South Tyrol: population, ethnic groups and historical migrations
This page tries to show some of the most interesting background of this region by the view of a genetic genealogist with interest in population genetics.
Map South Tyrol with historical migrations
History overview
South Tyrol oldest ethnic group are the Ladins. They speak a Rhaeto-Romance language developed from the local Raeti and immigrated people after the Romanization (beginning 15 BC). The Raeti are a mysterious alpine people, with a own language (Raetic language) having strong influence (or descending) from Etrusci (Raetic alphabets), Noricans and maybe Illyrians (some wine terms still exist today) and also Celts/Gauls. Not much information is available how many people immigrated under Roman influence (until 500 AD). Beginning with the Ostrogoths (Theodoric the Great 493 AD) the Germanic tribes take over Tyrol lands. First the nobles and warriors broke resistance and took land and then settlers followed.
In the Southern part the Langobards where rulers (569 – 788). In the northern part the Bavarians took over the power and many settlers followed. From the east some Southern Slavs tried to enter and had influence. In the northwest the Alamanni had influence. After 788 the Bavarians ruled most parts of Tyrol and their German dialect is still today the dominating language. Settling activity probably was common until the 15th Century. Probably Hungarians/Magyars in the 10th century had a short influence.
In the upper Vinschgau/Venosta valley until some centuries ago the Romansh language was common.
The next big change was after 1918. Italy had received the southern part of Tyrol from Austria (South Tyrol and Trentino). The fascist rulers from 1923 to 1943 tried to Italianize South Tyrol and many Italians where settled in the main towns. After 1945 the german/tyrolese speaking people fight for rights and 1972 the autonomous province of South Tyrol was reality. The spoken Languages have changed a lot: 1910 89 % German, 4 % Ladin and 3 % Italian; 2001 64 % German, 4 % Ladin and 25 % Italian. But in the countryside still today Tyrolese and Ladin culture is dominating.
The Admixture between the ethnic groups in the last decades has increased, but is still primarily limited to the towns, so that many have ancestors mainly from one group.