in August 1944, or an entirely different location).

C) Destruction or looting during transport to Brzeg or while storing the metrical records in Brzeg – the least likely possibility. I am creating a list of all metrical records taken from Lwów to assess the percentage of material lost (for crates numbered 4, 5, and 32, over 90% of the material survived the war – so far, no identification of the disappearance of records from the entire crate except for the "Przemysl" records).

Falsification of hypothesis (A) through a thorough query in the records of the US 3rd Army (especially locating the report from November 24, 1945, and possibly others related to the interrogation of L. Wierauch by the CIC). Falsification of hypothesis (B) through a query at the Karkonoskie Museum in Jelenia Góra and, if necessary, the records of the State Archives in Wrocław, branch Jelenia Góra. Supplementary queries at the National Archives.

The obtained information, in brief:

Determining the place of export (one of the places?) of records from Krakow to Coburg and confirming the survival of metric materials (Professor B. Musiał assumed that L. Weirauch lied and destroyed the metrics, "Deutsche Zivilverwaltung und Judenverfolgung im Generalgouvernement," 1999, page 322). At least one crate of documents was not returned to the Polish side by the Americans; there is a discrepancy of 68 crates returned – according to some documents (Polish side's request from November 1946) 80 crates were found.

Added on July 16th 2023:

Complete list of pre XIX century metrical books from Przemysl Dioclese in Lwów Archive made by Baranietzki:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IYxGGPN0nMM7qshn0XZALlo5d97gy_J7/view?usp=drive_link

With green colour    marked metrical books return which are now in Archidioclese Archive in Przemysl, that books were returned by Germans in 1943 (probably by mistake).

List of 804 metrical books which were transported by Germans from Lwow to Krakow in march 1944 (and all of them are now missing):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ceAVuDhnY-EA8SnjmQ8ueNeDdXBoFEZvtdpo7XM3vqA/edit?usp=drive_link

Added on July 15, 2023:  

If you want to support my activities by financing the planned searches in the German archives (Bundesarchive Koblenz in the first place), I would like to ask for a donation:  

https://zrzutka.pl/g2zp5s  

The materials of Baraniecki's catalog currently in AN Kraków, reference number 29/427/74, contain a list of record books stored in Lviv plundered from the Przemyśl Diocese Archives.  The red underline probably marked the books that arrived in Krakow in the March 1944 transport, photos to download from my google drive:  

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q7hJ00MSmQZnsuRyzdxtRqdbZpZ6FduJ?usp=drive_link

 

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kwolek, before 1939, the Diocesan Archives in Przemyśl gathered a large collection of metrical books from the pre 1772 period. 

 

Metrical books collected by Dr. Kwolek were looted by the Soviets in 1940 along with the entire archive of the Przemyśl diocese. Placed in Lwów which was in 1941 conquered by Germany. That metrical books were included in the collection of the Archives in Lwow and then around 1942/3 in the Metrikenstelle Lamberg. On the order of Dr. Randt (German General Goverment Archive head), they were sent on March 21, 1944 to Sippenstelle Krakau, where they arrived without loss (other files of Metrikenstelle Lamberg in May 1944 were taken to Rabka and in autumn 1944 to Brzeg, where they survived the war). The files from the Metrikenstelle Krakau were probably taken to the Sudety Mountains (Jannowitz) at the end of August 1944, and then in March 1945, probably to Coburg in Bavaria, and from there, at the end of the war (April 1945), probably to Nuremberg. There the trail ends. 

 

Almost all metrical books that were in the diocesan archives before 1939 are now lost. Books of marriage banns and non-metrical files have been preserved. Below is a packaging list in Lwów from March 1944. That metrical books are not currently in the Archive - the last certain place of storage and date is March 27, 1944, Krakow. I have some clues (quite strong) but still based on the testimonies of employees of the German GG administration, who for various reasons did not always tell the truth. I am afraid that it is highly probable that these lost records were destroyed (in the spring of 1945) - however, there is no evidence or even circumstantial evidence for this. A complete and accurate list of lost record files looted from the Archives of the Diocese of Przemyśl during World War II is being prepared by S. Nabywaniec, W. Ziobro with whom I exchange materials - this list is to be added to the catalog of war losses (http://dzielautracone.gov.pl/).  

