BEREZHANY GENEALOGY AND HISTORY PAGE

with historical outline of Berezhany & Berezhany district

in 19 th and beginning of 20 th century

by Roman Zakhariy from Berezhany

Post card of Berezhany (Brzezany): view of upper part of town square of the break of 19 & 20 th centuries, when it was part of Habsburgs' Austrian empire. The inscription on the post card is in Polish and German languages (these two language were official languages in the Austrian kingdom of Galicia, where Berezhany was a Zirkel town (district center) . Click on the picture for full size. I got this post card from France, from Eric Fullenbaum (in Strasbourg) whose Jewish ancestors lived in Berezhany. Click on the image for full size.

Other town's names: Berezhany -Brzezany - Byeryezhany - Berezany - Brezan - Berson

Almost every day I receive inquiries from many Americans or Canadians (sometimes even as far as from Argentina or New Zealand) who look for their ancestry back in Berezhany (former Polish name: Brzezany, Austrian: Brezany, Russian: Byeryezhany) and in East Galicia and West Ukraine in general. So to answer many of your questions and assist those of you who look for roots in my area I am creating and publishing this page online. And since it is my homeland and as a historian by education, it is my obligation to do so.

Ethnic composition of Eastern Galicia:

Most of of American and Canadian Ukrainians came namely from West Ukraine (East Galicia, Bukovina, Transcarpathia and Volhynia). The same can be said about American Jewry and many American Poles. Jews, Poles and Ukrainians lived together in Berezhany and Galicia. The national composition of Eastern Galicia, on the eve of Second World War was the following: 4.257.000 (73,2 %) of Ukrainians, 948.000 (16.2 ) of Poles, 570.000 (9,9 %) of Jews and 49.000 (0,9 %) of Germans and others. Russians in pre war statistics were not found. Among Poles, 73.000 were the colonizers of 1920-1930.

History of Berezhany in late 19 th and early 20 th century

Famous Berezhany Castle of Sieniawski magnates family, built in 1534 - 1554 by Italian masters. Click on it for full size.

Hunger, cold and ethnic oppressions forced people to look for refuge in faraway foreign lands. In article "Immigration of Galician peasantry", famous Galician writer Ivan Franko, gave definition of this phenomenon in Galicia: "Immigration of peasants from Galicia, it is a new thing. It is inseparable friend of poverty of Galician peasents...whom the abolishment of serfdom in 1948 open widely the gates..." Among the districts, which were the most touched with immigration, Franko named Berezhany. Eastern Galicia was one of the poorest regions in Austrian empire in economic terms. It was heavily agricultural with little industry. For Austrian emperor, it was an area of economic experiments. The same politics towards Eastern Galicia was conducted also later by the Polish government when area went under the Poland's rule (1919-1939). The 1848 reforms in Austria and building of railway in Berezhany accelerated the development of market relations in agriculture and industry of Berezhany zirkel (='district' in German, which along with Polish was the official language of Austria's kingdom of Galicia). In 1894 railway connected Berezhany with Ternopil/Tarnopol (according to the imperial law approved on 25 th of November 1891, the railway was passed into the State control). In the beginning of 20 th century, the railway leading to Rohatyn was built and in 1909 another one to Pidhaytsi/Podhajce. However the industrial face of Berezhany in the beginning of 20 th century was still quite obscure: two brickworks, brewery, three mineral gas water factories, small honey factory, candles and soap factory, two mills, matchstick factory and wood processing plant. Near Berezhany, in Nova Hreblya (Nowa Grzebla), there was a paper mill, which by the number of workers was second largest in paper industry in whole Galicia. The notions factory or plant are very relative for those times: there were a few tens of workers at a factory/plant. Working conditions at the enterprise were very hard: working day lasted 12 and even 14 hours while the salaries were so low that it was hardly enough to maintain a family.

Small courtyard at former Sieniawskich street in Berezhany (as written in Polish on the left at the picture) from the early 20 th century. This house with two columns is the oldest stone house in Berezhany. It stand still today but the street has already different name. I was inside the house a few times visiting people living there. Small inscription in Polish on the right says: "from the photographs of students of architecture of Lwow Polytechnics". Click the image for full size.

