History of Poland: Primary Documents

EuroDocs > History of Poland: Primary Documents

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• National Digital Library of Poland

Available in Polish or English interface.

(Facsimiles of books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, and more)

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• A Commonwealth of Diverse Cultures: Poland's Heritage

A graphically presented collection of documents that demonstrate the multicultural origins of Polish culture.

Interface available in English or Polish.

(Facsimiles and commentary)

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• Chronicle of Gall Anonym

Document describes relations between Poland, Czech & Slovakian areas, Hungary, some German lands, and Kyivska Rus.

(11th - 12th centuries; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Polish documents of 12th century

Site contains original church and personal documents.

(12th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Map of Poland

(1201 - 1241; image, text in the Polish language).

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• Orders of Konrad I of Masovia

Site contains original documents and orders of Konrad I about lands and rights of people.

(1218 - 1228; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Image of Henry II the Pious

(1238 - 1241; image).

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• Seal of Konrad I of Masovia

(1241 - 1243; image).

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• Map of Poland during the reign of Przemysła II

(1295 ; image in the Polish language).

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• History of Belarus (Great Litva)

Chronological commentary with links to primary documents from the Belorus past.

Includes relations and wars with France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

(13th century to present; Belarus transcriptions, English translations, images, maps and commentary).

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• Polish documents of 13th century

Site contains original orders and laws made by the Polish kings.

(13th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Union of Krewo

Document contains conditions of the union between Poland and Lithuania.

(July 14, 1385; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Rights given by Great Duke of Lithuania and Polish king

Document contains rights for nobles who accept catholic religion.

(February 20, 1387; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Oath of the Lithuanian Prince to the Polish queen and king

(December 16, 1388; transcription in the Old Slavic language).

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• Polish documents of 14th century

Site contains original Catholic church orders to Polish kings, orders of the Polish kings about personal matters to their vassals.

(14th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Grunvald battle

(July 15, 1410; text in the Polish and English languages).

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• Gorodel’s previlege (2 October, 1413)

Document includes privileges and obligations of Catholic knights and feudal lords on the territory of Polish Kingdom and Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Document imposed Polish laws on nobility of both territories: Polish and Lithuanian.

(Gorodlo, October 2, 1413; Russian translation).

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• Statutes of Nieszawa

Document contains information about rights and duties of the noble people in Poland

(1454 ; image of the facsimile, text in the Polish language).

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• Second Peace of Thorn

Document contains information about conditions of peace between Poland and Teutonic Knights.

(October 19, 1466 ; image of the facsimile, text in the Polish language).

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• Polish documents of 15th century

Site contains original documents which reflects relations between Polish kings and their vassals.

(15th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Codex of city Cracow

(1505; images in the Latin image).

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• De revolutionibus

Book written by Nicholas Copernicus’

(1520 -1541 ; images in the Latin image).

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• Treaty of Kraków

Document contains information about conditions of peace between Poland and Teutonic Knights.

(April 8, 1525; text in the Polish language).

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• Warrant to children in Vitebsk to visit churches

Document was written by Polish King Sigismund II Augustus.

(June 14, 1562; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Lublinska Uniya

Document about decision of Lublen Seym to unite Poland and Lithuania in one country Rech’ Pospolita.

Document determines laws about king, Seym, money, and trade taxes.

(1569; Ukrainian translation).

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• Warsaw confederation

Document contains information about Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth affairs and rights of freedom of religion.

(January 28, 1573; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Confederation of Warsaw.

Site contains document that guaranteed Religious toleration in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. of: guaranteed

( January 28, 1573; images of the facsimile document).

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• Uprising of cossack Kristipher Kosynski

(1591 - 1593; map, text in the Polish language).

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• Union of Brest

Document contains articles about conditions of coexistence of Catholic and Orthodox churches.

(1596; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Act of defense of the people of Orthodox and Protestant churches

Document information about religious conditions in Rech Pospolita.

(1599; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Documents of the Polish government of the 16th century

Site contains original documents of the government about laws, taxes, and international relations.

(16th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish and Latin languages).

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• Knight epos

Document contains epos about Lithuanian, Polish, Belarus, and Ukrainian nobilities.

(16th century; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Territory of Poland and other neighbor countries

(16th - 17th century; maps, facsimiles and text in the Polish language).

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• Digitized maps of Poland and Lithuania

Provided by the Latvian National Library

(16th to 18th centuries; map facsimiles and descriptions)

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• Fragments of Marina Mnishek’s journal

Document contains witness how Tsarevitch Dmitriy was rescued.

(beginning of 17th century; Russian translation).

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• Correspondence between Polish and Moscow Government

Site contains documents of the relations between Polish and Moscow in the Time of Troubles.

(Beginning 17th century; commentaries, modern Russian translation).

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• Messages of the Polish ambassador form Moscow to Polish King

Site contains information about the situation in Moscow.

(June 8, 1607; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Swedish Polish War 1600 to 1609

Site contains information about war, plans, maps, numbers of soldiers.

