History
Since 1363 South Tyrol was part of the Austrian Crown
land Tyrol and therefore used to belong to the
Austrian-Hungarian monarchy. This changed with the signing
of the contract of Saint-Germain at the end of World
War I. It sealed the separation of Tyrol after the border of
Brennero and Trieste were assigned to Italy on the condition
to the admission to the Entente in 1915. This was followed
by a time of suppression which culminated in the so-called
Italianisation under the leadership of Mussolini and
the fascists. Many place names have been Italianised, the
denomination Tyrol and German classes in schools were
prohibited.
This was also a time of one of the darkest chapters in the
region’s history, the so-called Option. During those years the South
Tyrolean’s were forced to decide whether they wanted to stay in their
home country or emigrate to the German Empire. After World War II the
South Tyrolean’s were assured autonomous rights in the contract of
Paris and Austria was declared its protector state.
But Italy hesitantly implemented the stipulated changes.
Hate and bitterness were the consequences and unloaded in bomb
attacks during the 60s. It was only after the ratification of the second
Statute of Autonomy (1972) that the situation calmed down. In 1992 the
rivalry between Austria and Italy was settled. Today South Tyrol is a
wealthy region and enjoys its situation as an autonomous province.
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