Oberst Franz Grüll

Franz Grüll was born in Atzelsdorf in Lower Austria as the legitimate son of the house owner of the same name Franz Grüll and his wife Franziska, née Weinberger. After completing his schooling, he joined the Imperial and Royal Army on October 7, 1901. From there he transferred directly to the Vienna Security Guard on September 2, 1904. In 1912, he married Maria Leopold and subsequently became the father of a daughter.

As a Viennese policeman, he was not drafted into the First World War and experienced the defeat of Austria-Hungary, the break-up of the dual monarchy and the expulsion of the House of Habsburg in Vienna. He remained in the Vienna police force and slowly rose through the ranks as a police officer. In the 1930s, the devout Catholic and opponent of National Socialism joins the Vaterländische Front. As a police officer, he took energetic action against National Socialist rallies, such as the one in front of the graves of the executed coup plotters of the National Socialist coup attempt of July 25, 1934, during which Federal Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was murdered. In 1935, he was promoted to Colonel of the Vienna Police and Head of the Arms Department.

In Vienna, Franz Grüll witnessed the liberation of Austria and the re-establishment of the Republic in April and May 1945. He reported for duty again on April 28, 1945 and became head of the Arms Department once more. He joins the newly founded Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich. In the same year, after his wife Maria died, he married Magdalena Knechtl. Due to his age, he retired on December 31, 1945.

Franz Grüll died in Vienna at the age of 77 and was laid to rest at the cemetery in Vienna-Hietzing.