Despite on the fact that few factories and plants emerged, the main activity of the population of Berezhany land was agriculture, as centuries ago. In 1890 s, Berezhany inhabitants owned 1976 morgs (unit of land measurement) or plough land, 255 morgs of gardens, 475 morgs of hayfields, 444 morgs of pastures and 438 morgs of forest. Peasantry was in a hard situation in particular. Berezhany zirkel was characterized with the most pauperization of the village and hidden unemployment. Big landowners owned almost half of all lands and 85 percents of forests in the district. Huge estates were owned by counts Potocki. They were namely the owners of a few tens of thousands of morgs of forests, of a mill and even the Rathaus/Clock Tower building in Berezhany. Sourcing the fabulous riches out of Berezhany area, Potocki was coming here from the European capitals to control his incomes and to go sometimes for great and merry hunting. And since the major industry did not develop here, only by working at the lords, poor peasantry could have the major and sometimes the only income. 85 % of households And the land plots up to 5 hectares, and besides that almost half of them did not have even 2 hectares.

Very often, especially in the end of 1848, the peasants of surrounding villages attacked the huge estate owners, trying by force to return taken by the lords lands, forests and pastures. At the governmental report, the emperor's governor of Galicia Goluchowski emphasized the massiveness of peasantry movement in Berezhany zirkel.

Such small households were unable to resist the large lord estates. Their dissolution caused the influx of cheap labour and poor peasants from the countryside to Berezhany. The population of Berezhany grew quickly. In 1886, there were 4.582 people living in the town and in 1900, only four years later, there were already 10.610 inhabitants. Gradually, Berezhany grew larger but working conditions had not changed. In 1891 in whole Berezhany zirkel/district, there was only one Hospital with 50 beds, where two doctors and four nurses worked. Besides that medical treatment had cost much. Thousands of simple people could not even consider the elementary medical help.

The hopes for the development of education, as well as for the betterment of economic state, came out to be in vain in post reform period in Galicia. Though in Berezhany, there were a few schools, not many children studied there. For instance in 1905, in Berezhany town which numbered 11.154 inhabitants, there were 1.943 students/pupils and this number included also the children from other towns and villages, who lived at private flats and small student homes called "bursa". The most of students attended so called the High Gymnasia (a kind of Lyceum or High School), six class school for women and five class school for men. One class schools in Adamivka/Adamowka and Mistechko/Miasteczko were really small. Besides the mentioned schools, there were also two specialized schools, the industrial, that is craftsmen school, where 109 students studied and a basket school with 27 students. 49 girls studied at so called High Private Scientific Institute. In all these schools Ukrainian language remained rightless.

Jews were among the first who immigrated from Berezhany and Galicia. Instead of growth Jewish population was decreasing in Berezhany, from 4.390 Jews in 1900 to 4.000 Jews in 1939. The same tendency of decrease of Jewish population was even stronger in rural areas of Berezhany district, for instance in Narayiv/Narajow, Jewish population decreased from 928 in 1900 to 780 in 1939. Or in village Pidvysoke/Podwysokie, there were 19 Jews living in 1900, while in 1939 there were none already. Most of Galician Jewry lived poorly and poverty was one of the reasons for emmigration. However the Jewish inclination towards education was overcoming all barriers at those times. The number of Jewish intellectual workers proportionally was much higher than of Ukrainian or Polish ones in Galicia. Out of total number of 1700 of physicians in Galicia, 1150 were the Jews. Almost 90 % of tailors, 41 % of workers of culture, 65 % of barbers, 43 % of dentists, 45 % of senior nurses in Galicia were the Jews. Galician Jewry produced four Nobel prize winners: Izek Rabi (physics), Roald Hoffman (chemistry), Baschewitz - Singer (literature) and Shmuel Agnon (literature).

National oppressing was another reason forcing Ukrainian and Jewish immigration in inter war period (1919-1939, when Eastern Galicia belonged to Poland). Both Ukrainians and Jews were not allowed by Polish government to work at the state enterprises, institutions, railway, post, telegraph etc. These measures were applied in theirs strictest form. Moreover, Ukrainians were experiencing the ethnic oppression by undergoing a forceful polonization.

Immigration from village Trostyanets (20 km south of Berezhany) to the USA, France, Brasil, Bosnia and Russia:

