Highway 4 follows the ancient trade route, at times called the Russian Trail, that linked Krakow with the Black Sea.

SPUSCIZNA
Polish Heritage Research Group

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- - - Our deepest condolences to the family of our colleague Jan Olko of Debica - - - We have passed the summer solstice - - - It's summertime! - - -

This is an introduction to the research, webpages, unofficial websites, maps, and images prepared for the internet by the Spuscizna Group. We are a small and dedicated group of family history researchers with families and a variety of "day jobs" in Europe and North America. The one thing that we have in common and that draws us together is our love of our Polish heritage. Spuscizna means heritage or continuation.

Polska
Our Polish Motherland

Admittedly, the first love of the Spuscizna Group is Malopolska, south and southeast Poland. However, we are somewhat eclectic in our research because our different members have varied interests and often have large extended families scattered across Poland and the globe. Thus, we have produced a number of webpages of interest to the general audience of both Poles and Polish-Americans. These include:
Poles in the History of North America
History		 Wadowice, Boyhood Home of Pope John-Paul II
Wadowice		 Classic Polish Atrworks: Rural Poland in the 19th Century Art Summertime - Seasonal Item
Summertime!
Index to Collection of Polish Melodies in the MIDI Format
Music Index		 Classical Polish Music in MIDI format
Classical Music		 Sheet Music and Lyrics to Favorite Polish Toasts
Toasts		 Gene Mikrut's progress report on our wedding music project
Weddings
Fall 2006 - Potpouri
Fall 2006		 Summer 2007 - Dozynki
Summer 2007		 Fall 2007
Fall 2007		 Winter-Spring 2008 - Collectibles
Spring 2008

Malopolska
The Old Crownland of Galicia

One of the research goals of the Spuscizna Group is to identify, build, and maintain "unofficial" websites for the old parishes that existed in southeast Poland (specifically the area between Tarnow and Rzeszow) at the turn of the 20th Century. This area had been administered primarily by the Diocese of Tarnow two hundred years ago, but today is divided between the Diocese of Tarnow, Rszeszow, Przemysl, and Sandomierz. Because JewishGen's Kolbuszowa Regional Research Group does such a nice job of providing websites for the former Jewish shtetls (communities) of the area, we have chosen to focus on the old Catholic parishes. We enjoy a good rapport with JewishGen's KRRG and collaborate with them whenever possible.

When the Diocese of Tarnow came into existence over 220 years ago, there were 371 parishes in its jurisdiction. This means that there should be an estimated 120 old parishes within the intended area of our focus. Can we accomplish our goal? To date, we've built over 155 unofficial parish websites and we still have a long way to go. Why? Because we didn't take into account the old parishes in the Diocese of Sandomierz and Przemysl and because there's always something interesting just over the next hill. To find the old parish that you are interested in, check the PARISH INDEX or consult one of the four INTERACTIVE MAPS below.

INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE AREA NEAR BOCHNIA/BRZESKO BOCHNIA MAP #5 INTERACTIVE MAP OF AREA NEAR TARNOW/DEBICA TARNOW MAP #1 INTERACTIVE MAP OF AREA NEAR RZESZOW/ROPCZYCE RZESZOW MAP #2 INTERACTIVE MAP OF AREA NEAR TARNOBRZEG/SANDOMIERZ SANDOMIERZ MAP #4 INTERACTIVE MAP OF AREA NEAR JAROSLAW/PRZEMYSL PRZEMYSL MAP #3
COMPLETE INDEX TO ALL OF THE UNOFFICIAL OLD CATHOLIC PARISH WEBSITES PRODUCED BY SPUSCIZNA - POLISH HERITAGE RESEARCH GROUP PARISH
INDEX		 COLLECTION OF POLISH MAPS
MAP COLLECTION		 GREEK CATHOLIC PARISHES PRIOR TO 1945
GREEK-RITE PARISHES		 POLES DECLARED RIGHTEOUS AMONG MEN
RIGHTEOUS POLES		 Jan Olko - Tribute to a friend Jan Olko

INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO DEBICA COUNTY:

TIME LINE OF LOCAL HISTORY. Written primarily for old Debica, Pilzno, Stara Jastrzabka, Straszecin, and Zasow Parishes.Timeline SPUSCIZNA INTERACTIVE MAP. Click dots to view area websites with historical, genealogical, or photo content. Map RZESZOW TELEPHONE DIRECTORY 2002. Includes all of the villages in old Debica, Dobrkow, Gumniska Fox, Nagoszyn, Pilzno, Stara Jastrzabka, Straszecin, Zasow and Zawada Parishes.Directory Research into the origins of the West Slavic Wislanie TribeWislanie History


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Piotr Olko photographing the parish church at Zdziarzec
PHOTO
GALLERIES

The Spuscizna Group is blessed by the generous photo contributions of its members, guests, and viewers. Pictures do indeed say a thousand words. We include photos of the old parish church and surrounding area on our webpages whenever possible. Here are some of the galleries that we have assembled.
Kliknij na zdj�cie aby zobaczy� powi�kszenie:
Click on the image to view the photo gallery:

Photo Gallery: Straszecin Church Photo Gallery: Straszecin Cemetery Photo Gallery: Jablonowski-Rey Manorhouse Photo Gallery: Gora Motyczna Photo Gallery: Cemetery at Gora Motyczna
Straszecin
Church		 Straszecin
Cemetery		 Przyborow
Manor		 Gora
Motyczna		 Gora Motyczna
Cemetery
CHURCH AT ZASOW AROUND ZASOW PARISH THE VILLAGES OF OLD ZASOW PARISH Photo Gallery: Cemetery at Roza THE VILLAGES OF STRASZECIN PARISH
Zasow
Church		 Around Zasow
Parish		 Villages of
Zasow		 Roza
Cemetery		 Villages of
Straszecin Parish
CITY OF DEBICA CEMETERY OF SAINT JADWIGA PARISH PILZNO OLD PILZNO CEMETERY PUSTKOW: SITE OF NAZI LABOR CAMPS IN WWII
Debica
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Cemetery		 Pilzno
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Cemetery		 Pustkow
Nazi Camps
THE OLD CHURCHES OF TARNOW THE OLD CURCHES OF SANDOMIERZ LEMKO GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN THE BESKID NISKI REGION KALUZOWKA - WORLD WAR TWO BATTLEGROUND NEAR GUMNISKA VILLAGES OF SWILCZA PARISH
Tarnow's
Old Parishes		 Sandomierz'
Old Churches		 Beskid Niski
Lemko Churches		 Kaluzowka
WWII Battleground		 Villages of
Swilcza Parish
Villages in Mrowla Parish Views of Debica in June, 2006
Villages of
Mrowla Parish		 Debica's
Jewish Cemetery		 Stubenvoll
Manor		 Debica
Museum		 Debica
2006

Mazovia
Future Project in the Polish Heartland

Sneak Preview: Northern Mazovia Project
CLICK for sneak preview of Mazovia Project
Chicago
"The Fourth Partition of Poland"


Spuscizna's Rules

The information provided by the Spuscizna Group is a combination of history, heritage, geography, and parish information. These are noncommercial and educational websites intended strictly for use by individuals in the course of their own personal research. The use of these websites for any other purpose is strictly prohibited.

The Spuscizna Group believes in and adheres to the policy of "fair use". If you find any of the information that we make available online helpful in the course of your research, you are welcome to download and use it.

ABOUT US: SPUSCIZNA - POLISH HERITAGE RESEARCH GROUP
ABOUT US - click for more information on the Spuscizna Group

All of the above websites, webpages, maps, and research are provided completely by volunteers. We charge no fees although we now incur some limited expenses.
Our cornerstone is sharing. This is family history research the way it should be - free of charge. And that's simply our cordial Polish hospitality.

"Zastaw sie a postaw sie."

Background Music - Some kind of waltz
To exit, CLICK HERE.
Editor - Dennis Benarz, Chicagoland USA 2001-2008
Co-Editor - Karen Wisniewski, Detroit USA 2006-2008
E-mail: spuscizna@catholic.org

Forum of Polish Jews and Christians