 

In the list below, the number of books is incorrect, it was created at an express pace, hence these minor mistakes (Rudolowice was also incorrectly entered).  More information is in the Branietzki inwentory - books missing are that ones which were received in Krakow in 1944 (underline by red colour):

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q7hJ00MSmQZnsuRyzdxtRqdbZpZ6FduJ?usp=drive_link 

 

It should also be noted that the books mentioned here after 1784 with reference numbers beginning with D (last items) were transported between March and August 1944 to Rabka, from where, together with other books, they went to Brzeg where they were discovered in the autumn of 1946 - currently they are stored in the AGAD and AP Przemyśl.  

 

Photos below are from CDIAL, Lwów /755/1/285, an identical copy of the export list is also in ANK, Kraków.

Note from 27 march 1944 -  last sure information regarding the place of storage of currently missing metrical books.

Below order of displacement of metrical books issued by Dr Randt on 11th of March 1944.

Signature number	Parish	Start date	End date	Vol.	Remarks
384-392	Przemyśl	1636	1777	11
410-413	Albigowa	1661	1784	4
416-419	Babice	1602	1777	4
422-419	Bachorzec	1718	1816	2
425	Baligród	1718	1816	1
430-433	Bieliny	1662	1778	4
439-441	Bieździedza	1694	1785	3
443-446	Biroza	1696	1802	4
455	Blizne	1727	1776	1
458-459	Błażowa	1738	1778	2
462	Blozew	1648	1747	1
464	Boguchwała	1619	1759	1
467-471	Bóbrka	1660	185	5
474-477	Bruchnal	1701	1785	4
484-486	Brzozów	1688	1784	3
506	Brzyska	1739	1777	1
508-509	Chmielnik	1662	1777	3
520-521	Cieklin	1683	1777	2
523-533	Czudec	1649	1785	11
543-547	Czukiew	1682	1785	5
570-575	Dobrzechów	1647	1805	6
577-580	Domaradz	1744	1785	4
584	Drohobycz	1729	1784	1
587-596	Dubiecko	1631	1784	10
600-602	Dublany	1696	1776	3
603	Winniki	1746	1777	1
608	Dudynce	1778	1784	1
610-616	Dukla	1635	1781	17
628-631	Dynów	1701	1776	4
641-647	Dzikowiec	1675	1806	7
653-654	Felsztyn	1681	1777	2
657-658	Futoma	1703	1774	2
662-663	Gac	1895?	1770	2
669	Giedlarowa	1753	1786	1
674-682	Głogów	1684	1796	9
685-691	Gniewczyna	1658	1777	15	15 for two inw from Gniewczyna
693-700	Gniewczyna	1753	1786
706-707	Gogołów	1657	1772	2
709-712	Golcowa	1590	1784	4
716-721	Gorzyce	1678	1787	6
727-729	Grabownica	1676	1790	3
735-736	Grębów	1768	1775	2
744-751	Grodzisko	1708	1784	8
758	Handzlówka	1777	1784	1
761-763	Harta	1714	1783	3
766-767	Hartlowa	1597	1780	2
769	Hoczew	1633	1756	1
771-774	Humniska	1697	1784	4
779-782	Husaków	1617	1785	4
