Old photos

Many of us have doubts and questions when looking at old photos in family albums. Who is this sympathic man with walrus moustache? And the lady in elegant hat with mysterious smile? The old lady is for sure my grand mother, but from which side? If I have such doubts, what will say my grandchildren? I was astonished recently with a question, my granddaughter asked: who is for you the aunt from Canada who makes so beautiful photos? She did not know, that this aunt is my sister!

These and many other questions can answer only family members. However, till our parents and grandparens live, we are not interested in family history. When they pass away, it appears that we loose our whole database. So it is high time to backup these datas. The best way is to build a family tree supplemented with old photos.

Family tree

From the idea to the action is only one step. It seems that the most difficult task is finding data on the past generation. In todays' Poland it is however false assumtion. All our ancestors always lived in south of Poland, near Cieszyn; in this region they were coming to the world, getting married, giving birth to their children and finally passing away. So all archives could be found in the closest parish. More difficult task is finding the youngest generation. After the war the family has spread all over the world, from Hawaii, through Venezuela and Europe to ... Taiwan. It is clearly seen on photos. In old albums there are many group photos made on occasion of family meetings. On one photo there is ofter more than 20 persons of the closest family (grandparents with children and grandchildren). Today it is impossible to gather even 5 persons together on one photo.

Where these girls have gone ...

Listening to memoirs of the oldest family members and looking at preserved documents, I am coming to a conclusion that, either I had exceptional ancestors or the saying that the past generation was made of other "pre-war" material, is really true. I have not met my grandparents from my mother's side. Both were killed during the war. I regret very much not knowing Zuzanna Lauckner, sister of my grandmother. Aunt Zuzia has spent only 3 years in Polish school, further education was in German (Cieszyn Silesia was under Austrian occupation at that time). She had married Mr Lauckner (Johann?), a German and moved with him to Germany. The whole adult life she used only German language. Occasionally however she used to write letters to the family in Poland. And what letters! Written in beautiful Polish language, without one fault.

And this I cannot understand. Today, when I read posts of young people in internet forums, I do not understand them, so many orthographical faults are there. And aunt Zuzia's Polish was excellent not only in writing but also in speech. My son has met her once, somewhere in Canadian bush, where she came to visit her sister. He was delighted seeing cheerful 90 years old lady, speaking fluently Polish. And we, post-war generation, after few years spent abroad, often cannot remember in Polish some elementary words.

Family today

Exodus from Poland has started immediately after the war, with the first political refugees. The next followed one by one. Now their children and grandchildren begin to visit their motherland. Some of them I have already met, some are completely unknown to me and the others I know from the photographs made by them. I think I have gifted photographers in the family. So I invite you to the gallery.