One of the largest waves of mass immigration to America and West Europe took place in Eastern Galicia in 1870 s of 19 th century. This wave reached also Berezhany and the village of my family Trostyanets (former Troscianiec) 20 km south of Berezhany. Leaving native places, the group of peasants immigrates abroad to look for a better fortune. For instance, 27 persons from Trostyanets immigrated to Bosnia in 1895, namely families of Mykola Hordash (Mikolaj Hordasz/Gordasz): 4 persons, Jan Palchak (Palczak): 8 persons, Mykola Rykhitskyy (Mikolaj Rychicki): 9 persons, Levko Chortolomny (Leo Czortolomny): 3 persons, Pavlo Babiy (Paulus/Pawel Babij), Anna Stryjak and widow Czawurska (she comes from my family tree). In 1908, 21 persons emmigrated from Trostyanets' village to the USA namely: Atansiy/Athanasius and Anastasia Bilous, Oleksa and Christina Lyktey (Lyktej), Ilko Bilous, Semen Bilous, Iliariy Bilyk, Mykhaylo Babuniak, Theodor Wirt, Mykhaylo Wirt, Pavlo Lyktej, Maria Wirt, Ivanna Julianna Wirt, Theodor Gawdyda (the brother of my great grandfather Roman Gawdyda, see Roman's picture below) Maria Karpyshyn (Karpyszyn), Anastasia Kyryk, Mykhaylo Lyktej, Petro/Piotr Lyktej (as a teenager), Stephan Lyktej, Hryhorij Polak (Gregorius Poliak), Iliariy Stryjak, Theodor Stryjak, Maria Rusyn. Some from Trostyanets emmigrated to Brasil state of Parana, namely families of Anton Bilous (Antonius Bilous): 2 persons, Mykhaylo Hardash (Michael Hardasz): 3 persons, Pavlo/Paulus Hardasz: 2 persons, Hryhoriy Rubinets (Gregorius Rubiniec): 4 persons, Ivan Babiy (Iwan Babij) and Anastasia Babij. Some emmigrated to France from Trostyanets, namely families of Wasyl Mykhaylyshyn (Vasyl Mychajliszyn) and Julianna Lyktej. One Trostyanets person immigrated to Russia, namely Andriy Hyszka (Andrey Gishka). In total 66 persons immigrated only from village Trostyanets before the First World War. And only Pavlo Lyktey and Oleksa Lyktej returned, while the rest took the citizenship of the countries where they emigrated.

My great grandfather Roman Gawdyda while serving in Austrian imperial army during First World War (1915). I was named Roman after him. He fought in famous for its bravery Tarnopol regiment (composed of conscripts from Berezhany and neighboring Ternopil/Tarnopol areas) on the Italian front during the First World War. Other great grandfather of mine Theodor Zakhariy also served in Austrian army at this regiment fighting in Italy, where he was wounded at leg and hospitalized to Vienna, seeing through the hospital windows the burial procedure of Emperor Franz Joseph.

In 1912-1913 for work to the USA from Trostyanets' emigrated: Vasyl Mykhayliuk (Wasyl Michajliuk) or Cyganiw (Gypsy's) as he was called, Mykhaylo Didukh (Michael Diduch), Roman Hyshka (Hyszka/Giszka/Gyszka), Semen Protsiv (Simon Prociw) or Semtsiv as he was called. All of these returned in 1921-1922 back home.

ARCHIVE RECORDS FROM BEREZHANY AND AREA:

Some but not all parish registers and public (civil) registers, from Berezhany/Brzezany and all other parts of Eastern Galicia (namely Lwow, Stanislaw, Tarnopol regions of pre war Poland) and Volhyn (former Poland's Wolyn region), that is most of the area of present West Ukraine which was part of Austria during 1772-1918 (except Volyn which belonged to Russia at this period) and Poland during 1919-1939, are kept in the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw, Poland. Registers kept there have to be older then 100 years. They have registers (gaps exist in registry books) of the following confessions from present Ukraine's Eastern Galicia and Volhyn:

Greek Catholic (Galician Ukrainian/Ruthenian confession): from 18 th till the end of 19 th century, in total 482 volumes

Judaic (Jewish confession): from the beginnings of 19 th till the end of 19 th century, in total 1898 volumes

Orthodox (Volhynian Ukrainian confession): from the neginnings of 19 th till the end of 19 th century, in total 18 volumes

Protestant (Evangelic-Augsburg and Helvetian. It was mostly Galician and Volhynian Germans' confession, some of Poles and Ukrainians were Protestants as well, especially during the reformation in Poland 17 th century): from 18 th till the end of 19 th century, in total 398 volumes

Roman Catholic (confession of Polish people and of some polonized Ukrainians as well): from 17 th till the end till the end of 19 th century, in total 1661 volumes.

Their address is the next:

The Central Archives of Historical Records / Archiwum Glowny Akt Dawnych (AGAD), ul. Dluga 6, P.O. Box 7, 00-263 Warsaw/Warszawa, Poland. Tel. +48 22 831 54 91 and fax +48 22 831 16 08 Head of the Section for the Eastern Galicia and Volyn is Maria Sierocka-Pospiech (MA), the head of 5 th Department of Registry and Resources Accessibility. You should contact her if you want to get the records. By the way I lived at that street (I had a room arranged at the Paulians monastery through my friend Laci) a few meters from this Archives for one week when I came to work to Warsaw in January 1999. I had been working in Warsaw for almost two years before I came to do MPhil in Norway this August (2000).

