Dennis, The historical background on the villages is very interesting, and helps provide some context. I would like to know more about the villages/towns that relate to my reasearch. Is there a particular source that you go to for this info? Can you point us to where to find the info? I am researching my husband's family from the villages of Czermin (Mielec), Slupiec (Tarnow), and Jaslany, Josephsdorf, Schonanger & Tuszow (all Mielec). Many thanks, --Karen On Aug 1, 2009, at 1:37 AM, Dennis Benarz wrote: > Your grandmother came from the small city of Nowy Sacz. It is an old > settlement, found in old texts variously called "Sandechz" (1311), > "Kamenicia" (1312), "Kamenecia" (1317), and Sandecz (1318). The city > lies at > the confluence of two rivers (Dunajec and Kamienica) near the older > town of > Stary Sacz. Like all cities, Nowy Sacz has had it ups and downs. > Probably > the one single event that hampered its future growth was large-scale > destruction caused during the Swedish Deluge (1655-1660). In the 19th > Century, Nowy Sacz had 11,185 residents. The ethnic breakdown: > 10,788 Poles, > 63 Russians, 123 Germanics, and 7 "others". The religious breakdown: > 5,144 > Roman Catholics, 560 Greek Catholics, 5,163 Jews, and 318 "others". > > Today, Nowy Sacz has about 85,000 residents. It is part of the > Diocese of > Tarnow and contains ten Roman Catholic parishes. During World War > II, about > 60% of the city was totally destroyed. Most of it's prewar Jewish > population > of 25,000 died during the war (many were sent to the Belzec > Extermination > Camp) and several hundred of its Christian residents were executed for > aiding and sheltering Jews. It was a city with a conscience and was > recognized with an official honorarium after the war. > > For more information, visit its official website: http://www.nowysacz.pl/ > > Cheers and good luck in your endeavor! > > Dennis