South Tyrol

"Alto Adige" redirects here. For other uses, see Alto Adige (disambiguation).

South Tyrol Autonome Provinz Bozen — Südtirol Provincia autonoma di Bolzano — Alto Adige Provinzia autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan — Südtirol
Autonomous Province
Flag Coat of arms of South Tyrol Coat of arms
Map highlighting the location of the province of South Tyrol in Italy (in red) Map highlighting the location of the province of South Tyrol in Italy (in red)
Country	Italy
Region	Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Capital(s)	Bolzano
Comuni	116
Government
• Governor	Arno Kompatscher (SVP)
Area
• Total	7,399.97 km2 (2,857.14 sq mi)
Population (31.12.2011)
• Total	511,750
• Density	69/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	39XXX
Telephone prefix	0471, 0472, 0473, 0474
Vehicle registration	BZ
ISTAT	021
Website	www.provinz.bz.it

South Tyrol (German and Ladin: Südtirol [ˈsyːtiˌroːl, ˈzyːttiˌʁoːl]; Italian: Sudtirolocode: it is deprecated [suttiˈrɔːlo]), also known by its alternative Italian name Alto Adige (pronounced [ˈalto ˈaːdidʒe]), is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of 7,400 square kilometres (2,857 sq mi) and a total population of 511,750 inhabitants (31.12.2011). Its capital is the city of Bolzano (German: Bozen; Ladin: Balsan or Bulsan).

The Atlas Tyrolensis, showing the entire County of Tyrol, printed in Vienna. 1774

Sixty-four percent of the population is Austro-Bavarian or Tyrolean and speaks German. Less than a quarter of the population speak Italian as their first language, mainly concentrated in and around the two largest cities (Bolzano and Merano), 4-5% speak Ladin as their first language and 12% cannot be identified as to first language preference since they are probably recent immigrants.

South Tyrol is granted a considerable level of self-government, consisting of a large range of exclusive legislative and executive powers and a fiscal regime that allows the province to retain a large part of most levied taxes, while nevertheless remaining a net contributor to the national budget. As of 2011, South Tyrol is among the wealthiest regions in Italy and the European Union.

In the wider context of the European Union, the province is one of the three members of the Euroregion of Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino, which corresponds almost exactly to the historical region of Tyrol.

Name

A map from 1874 showing South Tirol with approximately the borders of today's South and East Tyrol

South Tyrol (occasionally South Tirol) is the term most commonly used in English for the province, and its usage reflects that it was created from a portion of the southern part of the historic County of Tyrol. German and Ladin speakers usually refer to the area as Südtirol; the Italian equivalent Sudtirolo (sometimes spelled Sud Tirolo) is becoming increasingly common.

Alto Adige (literally translated in English: "Upper Adige"), one of the Italian names for the province, is also used in English. The term had been the name of political subdivisions along the Adige River in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, who created the Department of Alto Adige, part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It was reused as the Italian name of the current province after its post-World War I creation, and was a symbol of the subsequent forced Italianization of South Tyrol.

The official name of the province today in German is Autonome Provinz Bozen — Südtirol. German speakers usually refer to it not as a Provinz, but as a Land (like the Länder of Germany and Austria). Provincial institutions are referred to using the prefix Landes-, such as Landesregierung (state government) and Landeshauptmann (governor). The official name in Italian is Provincia autonoma di Bolzano — Alto Adige, in Ladin Provinzia autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan — Südtirol.

History

Main article: History of South Tyrol

Annexation by Italy

South Tyrol as an administrative entity originated during the First World War. The Allies promised the area to Italy in the Treaty of London of 1915 as an incentive to enter the war on their side. Until 1918 it was part of the Austro-Hungarian princely County of Tyrol, but this almost completely German-speaking territory was occupied by Italy at the end of the war in November 1918 and was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1919. The province as it exists today was created in 1926 after an administrative reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy, and was incorporated together with the province of Trento into the newly created region of Venezia Tridentina ("Trentine Venetia").

With the rise of Fascism, the new regime made efforts to bring forward the Italianization of South Tyrol. The German language was banished from public service, German teaching was officially forbidden, and German newspapers were censored (with the exception of the fascist Alpenzeitung). The regime also favored immigration from other Italian regions.