Archives description: The Archives was established in the year 1808. Historical records of the central authorities: Crown Archives and royal Chancellery Registers (from 13 th till 18 th century) are kept along with the registers of the local tribunals for nobles (from 15 th till 18 th century) and records of public authorities, offices and institutions from the period of Partitions of Poland (1795-1918). Here are also records of noble families, individuals and their estates. Opening hours of reading Room: Monday - Friday 9 am - 7.30 am. Saturdays closed. In August reading room is closed. Archival studies usually require considerable time and patience. Carring out the genealogical research may be done by postal inquire or assigned to an archivist by an application. The fee for the service is fixed at the Directive no 5 from 12 th July 1996 by the Director of State Archives. It is $ 15 per hour. The access to the Polish archives is regulated by law enacted on 14 th July 1983. The archives is open to the general public as well as to scholars. In all archives access to records is free of charge. However, for the purpose of genealogical research the permission for foreigners must be obtained from the Director of State Archives at the address above. The permission may be requested by letter, by fax or by applying in person at The Head Office of State Archives. Please not that no access is given to the registers (books) which are in poor physical condition. That applies especially for Judaic registers. The Archives need to safeguard the registers for the future generations. These registers are in process of microfilming now. Please, notice that according to the law concerning civil records no access is given also to the register dated from 1898. The research is these registers could be done only by an archivist, as paid inquiry for a private person.

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Below I am presenting the years of Roman Catholic records that they have from southern part of Berezhany district (Pidhaytsi parish):

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1. PARISH PODHAJCE (present PIDHAYTSI), of former Tarnopol/Ternopil region:

births for whole parish from years 1718-1732, 1778-1783, births from villages: Muzylow (present Muzhyliv) for years: 1784 - 1828, Wierzbow (present Verbiv) for years 1784 - 1825, Uhrynow (Uhryniv) 1787 - 1823, Bozykow (present Bozhykiv) for years 1785 - 1826

marriages for whole parish for years 1707 - 1837, 1784 - 1826, marriages for town Podhajce (Pidhaytsi) for years 1784 - 1826 c)

deaths for whole parish for years 1716 - 1726, 1733 - 1762, deaths for town Podhajce (Pidhaytsi) for years 1784 - 1822, deaths from villages: Nowosiolka (Nove Siltse) for years 1784-1826, Michalowka (Mykhaylivka) for years 1787 - 1826

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Other Roman Catholic parish years records listing that they have, namely from Touste (present Tovste) in East Galicia, at south east corner of present Ternopil region, ab. 100 km south east from Berezhany:

2. PARISH TOUSTE (present Tovste), of Skalat district of Tarnopol/Ternopil region:

births for whole parish 1722 - 1772, 1872-1873, 1875 -18885, births from village Rasztowce (Riashtivtsi) for years 1784 - 1887 b) deaths for whole parish for the same years, only for village Rasztowce (Riashtivtsi) 1784 - 1872

But the most important Archives, where the most of pre war records of Austrian and Polish times from Berezhany and Eastern Galicia are kept is Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv at the address below:

Centralnyy Derzhavnyy Istorychnyy Arkhiv Ukrayiny, m. Lviv, 290008. Lviv 8. pl. Soborna 3 A, Ukraine. Tel. +380 322 72 30 63 and fax +380 322 72 35 08 Director of Archives is Diana Pelts and the main archivist is Yelyzaveta Stetsiv.

Regarding Berezhany, they have:

Judaic records as well as records of Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic parish of town Berezhany (Brzezany) and the villages belonging to this parish namely: Mistechko (Miasteczko), Adamivka (Adamowka), Khatky (Chatki), Siltse (Siolko, present Kvitkove), Baranivka (Baranovka), Dubshche (Dubszcze), Koropatnyky (Koropatniki), Kozivka (Kozowka), Komarivka (Komarovka), Kotiv (Kotow), Mechyshchiv (Mieczyszczow), Vilkhovets (Olchowiec), Posukhiv (Posuchow), Potutory (Potutory), Ray (Raj), Shybalyn (Szybalin) , Trostyanets' (Troscianiec) with records on birth, marriage, and death for 1818 - 1865.

