[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Lodz Archive

[Jerry Frank]

If anyone is planning a visit to Lodz Archive, be prepared for a couple of days at least to see what you want.

I had made an appointment and stipulated the specific records I wanted to see expecting that everything would be ready for me but that did not make any difference.  It took an hour to fill out all the paperwork.  There is one document you must fill out for every year of record you want to look at - in duplicate!  Then a registration document and finally a document that allows you to take photos of records.  And, each person is only allowed to view 10 years worth of records per day.  My brother was along so we ordered down 20 years worth of records.  They took another hour to be delivered to the reading room.  We only got through 5 years of records in the time remaining that I had allowed for the archive.  

All this red tape yet they allow you to handle the original records with bare hands.  Records that are 175 years old and no need for white gloves.  The material is in rough shape and paper is becoming brittle with age and handling.

Will be in Plock Archive on Friday.  Hope for better results.


Jerry