The subsequent alliance between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini declared that South Tyrol would not follow the destiny of Austria, which had been annexed to the Third Reich. Instead the dictators agreed that the German-speaking population be transferred to German-ruled territory or dispersed around Italy, but the outbreak of the Second World War prevented them from fully carrying out their intention.

In 1943, when the Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies, the region was occupied by Germany, which reorganised it as the Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills and put it under the administration of Gauleiter Franz Hofer. The region was de facto annexed to the German Reich (with the addition of the province of Belluno) until the end of the war. This status ended along with the Nazi regime, and Italian rule was restored in 1945.

Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement

Austrians demonstrating in 1946 at a peace conference in favour of having the southern Tyrol region returned to Austria

After the war the Allies decided that the province would remain a part of Italy, under the condition that the German-speaking population be granted a significant level of self-government. Italy and Austria negotiated an agreement in 1946, recognizing the rights of the German minority. Alcide De Gasperi, Italy's prime minister, a native of Trentino, wanted to extend the autonomy to his fellow citizens. This led to the creation of the region called Trentino-Alto Adige/Tiroler Etschland. The Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement of September 1946 was signed by the Italian and Austrian Foreign Ministers, creating the autonomous region of Trentino-South Tyrol, consisting of the autonomous provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol. German and Italian were both made official languages, and German-language education was permitted once more. However, as the Italians were the majority in the combined region, the self-government of the German minority became impossible.

This, together with the arrival of new Italian-speaking immigrants, led to strong dissatisfaction among South Tyroleans, which culminated in terrorist acts perpetrated by the Befreiungsausschuss Südtirol (BAS — Committee for the Liberation of South Tyrol). In a first phase, only public edifices and fascist monuments were targeted. The second phase was bloodier, costing 21 lives (15 members of Italian security forces, two civilians, and four terrorists).

Südtirolfrage

The South Tyrolean question (Südtirolfrage) became an international issue. As the implementation of the post-war agreement was not seen as satisfactory by the Austrian government, it became a cause of significant friction with Italy and was taken up by the United Nations in 1960. A fresh round of negotiations took place in 1961 but proved unsuccessful, partly because of the campaign of terrorism.

The issue was resolved in 1971, when a new Austro-Italian treaty was signed and ratified. It stipulated that disputes in South Tyrol would be submitted for settlement to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, that the province would receive greater autonomy within Italy, and that Austria would not interfere in South Tyrol's internal affairs. The new agreement proved broadly satisfactory to the parties involved, and the separatist tensions soon eased.

The new autonomous status, granted from 1972 onwards, has resulted in a considerable level of self-government, also due to the large financial resources of South Tyrol, retaining almost 90% of all levied taxes.

Autonomy

Plaque at a German-language school in both Italian and German

In 1992, Italy and Austria officially ended their dispute over the autonomy issue on the basis of the agreement of 1972.

The extensive self-government provided by the current institutional framework has been advanced as a model for settling interethnic disputes and for the successful protection of linguistic minorities. This is among the reasons why the Ladin municipalities of Cortina d'Ampezzo/Anpezo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana/Fodom and Colle Santa Lucia/Col have asked in a referendum to be detached from Veneto and reannexed to the province, from which they were separated under the fascist government.

Euroregion

The Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino corresponds to the historic Tyrol region today (excluding Cortina and Livinallongo)

---

   North and East Tyrol (Austria)

   South Tyrol (Italy)

   Trentino (Italy)

In 1996, the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino was formed between the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino. The boundaries of the association correspond to the old County of Tyrol. The aim is to promote regional peace, understanding and cooperation in many areas. The region's assemblies meet together as one on various occasions, and have set up a common liaison office with the European Union in Brussels.

Geography

Detailed map of South Tyrol.

South Tyrol is located at the northernmost point in Italy. The province is bordered by Austria to the east and north, specifically by the Austrian federal-states Tyrol and Salzburg, and by the Swiss canton of Graubünden to the west. The Italian provinces of Belluno, Trentino, and Sondrio border to the southeast, south, and southwest, respectively.

The landscape itself is mostly cultivated with different types of shrubs and forests and is highly mountainous.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Sexten Dolomites bordering the province of Belluno.

