Lithuanian Genealogical Research

The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Immigration History and Genealogy Department
6500 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629

Phone: (773) 582-6500
Phone (Jessie Daraska): (773) 586-6500

• The largest Lithuanian resource center outside Lithuania
• Has a genealogist of Lithuanian ancestry and is available to answer questions
• Offers a basic search of four major Lithuanian-American genealogy sources to patrons
• The Lithuanian Pioneer Project (you can help, they need you)
• An exciting historical effort to gather information on Lithuanians who emigrated to the United States before World War I
• Collects, catalogues, and preserves information and records pertinent to genealogical research and the immigration history of Lithuanian-Americans

Some of the sources available include:

• Lithuanian Periodicals
• Lithuanian encyclopedias
• Museum Records including published materials and photographs
• Death Notices
• Lietuviu Pavardziu Zodynas (lists thousands of Lithuanian names and their location by town in Lithuania
• Lithuanian Pioneer Project (over 1000 names currently obtained)
• Directories (wide selection)
• Yearbooks, journals, and calendars of Lithuanian organizations, clubs, schools, and professional organizations
• Selected reference books
• Maps and descriptions of Lithuanian ancestral towns (135 antiquarian maps, 358 modern maps and 5 atlases
• Ancestral Town Referral - individuals can communicate with other Lithuanian-Americans whose ancestors came from the same Lithuanian community as their own
• Genealogija: Lithuanian-American Immigration History and Genealogy Newsletter - quarterly newsletter for individuals interested in the immigration history and genealogy of Lithuanian-Americans.

The Museum is a not-for-profit organization. The Immigration History and Genealogy Department is supported completely by patron donations and a staff of part-time volunteers, including a genealogist, to provide services. Donations are requested for all services. For a brochure and a free copy of Genealogija, write to the IHG Department at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60629

More Lithuanian Research Locations in Illinois

SS. Peter and Paul Apostles Roman Catholic Church
617 Lincoln Avenue
Rockford, IL 61102

(815) 962-7171

• This is "The Lithuanian Parish" in Rockford, IL
• Sacramental Records, Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Last rites

Ethnic Heritage Museum,
1129 South Main St.
Rockford, IL

• Scrapbooks of newspaper clippings containing information on Rockford Lithuanian families
• One set of Lithuanian Encyclopedias is on display

 

University of Illinois in Chicago
Special Collections Department
(312) 996-2742

• Collections answer the "how" and "why" more than "who" and "when"
• Ethnic manuscript collection has Lithuanian selections.

Lithuanian Museum (Sisters of St. Casimir)
2601 W. Marquette Rd.
Chicago, IL 60629-1817

By appointment - Sister Margaret Petcavage, SSC

(312) 776-1324
Fax (312) 776-8755

Historical and cultural artifacts of Lithuania, such as amber collection, paintings, wood carvings, clothing

Lithuanian Resource List

Some of these resources from GDS jdz1@aol.com and GDS Chris@aol.com

Lithuanian Global Resources http:⁄⁄www.angelfire.com⁄ut⁄Luthuanian
1. Lithuanian ONLY surname data base (400+ names).
2. Lithuanian ONLY genealogy resources.
3. Lithuanian ONLY Discussion Board for genealogy.

Avotaynu, Inc. - (Quarterly review of Jewish Genealogy with info on Lithuanian Research)

155 N. Washington Avenue
Bergenfield, NJ 07621

(201) 387-7200
Fax (201) 387-2855

Lithuanian Heritage Products and Services (send for their catalog)

Baltic Associates
368 West Broadway
South Boston, MA 02127

(617) 269-4455

Lithuanian Heritage Magazine (Highly recommended - Bi-monthly publication)

Baltech Publishing
P.O. Box 225
Lemont, IL 60439

Lietuvos Valstybinis Istorijos Archyvas, (Link = article on results of request to Archive)
Lithuanian State Historical Archives
Gerosios Vilties 10
Vilnius 2015
Lithuania - Lietuva
Phone (+370 2) 765290
Fax (+370 2) 765318

