KONIOWKA

Very soon Kathy and I will be on our way to Koniowka,pronounced Kon-YOUV-ka, not Coney-OUWA-ka as you might naturally assume. I will be writing in this blog as we move along and hope that you will find many things of interest to read or see during this ancestral research journey. In the photo are "Goral" shepherds. The Gorale and Podhale people are a very proud and respected group. They have occupied the Tatras mountain region of the Carpathians for centuries. The roots of the these people can be traced to early settlements in and around the Tatras as early as 4000bc. More commonly known today as Highlanders, the Gorale and Podhale culture matured in the 1700's as did the rest of the world. They survived many hostile enemies during this maturation process. Most notably the Habsburg empire, both World Wars, Nazism and Communism. Today this area bordering Slovakia in the southernmost portion of Poland retains much of the Highlander culture. Koniowka remains a village of less than 500 proud Podhale people. These people are my people. I can say with absolute conviction that I am Podhale. Stay tuned for updates