Tirolo
Südtirol: A Toponym with Historical Significance#
Südtirol is a term in the German language that has had different geographical meanings throughout history. In particular, it has referred to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, formally named as such since 1972 but in use since 1919 when South Tyrol was annexed to Italy. Additionally, in its original sense, it also referred to Trentino, called Italian Tyrol or Southern Tyrol, and the entire Trentino-Alto Adige region. In the Habsburg era, the adjective Südtiroler also referred to the Trentino. In the Italian language, the toponym has been translated in different ways, including Sudtirolo, Sud Tirolo, Southern Tyrol, or Tyrol del Sud.
Derived Terms in the Italian Language#
The term Sud Tirolo was already attested in 1895 by Civiltà Cattolica, which also used it to refer to Trentino. However, the Pact of London in 1915 explicitly spoke of "Trentino" and "Cisalpine Tyrol" separately. The Military Geographic Institute considers South Tyrol equivalent to Alto Adige, while the adjective sudtirolese refers to inhabitants and people originating from South Tyrol who speak the German language. According to the Treccani dictionary, this word refers only to German-speaking inhabitants of Alto Adige.
Derived Terms in Other Languages#
In other languages as well, the historical significance of Südtirol does not always correspond to the current usage. For example, in English, the term South Tyrol (also South Tirol) extended far beyond the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and included Trentino, while in nineteenth-century tourist guides, it indicated the entire southern part of Tyrol, which included the current province of Trento. In French, Sud-Tyrol or Tyrol du Sud also referred to Trentino, while the current meaning only corresponds to the Province of Bolzano.
In conclusion, Südtirol is a toponym with a long history and various geographical meanings that has been translated into different languages, maintaining its broader historical significance in some cases and limiting itself to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano in others. However, its cultural and historical significance still makes it a fundamental term for understanding Alto Adige and its territorial and linguistic identity.