Lithuanian-American Genealogy Homepage - Part of the WorldGenWeb Project - created by George Rodgers - An excellent resource

Addresses for Lithuanian Kreipavicius(s)

Lithuanian Central Certificate of Birth Archive
Lietuvos Centrinis Metriku Archyvas
K.Kalinausko g. 21. 2000 Vilnius, Lithuania
Phone (+370 2) 637846

How to find relatives in Lithuania http:⁄⁄neris.mii.lt⁄heritage⁄lfcc⁄howfind.html- A very informative site by a Lithuanian, Paulius Jurkus (includes newspaper address and much more)

Lithuanian Place Name Changes (Lithuanian, Russian and Polish names given)

For the etymologies of surnames and place names:

Dr. Aleksandra Cieslikowa
Instytut Jezka Polskiego
ul. Straszewskiego 27
31-113 Krakow
Poland - Polska

$10 per name (U.S. Postal Money Order made out to Dr. Cieslikwa) is suggested. She is an able scholar who can read and write in English.

Polish Archive for those whose families came from SW Lithuania (This archive is faster than the Lithuanian Archive in Vilnius

Suwalkius Gubernas
Archiwum Panstwowe
ul. Kosciuszki 69
16-400 Suwalki
Poland - Polska

Russian Archive Service

BLITZ
Russian-Baltic Information Center
907 Mission Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901

(414) 453-3579
Fax (414) 453-0343

Provides research in St. Petersburg and Moscow Archives. The Russian Czarist Government was a bloated bureaucracy, so they have more records (especially for noble families) in many cases than the Polish or Lithuanian Archives. Because of the difficulty of corresponding in Cyrillic, it is necessary for most of us to use this kind of service.

nic.funet.fi - ftp site

New York Public Library (has microfilm copy of Lithuanian phone book from 1930's)
42nd Street
Manhattan, NY

Books

• Archives and Manuscript Repositories in USSR: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belorussia by Patricia Kennedy Grimsted (Princeton U. Press, 1981) especially check, Chart 5: "Evolution of Administrative-Territorial Divisions in the Area of the Present-Day Lithuanian SSR as Organized under the Russian Empire (1795 to 1917)"
• Lithuanians in Multi-Ethnic Chicago Until World War II by David Fainhauz - extensive article on Lithuanian-American newspapers
• Korzenie Polskie, Polish Roots, by Rosemary A. Chorzempa--has an interesting chapter on surnames - Polish, Lithuanian, Livonian, Estonian, Byelorussian, Russian etc.

Lithuanian Fonts can be purchased from

Litnet Typographics
7 Arthur Road
Rosemont, PA 19010

They sell a total of four fonts: "Palanga" which looks like New Times Roman, "Udraliai" which looks like Helvetica Light, "Skuodas" which looks like Archstyle and "Telsiai"

For Lithuanian translations contact BBobber@aol.com

Travel agency specializing in travel to Lithuania - contact BettesueG@aol.com

Travels and Research in Lithuania (July 1995) - very touching article

Lithuanian tourist report from 8⁄31⁄94 - Just got back from a month's visit in Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine and have much to pass on. If you are looking for current travel information, accomodations, touring, genealogical research, etc. post me a note on e-mail TedM333@aol.com

Russian woman who works at the Lithuanian Archives - Name: Galena Baraonova; Address: Taikos 10-61, 2017 Vilnius, Lithuania; Phone No.: 63-83-75 --- contact TedM above who has worked with this woman.

LITHUANIA. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical or historical interest in Lithuania.Mailing address for postings is lithuania@rmgate.pop.indiana.edu. To subscribe, send the following to maiser@rmgate.pop.indiana.edu: SUB LITHUANIA

Some other Lithuanian-American parishes include: St Peter's in Detroit, MI which closed in May of 1995 - check with the diocese for location of records, ?Our Lady of Siluva in East St. Louis, IL; St. Casmirs in Amsterdam, NY Lithuanian church, will be reopening soon!!K of L Council #100 - E-mail me with any additional parishes you may know of.

