Why This Part of Italy Speaks German

You are in northern Italy. The road signs read “Bolzano Bozen.” Most people speak German at home. How did that happen? South Tyrol sits inside Italy, but for centuries it was part of Tyrol under Austria-Hungary. After World War I, the Treaty of Saint-Germain gave the region to Italy. Then Benito Mussolini tried to erase German language and culture. Families had to choose between leaving for Germany or staying and giving up their identity. In 1961, separatists blew up power towers on a night called Fire Night. After decades of tension, Italy and Austria agreed on a deep autonomy plan in 1972. Today South Tyrol keeps most of its taxes and ranks among the richest regions in Europe. In this video documentary you will see how one border from World War I still shapes language, politics, and daily life in South Tyrol. Video Markers: 0:00 - The Start 0:52 - Old County of Tyrol 7:45 - WWI & Secrets 10:52 - Mussolini’s Italianization 17:49 - Post WW2 19:52 - South Tyrol Fights Back 21:50 - South Tyrol Today Sources and References: Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919) Alpha History - Treaty of London World Autonomies - South Tyrol Autonomy Primer Professor Anthony Alcock - South Tyrol Autonomy Introduction BAS Tyrol BiblioScout - 25 Year Settlement Declaration ASTAT - Official Statistics Maps: Geolayers, OldMapsOnline, Geacron.com/ Music & SFX: CC from Pixalbay Images: Canva Pro & WikiCommons (List to Follow) Again I'm Shawn and this is Mapped Out. I try to explain why things are the way they are in a fun format. If you want to see more border stories like this, subscribe and let me know in the comments which border I should cover next. ‪@MappedOutwithShawn‬ #mappedoutwithshawn Image Credits: Poster saying "South Tyrol is not Italy!" By Llorenzi - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 Landlibell (Charter of the Land) Von Asurnipal - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, A. Hofer monument By Mathias Bigge - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Austria Languages By Suesch - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Treat st germain By C.Stadler/Bwag - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, By Austria Occupation Zones 1945-55.svg: Master Uegly (talk · contribs)derivative work: Hanzlan (talk) - Austria Occupation Zones 1945-55.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Victory Monument By Sailko - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Thierberger Schützenkompanie beim Abfeuern einer Ehrensalve (2004) Von Der ursprünglich hochladende Benutzer war Henryart in der Wikipedia auf Deutsch - Übertragen aus de.wikipedia nach Commons.(Originaltext: Eigene Aufnahme vom August 2004), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Icons from Flaticon from users: smalllikeart, AmethystDesign, Paul J., Freepik #mapping #geography #history #southtyrol #südtirol #documentary #shortdocumentary #italy #austria #tirol #trentino #trentinoaltoadige #bolzano #german #italian #germanlanguage #italianlanguage #borderdispute #weirdfacts #weirdhistory