787-789	Hyzne	1703	1815	4
795-799	Izdebki	1615	1782	5
805-806	Jaćmierz	1719	1786	2
809-839	Jarosław	1616	1780	31
879-888	Jasienica	1621	1785	10
893-895	Jasionów	1666	1784	3
897-899	Jaśliska	1631	1785	3
905	Jasło	1717	1749	1
908	Jawornik	1778	1812	1
921-917	Jaworów	1630	1828	6
921-927	Jezowe	1721	1784	7
934-936	Kalwaria	1688	1793	3
938-939	Kańczuga	1687	1724	2
944-945	Klimkówka	1654	1776	2
951-957	Komarno	1651	1785	7
964-966	Kombornia	1684	1777	3
968	Korczyna	1764	1783	1
971-972	Kosina	1727	1777	2
975-978	Kraczkowa	1658	1781	4
985-987	Krasiczyn	1635	1784	3
995-997	Krasne	1657	1784	3
1000-1001	Krosno	1701	1784	2
1021-1025	Krościenko	1603	1789	3
1029-1035	Krezmienica	1659	1777	7
1051-1052	Krzywcza	1677	1778	2
1059-1060	Laszki	1604	1733	2
1064-1067	Leszawa	1636	1850	4
1070-1081	Leżajsk	1636	1786	2	sygnatury przepisane jak w inwentarzu
1101-1103	Lesko	1663	1784	3
1105	Lubatowa	1622	1777	1
1109-1114	Lubenia	1676	1784	6
1117-1119	Lubla	1610	1835	3
1121-1122	Lutcza	1653	1779	2
1124-1135	Łańcut	1633	1784	2	sygnatury przepisane jak w inwentarzu
1140-1141	Łanowice	1612	1784	2
1144-1149	Łączki	1649	1774	6
1158-1164	Łąka	1684	1805	7
1169-1170	Łężyny	1731	1778	2
1180	Łubienko	1636	1784	1
1183-1185	Majdan Kolbusz.	1756	1786	3
1187	Majdan Sien.	1716	1786	1
1190-1191	Malawa	1720	1786	2
1193-1196	Manasterz	1678	1777	4
1198-1201	Markowa	1657	1776	4
1205-1209	Medenice	1705		5
1223-1231	Miechocin	1593	1784	9
1235-1236	Miejsce	1770	1785	2
1245-1247	Milczyce	1650	1785	3
1257-1262	Mościska	1665	1786	6
1278-1282	Mrowla	1765	1786	5
1284-1287	Mrzygłód	1662	1805	4
1290	Myslatycze	1777	1784	1
1293-1294	Niebieszczany	1716	1777	2
1296-1299	Niebylec	1683	1776	4
1304-1310	Nienadówka	1666	1815	7
1315-1318	Niewodna	1663	1786	6
1320-1324	Niżankowice	1627	1781	5
1338-1341	Nowe Miasto	1754	1786	4
1343-1346	Nowosielce przewor.	1673	1784	4
1352	Nowosielce Koz.	1744	1784	1
1354-1356	Nowotaniec	1693	1786	3
1359-1362	Nozdrzec	1635	1817	4
1365-1368	Odrzykoń	1603	1817	4
1371	Osiek	1720	1751	1
1373	Osobnica	1784	1797	1
1376-1377	Ostrow	1763	1784	2
1384-1386	Pantalowice	1705	1777	3
1390	Pnikur	1685	1772	1
1392-1393	Pniew	1665	1785	2
1396-1404	Polana	1710	1787	9
1407	Poraz	1701	1770	1
1409-1410	Pruchnik	1720	1776	2
1421-1447	Przeworsk	1619	1785	27
1458-1462	Przewrotne	1730	1785	3
1458-1462	Przybyszówka	1628	1786	5
1466-1468	Przysietnica	1698	1787	3
1471-1472	Pysznica	1726	1781	2
1475	Raclawice	1659	1735	1
1481-1484	Radoysl	1728	1786	4	Radomyśl
1487	Radymno	1721	1786	1
1489-1499	Ranizow	1656	1818	11
1504-1506	Rogi	1636	1812	3
