|
South Tyrol (German Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Italian Provincia autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige , Ladin Provinzia autonóma de Bulsan-Südtirol) is an autonomous province of Italy. It should not be confused with the autonomous region of Trentino-South Tyrol, of which it is a subdivison. South Tyrol's extensive autonomy makes it de facto comparable to an autonomous region of Italy.
It has an area of 7,400 sq km, and a total population of 462,999 (2001). There are 116 communes in the province (source: Italian institute of statistics Istat, see this link (http://www.upinet.it/indicatore.asp?id_statistiche=6)).
History
For the history of the County of Tyrol before World War I, see Tyrol.
At the beginning of World War I, Italy declared its neutrality in the conflict. Italy was member of the "Dreibund", the defensive alliance between Germany, Austria and Italy. As an alliance member that was not under attack, Italy was free to stay out of the war. The Entente cordiale and its allies tried to get Italy involved on their side by promising the Italian leaders the Italian speaking parts of other countries in case of a victory, meaning Tyrol, even in the mostly Germanophone region immediately to the south of the "Brennerpass". Italy agreed, and after the end of World War I, Italy received South Tyrol as a "gift". In the aftermath of World War I South Tyrol was occupied by Italy, and subsequently annexed, adding an area of 14,037 km² (5,420 mi²) to Italy. The areas around Trento formed Italian-speaking Trentino. In the north the region around Bozen/Bolzano were inhabited by ethnic Germans and Ladins. (Today Ladin is the third official language of South Tyrol, alongside German and Italian.)
After the rise of Fascism in 1922 a policy of Italianisation was implemented ruthlessly. All places, down to the tiniest hamlet, were given Italian names, and even family names were translated. The process intensified in the 1930s, when the government of Benito Mussolini encouraged thousands of southern Italians to relocate to the region. Hitler did not claim the German speaking South Tyrol for his "Reich", because Mussolini was too important as an ally. In 1939, both dictators agreed to give the German population a choice: they could emigrate to Germany (or its new territories) or stay in Italy and accept their complete Italianisation. It was a diffcult choice for the people of South Tyrol: between their language or the landscape where their ancestors had lived. Both solutions meant the crackdown of their culture. As a consequence, South Tyrolen Society was deeply riven. Those who wanted to stay ("Dableiber"), were condemned as traitors, those who left ("Optanten") were defamed as Nazis. Because of the outbreak of the WWII, this agreement between Mussolini and Hitler was never fully accomplished.
In 1943, after the deposition of Mussolini and the capitulation of Italy, German troops invaded Northern Italy. South Tyrol became part of the "Operationszone Alpenvorland". Many German-speaking South Tyroleans wanted revenge upon Italians living in the area, which was mostly stemmed by the occupying Nazis, who still considered Mussolini head of the "Repubblica di Salò".
With the Treaty of Gruber-De Gasperi (1946) the German-speaking people were granted special rights. But the statutory order was implemented by De Gasperi for the whole region (South Tyrol and Trentino), where Italians were in the majority, making impossible a real self government for the German speaking South Tyroleans. Even the implementation of this "First statutory order" was delayed over and over again, while more and more Italians were encouraged to relocate to South Tyrol, with the aim of creating an Italian majority.
In 1945 the South Tyrolean peoples party (Südtiroler Volkspartei) was founded, above all by "Dableiber" - people who had chosen to stay in Italy after the agreement between Hitler and Mussolini. A party founded by the "Optanten" would not have been acceptable for the occupyng Americans, due to their apparenty close relationship to the Nazis.
As consequence of delaying implementation of the statutory order, the late 1950s and especially 1960s saw the rise of anti-Italian terrorism in South Tyrol. At the beginning the terrorist strategy was targeted only against structures. The reaction of the Italian state was cruel, because many of the members of the Italian secret service had been Fascists.
The 1960s finally brought a some progress towards establishment of self-government for South Tyroleans. In consequence, only the most fanatical of the terrorists wanted to continue their fight for an Austrian South Tyrol. These terrorists, such as Jörg Klotz, were prepared achieve their ends by hook or by crook, sacrificing even human life.
Terrorists carried out 361 attacks with explosives, guns and land mines, between 1956 and 1988. Acts were mainly against structures, so human casualties were very few considered the time span involved.
However there were 21 human casualties, among which 4 terrorists who were slain by their own explosive devices. The wounded amounted to 57.
Eventually, the pressure of terrorism caused Italian central government to consider "Second statutory order" especially for the mostly German speaking province of Bozen/Bolzano (South Tyrol).
Today South Tyrol (i.e. the Province of Bozen-Südtirol or Bolzano-Alto Adige) enjoys a high degree of autonomy, and relations with North and East Tyrol - the two portions of the old state retained by Austria - are lively, especially since Austria joined the European Union. The South Tyrolean People's Party, or Südtiroler Volkspartei, has been consistently in power since its founding in 1945. Places still have two (German/Italian) or even three (Ladin/German/Italian) names.
According to the 2001 census more than two-thirds of the population is German speaking (69.4%); the second most used language is Italian (26.3%), followed by Ladin (4.3%).
Famous names
Freedom fighters:
Revolutionaries:
Inventors and scientists:
- Peter Mitterhofer
- Johann Kravogl
- Jakob Eisendle
- Max Valier
Others:
Castles
- Altrasen
- Bruneck (Castle)
- Ehrenburg
- Fischburg
- Glurnhör
- Gran Ciasa da la Ila
- Gravetsch
- Hocheppan
- Juval
- Kehlburg
- Kofel
- Laimburg
- Lamprechtsburg
- Maretsch
- Marienberg
- Michelsburg
- Moos
- Muri Gries
- Neuhaus
- Neumelans
- Neurasen
- Neustift
- Rafenstein
- Reifenegg
- Reifenstein
- Reinsberg
- Ried
- Runkelstein
- Schenna (Castle)
- Schöneck
- Sigmundskron
- Sonnenburg
- Sprechenstein
- Straßberg
- Taufers
- Tirol (Castle)
- Thumburg
- Trauttmansdorff
- Trostburg
- Turn
- Uttenheim
- Wehrburg
- Welfenstein
- Welsperg
- Wolfsthurm
- Wolkenstein
- Zantturm
Mountains
- Schlern (Sciliar) (2563 m)
- Rosengarten (Catinaccio)
- Dolomites
- Latemar
- Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime di Lavaredo)
- Zainggerberg
Subdivision
South Tyrol is divided into several (116) administrative regions/Villages (Gemeinden//Communes) most of which have an original german name as well as an italian translation, introduced during the fascism and still in use. Those counting on three names are Ladin communes:
External links
| 
