Warszawa & Praga Homeowners' Lists (1852, 1864, 1869 and 1870)

The Warszawa Research Group, in cooperation with JewishGen Inc., presents the Warszawa Homeowners' List database.  This database contains over 12,000 entries from four homeowners' lists for Warszawa (Warsaw), the capital and largest city in Poland; and its suburb of Praga, just across the river.  Today, Praga is part of the city proper.

The significance of the Homeowner's Lists

Warszawa vital records (births, marriages and deaths) include the residence of each person identified (i.e. witnesses, parents, deceased, bride, groom) by plot number.  In most cases, they do not provide the actual street number or name.  This database will enable a Warszawa researcher to identify the street name, house number and owner associated with the individuals in each vital record.

The Homeowner's Lists will also provide the district (cyrkuli) for the plot number.  Since vital records were registered by district, the knowledge of the district number will enable the researcher to identify the LDS microfilmed vital records associated with that district.  Click here to review some typical research questions.

The dividing lines between districts varied over time.  This is most evident on the Warszawa Homeowner's list database.  While each inner-city district typically maintained their own vital record registration, there were periods of time when several districts combined their vital registration together.  Maps of Warszawa indicating districts can be found on the Jewish Records Indexing - Poland website at http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/warsaw/districts.htm.

This database has been compiled from four sources:

• Przewodnik Warszawski informacyjno-adressowy [Guide of Warszawa and Address Information] 1869   (LDS Film Number 1,183,685).

• Przewodnik Warszawski informacyjno-adressowy [Guide of Warszawa and Address Information] 1870   (LDS Film Number 1,183,685).

• Taryffa Domow Miasta Warszawy i Praga [House Tariff for the Town of Warszawa and Praga] 1852   (New York Public Library, Call number Slav Reserve 99 6219).

• Taryfa Domów Miasta Stołecznego Warszawy i Przedmieścia Pragi [House Tariff for the Capital City of Warszawa and the Surburb of Praga] 1864   (Biblioteka Naradowa in Warszawa, Call Number I 2.044.625).

The Contents of the Database

1869 and 1870 are in a combined database (5,659 entries).

The 1869 Homeowner's list contains the following information:

1. Given Name -- (Note: In many cases the property was owned by a father and his sons, in such instances, instead of the given name, the words "sons" is stated in this field)
2. Surname
3. Title (if baron or count)
4. Plot number
5. Street Name
6. House number
7. Extensive comments, such as information on storeowners and factories that are also present at that location. An example would be:
   

   fabryka wody gazowej Muszkata
   (Muszkat's sparkling water factory)

   This field is in Polish, with an English translation in parenthesis.
8. City: Praga or Warszawa
9. District

The information was compiled from two lists in the book.  The first was the alphabetical listing of the homeowners.  The list provided the surname, given name and house number.  The second list was a numerical listing of the house number.  This list contained the plot number, street name, house number, owner's name and comments.  In some cases, the spelling of the surname varied between the two lists for the same person and the database contains both spelling variations, separated by a slash mark "/".

The 1870 Homeowner's List contains the following information:

1. First Initial of Given Name for Warszawa, and full given name for Praga.  (Note: In many cases the property was owned by a father and his sons, in such instances, instead of the first initial of the given name, the words "sons" is stated in this field).
2. Surname
3. Title (if baron or count)
4. Plot number
5. Street Name
6. House Number
7. City: Praga or Warszawa
8. District

In creating the database, the 1869 and 1870 list were compared.  If the surname and the first initial of the given names matched in the two lists, then it was assumed that it was the same owner.  All spelling variations of the surname were noted in the surname field and separated by a slash mark "/".  The letter "I" and "J" were considered a match in comparing the first initial of the given name.

1852 and 1864 Homeowner's Lists:

The 1852 and 1864 Homeowner's Lists were each created independently.  The 1852 and 1864 lists contain 3,348 and 3,420 entries respectively.  An image of the 1864 list is at the right.

The 1852 and 1864 lists are similar in content, with the following information being recorded:

1. Given Name (Note: In many cases the property was owned by a family, or husband and wife or father and his sons, or brothers. In such instances, instead of the given name, the family unit is stated, i.e. "sons" or "brothers" or "husband and wife" is stated in this field)
2. Surname
3. Title (if baron or count)
4. Plot Number
5. Street Name
6. District
7. City: Praga, Warszawa or Warszawa-Powzkowska
8. Comments (Note: In the 1864 list, the Polish word "sukcesor" has been translated in the database as "inheritors").

Acknowledgements:

This database was compiled through the dedicated efforts of volunteers of the Warszawa Research Group.  Many thanks to Max Heffler, Kate Hibel, Hadassah Lipsius and Lynn Stern, and to our hosts at JewishGen and their database team.

What types of questions can this database answer?

1.  Before my grandparents came to America, they lived at 4 Franciszkanska Street.  Who owned that property?

A "global text search" of the database by street name and number will provide the information that in 1869 and 1870, that property was owned by GOLDWASSER.

2.  The Warszawa vital records were registered by districts.  If I know my family lived at 4 Franciskanska Street, can I find out what district that was in?

A "global text search" of the database by street name and number will indicate that this address was also plot number 1808.  In 1869 it was listed as being in district II, and in 1870 it was in district II & III.  Since the 1852 and 1864 lists only identify the plot number and not the house number, an additional global text search by plot number 1808 will reveal that in the 1852 it was in district 4 and in 1864 it was in district 2.

3.  I found a record in the LDS microfilms for my family that shows they lived at plot number 1808.  What street is that on and who owned that property?

A "global text search" of the database by the plot number will yield a result showing the street name, house number and owners for the 1869 and 1870 homeowners' list.

4.  Did my MUSZKAT and WINAWER family own any property in Warszawa in the years covered by the database?

A "surname" search of the database for the family surnames MUSZKAT and WINAWER yielded several results, including the fact that they owned a sparkling water factory.

Search the Database

The Warszawa Homeowners' Database is searchable via the form below, as well as via the All Poland Database.