Entirely located in the Alps, the province's landscape is dominated by mountains. The highest peak is the Ortler (3,905 m) in the far west, which is also the highest peak in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range. Even more famous are the craggy peaks of the Dolomites in the eastern part of the region.

The following mountain groups are (partially) in South Tyrol. All but the Sarntal Alps are on the border with Austria, Switzerland, or other Italian provinces. The ranges are clockwise from the west and for each the highest peak is given that is within the province or on its border.

Ulten Valley

Name	Highest peak (German/Italian)	metres	feet
Ortler Alps	Ortler/Ortles	3,905	12,811
Sesvenna Range	Muntpitschen/Monpiccio	3,162	10,374
Ötztal Alps	Weißkugel/Palla Bianca	3,746	12,291
Stubai Alps	Wilder Freiger/Cima Libera	3,426	11,241
Sarntal Alps	Hirzer/Punta Cervina	2,781	9,124
Zillertal Alps	Hochfeiler/Gran Pilastro	3,510	11,515
Hohe Tauern	Dreiherrnspitze/Picco dei Tre Signori	3,499	11,480
Eastern Dolomites	Dreischusterspitze/Punta Tre Scarperi	3,152	10,341
Western Dolomites	Langkofel/Sassolungo	3,181	10,436

Located in between the mountains are a large number of valleys, which is where the majority of the population lives.

Administrative divisions

See also: Municipalities of South Tyrol

The province is divided into eight districts (German: Bezirksgemeinschaften, Italian: comunità comprensoriali), one of them being the chief city of Bolzano. Each district is headed by a president and two bodies called the district committee and the district council. The districts are responsible for resolving intermunicipal disputes and providing roads, schools, and social services such as retirement homes.

The province is further divided into 116 Gemeinden or comuni.

Districts

See also: Districts of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Map of South Tyrol with its eight districts.

District (German/Italian)	Capital (German/Italian)	Area	Inhabitants
Bozen/Bolzano	Bozen/Bolzano	52 km²	103,135
Burggrafenamt/Burgraviato	Meran/Merano	1,101 km²	97,315
Pustertal/Val Pusteria	Bruneck/Brunico	2,071 km²	79,086
Überetsch-Unterland/Oltradige-Bassa Atesina	Neumarkt/Egna	424 km²	71,435
Eisacktal/Valle Isarco	Brixen/Bressanone	624 km²	49,840
Salten-Schlern/Salto-Sciliar	Bozen/Bolzano	1,037 km²	48,020
Vinschgau/Val Venosta	Schlanders/Silandro	1,442 km²	19,124
Wipptal/Alta Valle Isarco	Sterzing/Vipiteno	650 km²	18,220

Largest municipalities

Laubengasse/via dei portici street in the capital Bozen/Bolzano.

Brixen is the third largest city.

German name	Italian name	Ladin name	Inhabitants
Bozen	Bolzano	Balsan, Bulsan	103,189
Meran	Merano	Maran	38,836
Brixen	Bressanone	Persenon, Porsenù	21,189
Leifers	Laives		17,555
Bruneck	Brunico	Bornech, Burnech	15,823
Eppan an der Weinstraße	Appiano sulla Strada del Vino		14,013
Lana	Lana		11,120
Kaltern an der Weinstraße	Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino		7,512
Ritten	Renon		7,507
Sarntal	Sarentino		6,863
Kastelruth	Castelrotto	Ciastel	6,456
Sterzing	Vipiteno		6,306
Schlanders	Silandro		6,014
Ahrntal	Valle Aurina		5,876
Naturns	Naturno		5,440
Sand in Taufers	Campo Tures		5,230
Latsch	Laces		5,145
Klausen	Chiusa	Tluses, Tlüses	5,134
Mals	Malles		5,050
Neumarkt	Egna		4,926
Algund	Lagundo		4,782
St.Ulrich	Ortisei	Urtijëi	4,606
Ratschings	Racines		4,331
Terlan	Terlano		4,132

Climate

Langkofel group in the western Dolomites in winter.

Meran/Merano in the summer.

Climatically, South Tyrol may be divided into five distinct groups:

The Etsch valley area, with cold winters (24-h averages in January of about 0 °C) and warm summers (24-h averages in July of about 23 °C), usually classified as Humid subtropical climate — Cfa. It has the driest and sunniest climate of the province. The main city in this area is Bolzano.

