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Sherlock's Genealogical Adventures

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Who or what is Julian and Gregorian?

Polish Genealogy

Tim Firkowski

Saturday, 18 February 2012

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You should be aware that all calendars are not created equal. Throughout history the calendar has been changed, adjusted and tweaked. The calendar we use today is called the Gregorian calendar and was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in about 1582. This new calendar was a big change from the dominant Julian calendar used at the time.

The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in about 48 BC and was used by many countries into the 20^th Century. Many branches of the Orthodox Church still use the Julian calendar for religious events.

Some other calendars used in history are the French, Jewish, Indian, Chinese & Islamic Calendar. Whenever there was a change in the use of a calendar, the change was not always smooth and sometimes the conversion was done over time to add or subtract dates gradually. 468 Simple Calendar Graphic

Understanding calendar usage is important to know when doing genealogical research because you need to know when and where each calendar was used in recording dates of events for your ancestors.

In the case of the area of calendars in Poland, prior to the partitioning of Poland in 1772, the Gregorian calendar was used, but in the areas that became part of Russia, the Julian calendar was again implemented up until after WW1. Most of the time the priests recorded dates in the record in both Julian and Gregorian calendars. A person must know which date was which. Some priests were rebellious to the government and did not write both dates. If only one date was recorded, there is no way to be sure which calendar was used. Poland’s history is confusing enough in tracking ancestors, but then to add the difference in calendar usage just makes it all that more interesting.

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About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).