They have also school documents from Berezhany area, which are partly preserved for years 1925-1939 namely:

lists of pupils of primary schools in town Berezhany (Brzezany) for 1925-1939,

list of primary school in village Baranivka (Baranowka) for 1925-1933,

list of pupils of primary school in village Basnykivka (Basnikowka) for 1934,

list of pupils of village Hayik (Hajek) near Lapshyn (Lapszyn) for 1933,

list of pupils in village Viktorivka (Wiktorowka) for 1933,

list of pupils of school of village Budyliv (Budylow/Budilow) for 1925-1928, 1933,

list of pupils of primary school in village Byshky (Byszky)

all in Berezhany district

Besides that they posses the printed materials in the list of nobility (szlachta/shlakhta) of Galicia and Bukovina for 1857

The list is very comprehensive and long. For instance for surname of one Berezhany Polish family of Siedliecki there are:

Siedlecki Mikolaj (Michael in English, Roman's note) and Kazimierz of the coat of arms of Grzymala; Siedlecki Judasz Tadeusz, Jozefi Ignacy of coat of arms of Gzrymala Siedliecki Wojciech of coat of arms of Grzymala Siedliecki Michal (also Michael in English) and Jozef, Siedlecki Felicyan, Siedliecki Stanislaw - all of them members of the Strata Committee (poczet) of Galician and Bukovinian Nobility (szlachta), Lwow, 1857, Page 221

Other parish registers and public (civil) registers from Berezhany and Eastern Galicia which are not kept at the described above two major archives could be found in:

Trans Bug Archives /Archiwum Zabuzanski at the Public Registers Office - Urzad Stanu Cywilnego w m st. Warszawie, Oddzial - Srodmiescie, ul. Jezuicka 1/3, 00-950 Warsaw- Warszawa, Poland. Tel. +48228317181 ext. 14. They have the registers from Western Ukraine starting from 1898, mainly for inter war period (1918-1939).

Some of the registers that the above Archives has from Berezhany district:

Village Kotiv (Kotow): births, marriages and deaths for 1921 - 1936

Village Semykivtsi (Siemikowce), parish Beniawa, district Pidhaytsi/Podhajce (former Berezhany district):

births: 1907, 1908, 1909-1911, 1919, 1920-1937; marriages: 1907, 1909 - 1912, 1919 - 1937 and deaths: 1907 - 1912, 1919 - 1937

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Public Registers Office, Arkhiv ZAGS, vul. Hetmana Doroshenka 23, 290001 Lviv, Ukraine. Thry also some of the registers from Western Ukraine, starting from 1898

Archiwum, Biblioteka i Muzeum Metropolii Lwowskiej Obrzadku Lacinskiego (Archives, Library and Museum of Lviv Metropolitanate of Latin Rite) ul. Kanoniczna 13, 31-002 Cracow, Poland. Tel. +48 12 411 38 03. This Archivers has only some of the Roman Catholic registers from the area.

Polish public (civil) registers from the territories of Poland within the current border of Poland are kept in the local archives (older then 100 years) or in local Public Registers Office (Urzad Stanu Cywilnego - USC). There are 29 state archives in big cities and about 2500 USC offices in Poland

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Among the historical specialists on Berezhany residing in the town, I would name first Zynoviy Migotskyi (Migocki/Migotskyy of Polish origin). He created the plastic copy of Berezhany castle (it is at Berezhany Town Museum) even. He taught me sculpture and art composition at Berezhany Children School. He is historian and renown artist and once used to be mayor of Berezhany (now it is Hurskyii/Gurski). He lives at: B. Khmelntsky Str. 38, Berezhany 475001, Ternopil region, Ukraine. Tel. +380 354822378

BEREZHANY TOWN ARCHIVES

vul. 40 Richchya Zhovtnya, 4

Berezhany, 47501, Ternopil region, Ukraine

Tel of the head of Berezhany town archives: +380 322 2 24 76

They have modern registers and some of 20 th century registers from Berezhany and Berezhany district. This Archives is located in the same building where Civil Registry Office and Children Arts School (which I finished and where I studied in 1987 -1991 during my studies at the Secondary School no 3 in 1981- 1992 in Berezhany) located.

What you should know:

In order to start genealogical research in the most of Archives it is necessary to have some information about the particular person or family that the study will concentrate upon. The researcher must have details about:

the exact name of the person of or family; the confession of this person or family;

the name of a place (the name of a village or a town, parish or community and district) to which this person or family was connected;

the particular point in time (as exact as possible) when this person was connected with the parish or register office (birth/baptism, marriage or death/burial)

I am not an archivist and I do not conduct the searches. I am just presenting short genealogist's information for tracing your ancestors in Berezhany area to help you.