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 to be neutral in the conflict. Italy was member of the "Dreibund", the defense alliance between Germany, Austria and Italy. Not being attacked a member country, Italy was free not to take part of the war. The Entente cordiale and its allies tried to get Italy involved on their side by promising the Italian leaders Italian speaking parts of other countries in case of a victory, regarding Tyrol even the mostly German speaking region in 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, up 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 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 and the landscape where their ancestors had lived. Both solutions meant the crackdown of their culture. As a consequence, the South Tyrolen Society was deeply riven. Those who wanted to stay ("Dableiber"), were defamed as traitors, the others ("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 troups invaded Northern Italy. South Tyrol became part of the "Operationszone Alpenvorland". Many German-speaking South Tyroleans wanted to revenge upon Italians living in the area, what mostly could been stemmed by the occupying Nazis, who still considering Mussolini, now 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 the Italian had a majority, making impossible a real self government of the German speaking South Tyroleans. And 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, targeting 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 the delaying statutory order, the late 1950s and expecially 1960s see 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 few progresses to the set up of a self government of the South Tyroleans. As consequences, only the most fanatical of the terrorists wantedto continue their fight for an Austrian South Tyrol. These terrorists, such as Jörg Klotz, were prepared to act 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 accounted 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 Austria joined the European Union. The South Tyrolean People's Party, or Südtiroler Volkspartei, that is steadily in power since its founding in 1945. Places still have two (German/Italian) or even three (Ladin/German/Italian) versions.
According to the 2001 census more than two third 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:
Others:
Castles
Mountains
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
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Contact