The midlands, between 300 and 900 metres, with cold winters (24-h averages in January between -3 °C and 1 °C) and mild summers (24-h averages in July between 15 °C and 21 °C); This is a typical Oceanic climate, classified as Cfb. It is usually wetter than the subtropical climate, and very snowy during the winters. During the spring and autumn, there is a large foggy season, but fog may occur even on summer mornings. Main towns in this area are Merano, Bruneck, Sterzing, and Brixen. Near the lakes in higher lands (between 1000 and 1400 meters) the humidity may make the climate in these regions milder during winter, but also cooler in summer, then, a Subpolar oceanic climate, Cfc, may occur.

The alpine valleys between 900 and 1400 metres, with a typically Humid continental climate — Dfb, covering the largest part of the province. The winters are usually very cold (24-h averages in January between -8 °C and -3 °C), and the summers, mild with averages between 14 and 19 °C. It is a very snowy climate; snow may occur from early October to April or even May. Main municipalities in this area are Urtijëi, Badia, Sexten, Toblach, Stilfs, Vöran, and Mühlwald.

The alpine valleys between 1400 and 1700 metres, with a Subarctic climate — Dfc, with harsh winters (24-h averages in January between -9 °C and -5 °C) and cool, short, rainy and foggy summers (24-h averages in July of about 12 °C). These areas usually have five months below the freezing point, and snow sometimes occurs even during the summer, in September. This climate is the wettest of the province, with large rainfalls during the summer, heavy snowfalls during spring and fall. The winter is usually a little drier, marked by freezing and dry weeks, although not sufficiently dry to be classified as a Dwc climate. Main municipalities in this area are Corvara, Sëlva, Santa Cristina Gherdëina.

The highlands above 1700 meters, with an alpine tundra climate, ET, which becomes an Ice Cap Climate, EF, above 3000 meters. The winters are cold, but sometimes not as cold as the higher valleys' winters. In January, most of the areas at 2000 meters have an average temperature of about -5 °C, while in the valleys at about 1600 meters, the mean temperature may be as low as -8 or -9 °C. The higher lands, above 3000 meters are usually extremely cold, with averages of about -14 °C during the coldest month, January.

Politics

Main article: Politics of South Tyrol

The assembly building of South Tyrol.

Luis Durnwalder was governor of South Tyrol from 1989 until 2014.

The local government system is based upon the provisions of the Italian Constitution and the Autonomy Statute of the Region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The 1972 second Statute of Autonomy for Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol devolved most legislative and executive competences from the regional level to the provincial level, creating de facto two separate regions.

The considerable legislative power of the province is vested in an assembly, the Landtag of South Tyrol (German: Südtiroler Landtag; Italian: Consiglio della Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano; Ladin: Cunsëi dla Provinzia Autonoma de Bulsan). The legislative powers of the assembly are defined by the second Statute of Autonomy.

The executive powers are attributed to the government (German: Landesregierung; Italian: Giunta Provinciale) headed by the Landeshauptmann Arno Kompatscher. He belongs to the South Tyrolean People's Party, which has been governing with a parliamentary majority since 1948. South Tyrol is characterized by long sitting presidents, having only had two presidents between 1960 and 2014 (Silvius Magnago 1960-1989, Luis Durnwalder 1989-2014).

A fiscal regime allows the province to retain a large part of most levied taxes, in order to execute and administrate its competences. Nevertheless, South Tyrol remains a net contributor to the Italian national budget.

Last provincial elections

Main article: Trentino-Alto_Adige/Südtirol provincial elections, 2013 § General election 2

Parties		votes	votes (%)	seats
	South Tyrolean People's Party	131,236	45.7	17
	Die Freiheitlichen	51,504	17.9	6
	Greens (incl. Left Ecology Freedom)	25,067	8.7	3
	South Tyrolean Freedom	20,736	7.2	3
	Democratic Party	19,207	6.7	2
	Forza Alto Adige–Lega Nord Alto Adige/Südtirol	7,118	2.5	1
	Five Star Movement	7,097	2.5	1
	Citizens' Union–We South Tyroleans–Ladins	6,065	2.1	1
	Alto Adige in the Heart	6,057	2.1	1
	Unitalia–Movement for Alto Adige	4,831	1.7	-
	Civic Choice	4,525	1.6	-
	The Right	1,654	0.6	-
	Communist Refoundation Party	1,134	0.4	-
	Party of Italian Communists	730	0.3	-
Total		286,962	100.0	35