(1600 - 1609; images, text in the English language).

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• Report of Russian ambassadors about situation in Poland

(May 29, 1606 – February 13, 1607; transcription in the Russian language).

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• False Dmitriy I and Vasiliy Shuiskiy

Site contains image of the arrest of Shuiskiy and the documents of the wedding and the execution of False Dmitriy.

(1606-1611; commentaries, image, modern Russian).

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• Message of the Polish ambassadors to the Polish King

Document contains information about Moscow Kingdom and situation in Belarus lands.

(August 8, 1607; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Russian-Polish war in the Time of Troubles

Site contains images of the war leaders and maps.

(1609-1617; commentaries, images, modern Russian translation).

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• Report of Rozhinski to Polish king

Site contains information about troubled times in Moscow kingdom and Polish affair in it.

(February, 1610; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Decree about inviting Polish king to be Russian ruler

(August, 1610; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Agreement of patriarch Hermohen and boyars with Hetman Zholkevskiy about calling Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne

(August 17, 1610; commentaries, images, modern Russian translation).

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• Journal of the campaign of Sigismund III to Russia

(1610; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Organization of the Second Home Guard and the liberation of Moscow from the Polish invaders

Document contains information about about organization of the troops against the Polish invaders and the ways Russian lands were united.

(1612; commentaries, image, modern Russian translation).

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• Russian-Polish war (Smolensk war)

Site contains description of the war.

( 1632 - 1634; commentaries , image, transcription in the Russian language).

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• Map of wars on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Lithuania

( 1648 - 1678; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Warsaw Constitution

(November 22, 1649; facsimile in the Polish language).

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• Map of the Russian-Polish war

(1654 - 1667; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Documents of August II Strong

(1694 - 1731; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Documents of the Polish government of the 17th century

Site contains original governmental documents: laws, orders, and international treaties.

(17th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish and Latin languages).

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• Cardinal Laws

Document contains laws of the country Rech Pospolita.

(1768; transcription in the Byelorussian language).

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• Convention between Russia and Prussia for the division of Poland

Document contains conditions and agreements between three countries.

(January 4, 1772; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Convention between Russia and Austria for the division of Poland

Document contains conditions and agreements between three countries.

(July 25, 1772; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Divisions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

( 1772, 1793, 1795; commentaries , text in the Russian language).

• Divisions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Site contains numerous documents about relations between Poland and Russia.

( 1772, 1793, 1795; commentaries , transcription in the Russian language).

• Map of the division of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

( 1772, 1793, 1795; images, commentaries text in the Russian language).

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• Potyomkin and Bezborodko about Poland before the war with Turkey

(1787; transcription in the old Russian language).

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• Map of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

(1789 - 1792; text in the English language).

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• Constitution of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 1791

(1791; text in the Russian language).

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• Treaty between Poland and Lithuania

Document contains obligations and rights of two sides.

(October 20, 1791; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Cardinal Laws

Document contains laws imposed by the Russian Empire and supported by Prussia on Rech Pospolita.

(November 23, 1793; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Polish troops in Pinsk

Site contains information of the war situation between Polish and Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus.

( 1794; transcription in the Russian language).

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• War of Russia with Poland

Site contains multiple documents: letters, reports, journals about the war.

( 1794 - 1795; commentaries , text in the Russian language).

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• Documents of the Polish government of the 18th century

Site contains original governmental , religious, and personal documents.

(18th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish and Latin languages).

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• Governmental documents of Poland

(the end of 18th century; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Poles and polish life in 18th century

(1843; facsimile in the Polish language).

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• Manifesto of Polish rebels

Document contains ideas about restoration of Polish Kingdom, its administration, and some laws.

( February 14, 1832; translation in the Russian language).

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• Order of Alexander II about peasants on the territory of Poland

Document contains laws about peasants and land possessions.

( February 19, 1864; transcription in the Russian language).

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• January Uprising

Periodicals, declarations, appeals, photographs, postcards, leaflets and other materials concerning the January Uprising.

Digitized by the National Library.

(1861-1864; facsimiles)

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• Order of Alexander 2 about Polish peasants

(February 19, 1864; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Administration of the districts of the Polish Kingdom

(1892; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Documents of the Polish government of the 19th century

Site contains original governmental , economic, and personal documents and letters.

(19th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish and Latin languages).

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• Documents of the Polish government of the 20th century

Site contains original governmental , economic, and personal documents and letters, war documents.

(20th century ; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• e-Kolekcja Czasopism Polskich

Access to 27 Polish journals and newspapers published in the 19th and (early) 20th century.

Polish-language interface.

(19th - 20th centuries; facsimiles)

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• Poland in the first decades of the 20th century

Site contains photos and documents of the World war I and other wars with Ukrainian National Republic and soviet troops.

(1904 - 1921; facsimiles in the various languages, comments in the Polish language).

