Untergrafenreid

Johann Baptist  “John”  Ruhland and his parents, Andreas Ruhland and Walburga Eiber came from this village. The actual designation of Untergrafenreid is Untergrafenried, Waldmunchen, Cham, Bavaria, Germany. It is located pretty much on the German-Czech border. The border moved back and forth under control of the Germans or the Bohemians. Many Ruhlands live in the Czech Republic, which was called Bohemia back in the 1860s. The Coat of Arms is from Waldmunchen. Reproduced here courtesy of WikiPhoto courtesy Wikicommons, http://www.hdbg.eu/gemeinden/web/

A note from the Plain, (where many family members settled) from A History of Plain, Wisconsin by Hildegarde Thering, 1982

“The town Grafenried is now called Lucina and is in the Czech Republic (formerly called Bohemia), located across

the German border (near Waldmünchen). The town Grafenried was destroyed after the war and has no houses now. The nearby town called Untergrafenried is in Germany near Waldmünchen. Before 1770, Grafenried was one town; later Grafenried divided into two towns: Untergrafenried and Obergrafenried. The east part of Grafenried, called Obergrafenried, went to Bohemia. The church records for Grafenried, Obergrafenried and Untergrafenried are in Ast (near  Waldmünchen) in Kreis Cham, Germany. After 1770, Obergrafenried had it’s own parish in Czech Republic; these church records are now in the archive in Klentsch/Klenci in Czech Republic.”

The photo is taken by Debbie Blau from Lucina, looking at Untergrafenreid.

In 1867, Untergrafenreid was classified as a small village, a “Dorf.” There were 198 residents and 53 buildings. It held its own school.

The parish, Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption, was in nearby Ast, which is where Andreas and Walburga married and where John would have been baptized. It is located 4.4km west of Waldmünchen. John’s wife, Eva Hetzl’s parents also attended the Pilgrimage Church. Photo of Wallfahrtskirche Maria Himmelfahrt Catholic Church in Ast courtesy of Debbie Blau.