Source: Province of Bolzano

List of Governors

Main article: List of Governors of South Tyrol

Governors of South Tyrol
Governor	Party	Term	Legislature
Karl Erckert	SVP	1948–1952	I Legislature
Karl Erckert	SVP	1952–1955	II Legislature
Alois Pupp	SVP	1955–1956	II Legislature
Alois Pupp	SVP	1956–1960	III Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1960–1964	IV Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1964–1968	V Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1968–1973	VI Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1973–1978	VII Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1978–1983	VIII Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1983–1988	IX Legislature
Silvius Magnago	SVP	1988–1989	X Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	1989–1993	X Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	1993–1998	XI Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	1998–2003	XII Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	2003–2008	XIII Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	2008–2014	XIV Legislature
Luis Durnwalder	SVP	2013–2014	XV Legislature
Arno Kompatscher	SVP	since 2014	XV Legislature

Secessionist movement

Main article: South Tyrolean secessionist movement

Given the region's historical and cultural association with neighboring Austria, calls for the secession of South Tyrol and its reunification with Austria are recurrent in the local and national political climate. Polls conducted in 2013 noted that 54% of South Tyrol's population of German and Ladin-speakers would favor their secession from Italy, while 46% of members of all three language groups wish to secede. Among the political parties that support South Tyrol's reunification into Austria are South Tyrolean Freedom, Die Freiheitlichen and Citizens' Union for South Tyrol.

Economy

Vineyards of St. Magdalena at Bozen with St. Justina and Rosengarten group in the background

In 2011 South Tyrol had a GDP per capita of €37,700, making it one of the richest provinces in Italy and the European Union.

Residents are employed in a variety of sectors, from agriculture — the province is a large producer of apples, and its wines are also renowned — to industry to services, especially tourism. The unemployment level in 2007 was roughly 2.4% (2.0% for men and 3.0% for women).

Cable car on Mount Seceda in the Dolomites

Transport

Rail transport across the Brenner Pass at Pflersch (2006)

License plate of South Tyrol (Bz)

The region is, together with northern and eastern Tyrol, an important transit point between southern Germany and Northern Italy. Freights by road and rail pass through here. One of the most important highways is the A22, also called the Autostrada del Brennero. It connects to the Brenner Autobahn in Austria.

The vehicle registration plate of South Tyrol is the two-letter provincial code Bz for the capital city, Bolzano. Along with the autonomous Trentino (Tn) and Aosta Valley (Ao), South Tyrol is allowed to surmount its license plates with its coat of arms.

Rail transport goes over the Brenner Pass. The Brenner Railway is a major line connecting the Austrian and Italian railways from Innsbruck and Verona climbing the Wipptal, passing over the Brenner Pass and descending down the Eisack Valley to Bolzano and then down the Adige Valley from Bolzano to Rovereto and to Verona. The line is part of the Line 1 of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).

Other railways are the Pustertalbahn, Ritten Railway and Vinschgaubahn. Due to the steep slopes of the mountains, a number of funiculars exist, such as the Gardena Ronda Express funicular and Mendel Funicular.

The Brenner Base Tunnel is under construction and scheduled to be completed by 2025. It will have a length of 64 km and will become the world's longest railway tunnel. This tunnel will increase freight train average speed to 120 km/h and reduce transit time by over an hour.

Larger cities used to have their own tramway system, such as the Meran Tramway and Bolzano Tramway. These were replaced after the Second World War with buses. Many other cities and municipalities have their own bus system or are connected with each other by it.

The Bolzano Airport is the only airport serving the region.

Demographics

Languages

Further information: Linguistic and demographic history of South Tyrol

Languages of South Tyrol. Majorities per municipality in 2011:
Official languages	German majority (103)   Ladin majority (8)   Italian majority (5)
Source	astat info 6/2012, 38, Volkszählung 2011/Censimento della popolazione 2011, p. 6-7

ID card in Italian (left) and German language (right)

German and Italian are both official languages of South Tyrol. In some eastern municipalities Ladin is the third official language. A majority of the inhabitants of contemporary South Tyrol speak native Austro-Bavarian dialects of the German language. Standard German plays a dominant role in education and media.

