Hello Joy Thanks for the advice. I have contacted a lady who lives in Bytca who did an amazing amount of research for me on the HAAS family in that area. She didn't charge very much, but did more than I could have done on a trip to Slovakia or a pile of letters. She used to work for the Archive there and retired to do freelance research work, probably trebled her salary at the same time. Were any of your father-in-laws's family Jewish? The HAAS family in Slovakia that I am related to - and chasing - were from Puchov in the north west and were a Jewish family. Strangely enough, the only HAAS relative I have found other than immediate family, is a 3rd cousin and he lives in Australia as well! We didn't know that though until we had compared notes a few times and found each other. He lives in Sydney and I am in Western Australia, so we're still around 2700 kilometres apart. Amanda Haas Boulder, Western Australia