Ein Tirol vs. Tre Venezie – on the historical background of the Alto Adige/South Tyrol region

Abstract

One of the border regions in Europe where people belonging to different linguistic and cultural groups live together is Alto Adige/South Tyrol. Now part of Italy, the region has for centuries been subjected to an influx of Germanic settlers, who now form a minority group of Tyroleans. They feel strong ties to Austria and the Tyroleans living there. At the same time, the area is inhabited by a significant number of people who consider themselves as Italian and feel a connection to this country. Today, the region is regarded as a model example of a functioning territorial autonomy providing a high level of legal protection for a minority group. However, its history has been fraught with events that may have fuelled mutual resentment. In particular, the last two hundred years, when nation-building processes were underway across Europe, were fraught with events that remain vivid in the memory of the inhabitants. The aim of this article is to present the events and historical processes that led to the formation of the region's ties with Austria and German culture and, at the same time, its links with the Italian state and culture.