More Polish Grallas From Luboschütz and Oppeln

In the Catholic parish in the city of Opole, Poland, a Gralla family first appeared about the year 1791 residents of the village of Luboschütz. This Gralla was Nicolaus Gralla, a soldier, age 30, who married Marianna Hannalonka of Opole, age 27 on the 3rd of Feb. Another early Gralla to this area was Valentin Gralla, who moved into Luboschütz from elsewhere and was also married on the 3rd of Feb. 1791 to Agnes Libor of Kempa. He was 28 and she was 26. As these are the only two Grallas in this parish, it is probable that they were brothers moving in from another town. Records are sketchy for this time period and few Gralla entries were noted. Later we find more Grallas in Opole.

Adalbert Gralla married Marianna Waletzko on 27 June 1824. He was then age 30 and she was 23. Four children were born to this couple, Joseph, on 14 Nov. 1834, who married Maria Klaus, Johann, 12 May 1827, who was married three times; to Agnes Malek, Josepha Hilla, and Agnes Kochanek, and a stillborn son on 24 Jun 1833, and a daughter Rosalia born in 1818, who died on 30 Aug. 1825.

Joseph Gralla and Maria Klaus, daughter of Mathias Klaus of Halbendorf married 14 Feb. 1865. Joseph was a brick mason at the time. Only one son, Joseph, born 26 Nov. 1865 was found in this parish.

Johann Gralla had several children born in Opole. From his first wife, Agnes Malek, whom he married on 8 Feb. 1846 when he was 19, and she was 18, were born five children. Anton was born on the 11th of Jan. 1848, and died on the 30th of the same month. Christina was born on the 2nd of May 1849 and died 28 Dec. 1851. Daughter Marianna was born on 14 Aug. 1851. She, too, must have died early, although no record was found, as the next daughter was also a Marianna born on 14 Aug. 1853 and died shortly after on the 9th of Oct. The last child of this union was Julianna, born 23 May 1855-died 24 May 1855. On this date, the mother of these children, Agnes, also passed away.

From Johann Gralla's 2nd wife, Josepha Hilla, he had two children; Francisca, 27 Sep 1856, and Maria, 8 Mar. 1858 and on the 31st of Mar., his 2nd wife passed away at age 22 with complications from childbirth.

Johann then married Agnes Kochanek, daughter of Joseph Kochanek on 22 Jun 1858, when he was 31, and she was 19.

Their children included: Julianna, born 20 May 1859, who died on 9 Jul. 1859, Peter, born 5 Oct. 1860 and Catharina, born 17 Nov. 1862, Thomas, born 18 Dec. 1864, who died on 1 Feb. 1865, Juliana, born 18 May 1865, Johannes, 13 May 1866, and Julianna, 18 May 1868.

The Grallas from the town of Luboschütz and the parish of Opole, are small in number. There are some indications that they originate from a larger group of Grallas from the town of Lugnian. Gralla immigrants to the United States include Grallas from Lugnian and Opole.

A Little Gralla Family History (Koszecin, Poland)

LOCAL PEOPLE GIVE COLORFUL ACCOUNT OF "ROBIN HOOD" GRALLA.
(I mentioned I would be doing some genealogy stuff on this blog)

In the village of Koszecin, Poland, stand the remains of the Franz Gralla farm of the late 1800's. Although, much has changed on the property, the people who live there now were able to share what they remembered of Franz Gralla, father of twelve children and my great grandfather. The current owners, the Soballas, bought the farm from a Jewish man who had purchased it originally from Franz Gralla in the year 1903. Mr. Soballa tells what caused Franz Gralla to leave the area for Moscow and later St. Petersburg, as he recalls in the year 1903. Franz Gralla, although the owner of a farm and acreage was not the farmer "type" nor did he want to be. He lived life a little on the "wild side" as he chose to defy the local nobility, the Hohenlohes, who owned the forests and most of the surrounding property. Franz Gralla liked to hunt in the forests of the Hohenlohes, which was against the law. But he did this to provide food for his large and growing family and to provide food for all the poor townspeople. For this, the people of the village loved him and the Hohenlohes despised him. He became known as "Robin Hood" Gralla. Often times he would hide with his hunting friends in the forests as the local authorities tried to track him down. He made traps out of bridges which would drop to the water below and help him in fast get-aways. This he did for quite some time until the Hohenlohes eventually caught up to him, and knowing him to be very knowledgeable in forestry, rather than arrest him, as was expected, he was given a forestry job in Belorus on the Hohenlohe property there as an alternative punishment. This same Franz Gralla was also a merchant, a business man who provided the stones for the road which still is there and leads to the next town. According to the Soballas, Franz Gralla was involved in many interesting business "deals", but was a good man whom the people liked and respected for his help in feeding their families.

Grallas in España

Some years ago I came upon the Grallas in the Catalan area of Spain.  Gralla is my mom's side of the family.  They are my Polish side.  However, while doing research we found out all about the Grallas in Spain and even went to the Casa Gralla in Subirats and spoke to the Gralla descendants that were there.  It was a little difficult as my 6 years of Spanish had turned to "rust" but none-the-less the family shared their pedigree chart and pointed out the Gralla who emigrated to Polonia back several hundreds of years ago.  We were escorted to the Palace and the family church by the author of the book about Luis de Requesen.  He was also the proprietor of the Museum in Martorell.  Here are some quotes I translated from his book which is written in Catalan.

Miguel Juan de Gralla


From Lerida ? XV century - died in 1531. Distinguished royal official. Teacher of royal classroom. Delegate of the Generalilat (1491-1494). Royal accountant teacher of Catalunya. (1501-1520). His linage was through the Burgues de Lerida. He gained his riches by practicing mercantilism. Castellan and Feudal Lord of the castle of Subirat. He was at the service of Ana de Bretana until the capitulation of Reunes in 1491. He returned to Cataluna and intervened in name of the King in the municipal reforms and of the Generalilat and he was designated by the king as a delegate.