1590-1510	Rokietnica	1721	1784	2
1514	Równe	1713	1778	1
1521-1527	Rozwadów	1733	1858	7
1531-1535	Rudki	1682	1784	3
1540-1542	Rudolowice	1692	1784	4
1552	Rumno	1690	1786	1
1554	Rybotycze	1606	1786	1
1558-1562	Rychcice	1659	1784	5
1568-1570	Rymanów	1647	1776	3
1576-1585	Rzeszów	1661	1786	10
1597-1607	Sambor	1571	1782	11
1617-1625	Sanok	1705	1808	9
1632-1636	Sarzyna	1686	1814	5
1642-1644	Sądowa Wisznia	1693	1784	3
1648-1651	Sasiadowice	1716	1792	4
1655-1658	Sieniawa	1668	1784	4
1664-1666	Siennów	1620	1777	3
1672	Sietesz	1748	1777	1
1674-1676	Sławęcin	1661	1784	3
1678-1684	Słocina	1672	1786	7
1691-1698	Sokołów	1657	1784	8
1706	Starasol	1716	1753	1
1711	Staromieście	1751	1786	1
1719-1720	Strzałkowice	1694	1786	2
1723	Strzyżów	1721	1756	1
1728	Święcany	1700	1784	1
1735-1737	Świlcza	1730	1786	3
1740-1742	Szebnie	1650	1776	3
1745-1746	Targowiska	1679	1777	2
1750-1754	Tarnowiec	1654	1784	5
1757	Trzcinice	1653	1776	1
1762-1763	Trzesn	1750	1784	2
1766	Trześniów	1595	1786	1
1768-1773	Tuligłowy ad Komarno	1646	1784	6
1775-1776	Tuligłowy ad Pruchnik	1759	1785	2
1781-1786	Tyczyn	1661	1786	6
1794-1796	Tyrawa Wołoska	1651	1776	3
1798	Uherce	1749	1776	1
1800-1802	Ujkowice	1674	1785	3
1809-1816	Ulanów	1658	1785	8
1820-1822	Urzejowice	1703	1784	3
1831-1837	Wesoła	1613	1784	7
1844-1846	Wielowieś	1675	1776	3
1851-1852	Wojutycze	1646	1742	2
1854	Wola Rafal.	1691	1776	1
1857-1861	Wołkowyja	1708	1836	5
1863	Woloszcza	1705	1736	1
1869	Wrocanka	1717	1778	1
1871-1875	Wrzawy	1675	1787	5
1881-1844	Wysoka k. Łanc.	1651	1786	4
1904	Zabierow	1715	1777	1
1909-1916	Zaczernie	1667	1786	8
1929-1941	Zaleszany	1704	1785	3
1944-1946	Zaleze	1766	1784	3
1950-1953	Zarszyn	1693	1784	4
1955-1958	Zarzecze	1662	1784	4
1962	Zgłobień	1689	1733	1
1964-1967	Zręcin	1662	1774	4
1969	Żmigród Nowy	1698	1774	1
1972-1974	Żmigród Stary	1754	1803	3
1976-1984	Żołynia	1622	1784	9
1988-1990	Żurawica	1620	1784	3
2041-2042	Wola Zarczycka	1673	1759	2
2045	Kobylany	1746	1776	1
2060-2062	Głogów	1754	1800	3
2063-2067	Pstrągowa	1627	1780	5
2073-2074	Jedlicze	1709	1776	2
2075-2078	Jasło	1685	1784	4
2083-2084	Markowa	1773	1820	2
2088	Sąsiadowiec	1665	1710	1
2090	Strzyżów	1777	1784	1
2093-2094	Śliwcza	1700	1786	2
2097	Rokietnica	1686	1721	1
				779
D5: 1/1-7	Bircza	1784	1871	7
D 13:1/1-2/2	Bruchnal	1787	1859	2
D 13:2/1-4	Jaworów	1816	1864	4
D 13:4/1-3	Krakowiec	1784	1880	3
D 13:8/1	Wielkie Oczy	1784	1855	1
D 19:3/1	Krukienice	1826	1830	1
D 19:9/1	Radenice	1782	1811	1
D 28:8/1	Tyrawa Wołoska	1831	1847	1
D 29:6/1-2	Sieniawa	1784	1860	2
D 36:2/1	Milatyn	1786	1837	1
				23