Grilë

Grilë is a settlement in the former Gruemirë municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe. It is part of the Vraka region, inhabited by a majority of Serbs–Montenegrins, who call the village Grilj.

History

1990

In 1990, there were 85 households, of which 76 were Montenegrin and 9 were Albanian. Of a total of ca. 750 people, ca. 680 are Montenegrins, the rest Albanians. Descendants of various Montenegrin clans live in the village. Most numerous are the families of Zlatičanin (now bearing the surnames Krsto-Krstaja and Faticaj), then Peljčić (Šeljčaj), Krstović (Nikola and Nikolaj), Camaljić (Mino), Hajković (Hajku), Brajović (Ferizaj, Jako and Foljeta) and others. There is only one primary school in the Vraka region, located in Grilë, having had ca. 450 pupils in 1990. The teachers were mainly Albanians, though at times teachers were from Vraka. The education was strictly in Albanian language, which led to great uninterest in education in the children, principally due to them not speaking Albanian before entering school; this is believed to be one of the causes that the educational success of children in Vraka was low. However, the number of those who continued studies had increased in the last period, which had up until then been rare.