South Tyrol
South Tyrol (German Südtirol, Italian Alto Adige , Ladin Alter Ades) 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.
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History
In the aftermath of World War I the southern part of Austrian 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 valleys 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 some 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.
With the Treaty of Gruber-De Gasperi (1946) the German-speaking people were granted special rights. These were further extended in the 1970s.
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. There is a South Tyrolean People's Party, or Südtiroler Volkspartei. 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:
- Andreas Hofer
- Sepp Kerschbaumer
- Georg Klotz
- Kanonikus Michael Gamper
Revolutionaries:
- Michael Gaismair
Inventors and scientists:
- Peter Mitterhofer
- Johann Kravogl
- Jakob Eisendle
- Max Valier
Others:
- Reinhold Messner
- Gilbert & George Artists
- Luis Trenker
- Walther von der Vogelweide
- Oswald von Wolkenstein
- Giorgio Moroder
- Ötzi the Iceman
Castles
- Brunico-Bruneck (Castle)
- Ehrenburg
- Hocheppan
- Juval
- Laimburg
- Maretsch
- Marienberg
- Muri Gries
- Neustift
- Rafenstein
- Reifenstein
- Reinsberg
- Ried
- Runkelstein
- Sigmundskron
- Sprechenstein
- Tirol (Castle)
- Wehrburg
- Wolkenstein
Mountains
- Sciliar (Schlern) (2563 m)
- Catinaccio (Rosengarten)
- Dolomites
- Latemar
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen)
- Zainggerberg
Subdivision
South Tyrol is divided into several (116) administrative regions/Villages (Gemeinden//Communes):
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External links
- Südtirol - the official tourism website (http://www.suedtirol.info)
- Civic network of South Tyrol (http://www.provinz.bz.it/english/) - Official site of the Autonomous Province of Bozen - South Tyrol
- Details of the autonomy statute South Tyrol (http://www.provinz.bz.it/english/overview/autonomy_statute.htm)
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Categories: Provinces of Italy | South Tyrol