Every citizen has the right to use their own mother tongue, even at court. Schools are separated for each language group.

All traffic signs are officially bi- or trilingual. Most Italian toponyms are translations performed by Italian nationalist Ettore Tolomei, the author of the Prontuario dei nomi locali dell'Alto Adige.

In order to reach a fair allocation of jobs in public service a system called ethnic proportion (Ita. proporzionale etnica, Ger. ethnischer Proporz) has been established. Every ten years, when the general census of population takes place, each citizen has to declare to which linguistic group they belong or want to be aggregated to. According to the results they decide how many people of which group are going to be hired for public service.

At the time of the annexation of the southern part of Tyrol by Italy in 1919, the overwhelming majority of the population spoke German and identified with the Austrian or German nationality: In 1910, according to the last population census before World War I, the German-speaking population numbered 224,000, the Ladin 9,000 and the Italian 7,000. As a result of the italianization of South Tyrol nowadays about 23% of the population are Italian-speakers (they were roughly 35% in the 1960s). According to the census of 2011, 103 out of 116 comuni have a majority of German native speakers — with Martell reaching 100% — eight have a Ladin-speaking majority, and five a majority of Italian speakers. The Italian-speaking population is mainly based around the provincial capital Bolzano, where they are the majority (73.8% of the inhabitants), and is a direct result of Benito Mussolini's policy of Italianisation after he took power in 1922, when he encouraged immigration from the rest of Italy. The other four comuni where the Italian-speaking population is the majority are Laives, Salorno, Bronzolo and Vadena. The eight comuni with Ladin majorities are: La Val, Badia, Corvara, Mareo, San Martin de Tor, Santa Cristina Gherdëina, Sëlva, Urtijëi.

The linguistic breakdown according to ASTAT 2014 (based on the census of 2011):

Language	Number	%
German	314,604	62.3%
Italian	118,120	23.4%
Ladin	20,548	4.1%
Other	51,371	10.2%
Total	504,643	100%

Culture

Education

Main article: School system in South Tyrol

Architecture

Tyrolean architecture

File:Tirol Schloss 01.jpg

Tirol Castle, which gave the wider region its name

The region features a large number of castles and churches. Many of the castles were built by the local nobility and the Habsburg rulers. See List of castles in South Tyrol.

Museums

Among the major museums of South Tyrol are:

• the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, which has the mummy of Ötzi the Iceman
• the Museion, Museum of modern and contemporary art of Bolzano
• the Messner Mountain Museum of Reinhold Messner

Media

German-language TV channels in South Tyrol:

• Rai Südtirol
• Südtirol Digital Fernsehen
• Südtirol Heute

See also: German-language media in South Tyrol

Music

The Bozner Bergsteigerlied and the Andreas-Hofer-Lied are considered to be the unofficial anthems of South Tyrol.

The folk musical group Kastelruther Spatzen from Kastelruth and the rock band Frei.Wild from Brixen have received high recognition in the German-speaking part of the world.

Sports

South Tyrolean athletes are very successful at winter sports. They regularly are a large part of Italy's contingent at the Winter Olympics. Reinhold Messner, widely regarded as the greatest mountain climber of all time, is the first climber to conquer the 14 highest mountains in the world, many of them — including Mount Everest, the highest of all — without the use of oxygen tanks. Armin Zöggeler is a famous Italian luger and double Olympic champion. Carolina Kostner is a talented figure skater. HC Interspar Bolzano-Bozen Foxes are one of Italy's most successful ice hockey teams.

Bibliography

• (German) Gottfried Solderer (ed) (1999-2004). Das 20. Jahrhundert in Südtirol. 6 Vol., Bozen: Raetia Verlag. ISBN 978-88-7283-137-3
• Antony E. Alcock (2003). The History of the South Tyrol Question. London: Michael Joseph. 535 pp.
• Rolf Steininger (2003). South Tyrol: A Minority Conflict of the Twentieth Century. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7658-0800-4
• Georg Grote (2012). The South Tyrol Question 1866-2010. From National Rage to Regional State. Oxford: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03911-336-1

External links

• Official website for the Civic Network of South Tyrol, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen
• Special Statute for Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
• Tourist information about South Tyrol
• The most accurate digital map of South Tyrol