University of Pittsburgh
Center for Russian and East European Studies
4G-15 Forbes Quadrangle
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 648-7407
Fax: (412) 648-2199
E-mail: CREES@vms.cis.pitt.edu

REESWeb: Russian and East European Studies - Internet Resources - a comprehensive index of electronic resources on the Balkans, the Baltic states, the Caucusus, Central Asia, Central Europe, the CIS, Eastern Europe, the NIS, the Russian Federation, and the former Soviet Union.

Lithuanian Links

Lietuvos Bajoru Karaliskoji Sajunga (A society in Lithuania) - Royal Lithuanian Nobility Association

Lithuanian Research List - FEEFHS

Cross-Index of Baltic Countries: Chapter 4 Country Catalogues

Lithuania On-Line -- a great site for getting addresses and resources to write for your Lithuanian genealogy (the Netcitizens' area)

Penpals from the Baltic countries formerly "The Soviet-American Penfriend Exchange"

Lithuanian Homepage - Where do you want to go in Lithuania today?

Lithuanian Roots, An Overview of Lithuanian Traditional Culture

http:⁄⁄www.cyndislist.com⁄easteuro.htm

Suggestions for Research

1. First, interview and document stories from relatives (especially the older relatives), friends, and neighbors. Ask to see pictures and old papers they may have. This is very important. If family members do not have your ancestor's naturalization papers, research the local Courthouse for these and the National Archives for ship's passenger's lists. These may indicate your ancestor's hometown in Lithuania.
2. Read and study books on the history of Lithuania and how to do genealogical research for Lithuania and perhaps Poland or Russia, become familiar with maps, gazetteers, and place names. Learn where and when bonderies were moved and who had control of the area where your ancestors came from. Find out who and what you are dealing with.
3. Join genealogy societies - the Lithuanian-American Society in Chicago and Lietuvos Bajoru Karaliskoji Sajunga in Lithuania. Do surname research in the Lithuanian Museum in Chicago.
4. Subscribe to the Lithuanian Heritage Magazine and consider subscribing to Avotaynu (this Jewish publication has information on research in Lithuania and Poland.)
5. If your ancestors came from the southern part of Lithuania, consider looking for information in Poland because of boundary changes. Find the hometown on an atlas. See if place names have changed.
6. If you discover nobility in your family tree, check Niesiecki's Herbarz Polski to determine the Polish form of your Lithuanian surname, purchase armorials and collect information on noble families. You may want to hire a Russian research service to check Russian Archives in St. Petersburg and Moscow for certificates of noble status, and for forfeitures, land confiscations, and trials for participation in the insurrections.

A Very Brief History of Lithuania

Lithuanians settled in Lithuania before the birth of Christ. The independent Lithuanian state was established in 1236, becoming one of the largest and most powerful European states. The country was absorbed by tsarist Russia in 1795. Independence was restored in 1918. Lithuania was admitted into the League of Nations in 1922. Nazi Germany and Soviets signed secret protocols dividing up Lithuania and other independent states in 1939. Lithuania was invaded and annexed by the USSR on August 3, 1940, when the Soviet Union formally annexed Lithuania, declaring it to be the fourteenth republic of the USSR. (Lithuania was then invaded by Nazi Germany in 1941, and was reoccupied by the USSR in 1944.) The government of Lithuania was not in existence during most of World War II. Sajudis reform movement founded in June, 1988. Sajudis declares its goal of establishing an independent, neutral Lithuanian state in February, 1989. Sajudis candidates win two-thirds of seats in parliamentary elections held in February, 1990. Parliament votes unanimously to re-establish Lithuanian independence on March 11, 1990.