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• Informational poster about initiation of Provisional People’s Government of the Polish Republic

(November 7, 1918; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Manifesto of Provisional People’s Government of the Polish Republic

(November 7, 1918; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Appeal of the People’s Government of the Polish Republic to Polish people in Lviv

(November 8, 1918; images, facsimiles in the Polish language).

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• Decree of the chief commander Joseph Pilsudsky

(November 14, 1918; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Documents of revolutionary events in Poznan

(1918 - 1919; images, facsimiles in the Polish and German languages).

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• Constitution of the Republic of Poland

Adopted by the Polish Constituent Assembly at Warsaw following World War I.

(March 17, 1921; print facsimile)

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• Coup d'état of May 1926

(May, 1926; facsimile in the Polish language, comments in the English language).

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• Results of Polish legislative election, 1930

(1930; transcription in the Polish language).

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• German-Polish relations

(1932 - 1939; images, text in the Polish language).

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• Concentration camp in Poland

Site contains testimonies of the Belarus prisoners about life in the camp of Ukrainian, Byelorussian, and Polish people.

(1934 - 1939; commentaries, transcription in the Russian language).

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• Poland before WWII

Site contains information about relations of Poland with Germany before the war.

(1937 - 1939; images, text in the Polish language).

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• Treaty between Germany and Soviet Union

Document contains information about territorial interests of both governments towards Poland, Baltic countries, and territorial lands of Western Belarus and Ukraine. Transcription of the document.

(August 23, 1939; facsimiles in the German language).

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• The beginning of the World War II in Poland

Site contains documents with addresses of the president of Poland to people about the war.

(1939 - 1940; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp

Site contains photo gallery and documents.

(1939 - 1944;facsimiles, transcription in the Polish and English languages).

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• Auschwitz concentration camp

Site contains photo gallery of the camp.

(1939 - 1944; transcription in the English language).

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• Underground Publications from World War II

Polish underground antifascist publications digitized by the National Library.

(1939-1945; facsimiles)

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• World War II in Poland: relations with Soviet Union and Ukrainian nationalist

Site contains documents and photo documents of the relationship of Poland with Soviet Union and Ukrainian nationalists

(1939 - 1945; images, facsimiles, text in the English language).

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• Nazi Invasion of Poland in 1939

Images and documents from the Harrison Fordman Collection.

Browse the collection or use the advanced search.

Project sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries - Digital Collections.

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• Order to execute Polish war prisoners

Document contains official order of high governmental officials about execution of 25,000 Polish war prisoners.

(March 5, 1940; facsimile in the Russian language).

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• The Katyn massacre

Site contains documents which testify about the destiny of Polish war prisoners .

(1940; facsimiles in the Russian language).

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• Conference in Yalta

Site contains documents of the conference between USSR, Great Brittan, and the U.S.A.

(February 4-11, 1943; transcription in the Russian language).

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• Conferences in Teheran, Yalta, and Potsdam

Site contains documents of the conferences between USSR, Great Brittan, and the U.S.A.

(1943, 1945; transcription in the Russian language).

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• See also Shoah (Holocaust).

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• Elections in Poland

Site contains photos and documents about elections

(1947; facsimiles in the Polish language, comments in the Polish and Englsih languages).

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• Project of the Constitution of Poland

Site contains photos document of the constitution with corrections of Joseph Stalin

(1951; facsimile in the Russian language).

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• Monatsberichte über die Entwicklung in Polen

Monthly Reports about the Development in Poland between 1955 and 1965.

(1955-1965; facsimiles)

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• Treaty between Germany and Poland about borders

Document about territory and borders of two countries.

(November 14, 1990; text in the Polish language).

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• Statute about crimes against Polish people throughout history

( April 1, 2006; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Polish-Lithuanian relations about the situation of Polish people in Lithuania

Document contains conditions for Polish people in Lithuania.

(July 20, 2006; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Acts to release documents about repressions and secret documents

Site contains documents with orders to release secret documents about political repressions and documents of the governmental security services 1944 -1990.

(March 14, 2007; transcription in the Polish language).

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• Guide to Law Online: Poland

Library of Congress guide to constitutional, legal and government documents.

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• Historical Text Archive: Poland

Includes primary and secondary documents, provided by Don Mabry.

(Transcriptions, facsimiles and commentaries, mostly in English)

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• Digitalisierungsprojekte in Polen

Digitization projects in Poland (and Eastern Europe), listed by Klaus Graf.

(Scroll down to "Polen")

• Periodika des Digitalen Forums Mittel- und Osteuropa

Digitized German-language newspapers of Central and Eastern Europe outside German-speaking countries.

(18th-20th centuries; facsimiles newspaper issues)

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• International Civic Coats of Arms: Poland

(Facsimiles).

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EuroDocs > History of Poland: Primary Documents

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EuroDocs Creator: Richard Hacken, European Studies Bibliographer,
Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Feel free to get in touch: eurodocs @ byu.edu
With special thanks to Natalya Georgiyeva for her help with this webpage.