September 9, 1939. Nazi Germany invades Poland days earlier; Soviet tanks loom just a week away (Sep 17). In the tense final days of Polish Vilnius (Wilno), the Catholic Archdiocese rushes out this handwritten copy (Nr. 154) from the Święciany parish metrical book—recording Franciska’s 1910 baptism. A desperate plea for identity papers amid chaos?
WWII Historical Drama
Issued on the eve of catastrophe in interwar Poland’s Vilnius region (now Lithuania/Belarus border). Such certificates were lifelines for refugees fleeing deportations, conscription, or border crossings—perfect for passports, marriages, or survival proofs as the Eastern Front ignited. Ties directly to the Soviet occupation of Eastern Poland, Phony War pivot, and Holocaust-era displacements in multi-ethnic Wilno Voivodeship.
Research Potential:
Unlock family secrets! Święciany (Švenčionys) records survive in LVIA Vilnius or FamilySearch (search “Franciska 1910 Świentsiany”). Cross-reference with WWII refugee lists, Polish Underground, or local censuses—could reveal Holocaust survivors, partisans, or émigrés. Ideal for genealogists tracing Polish-Lithuanian roots in the shadow of war.
Condition: 87-year-old original—aged laid paper, bold quill ink, Polish eagle postage (10gr?), diocese stamp, light folds. ~20x15cm folded. From private Baltic collection.
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AUTHENTIC - NOT a FAKE OR NOWADAYS COPY!
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