Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.58565/vda.6.1.1
Genealogical Research on the Example of the Village of Vrana
Ivana Burić
orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-1463
; The State Archives in Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
*
Josip Desnica
orcid.org/0009-0000-6934-5187
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
After the initial collection of basic data on the family surname and kinship ties, the fundamental questions of any genealogical research are: which sources to use and where they are located. Using the study of the genealogy of the village of Vrana near Zadar as an example, this article provides an overview of the most important ecclesiastical and administrative institutions that preserve relevant archival materials, as well as the fonds consulted at the State Archives in Zadar From these practical examples, it can be confidently concluded that it is necessary to use a variety of sources in order to obtain the most complete and accurate genealogical picture of a family or the demographic profile of a locality. Genealogical research cannot rely solely on parish registers, but also requires the inclusion of other types of archival materials, such as probate records, cadastral documents, court and notarial records, ecclesiastical documents, and feudal records. Since the primary source for any amateur genealogist—the parish registers of the village of Vrana—is preserved only fragmentarily, special attention is given to working with the collection of the District Court in Benkovac and the Borelli–Galbiani Family collection. In this way, the aim is to highlight the research methodology in cases where the fundamental source material has not been preserved.
Keywords
genealogical research; Vrana; State Archives in Zadar; archival sources; poorly preserved material
Hrčak ID:
343675
URI
Publication date:
30.1.2026.
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