Cultural identity and multilingualism in South Tyrol from 1919 to 2019

Thesis

This thesis concerns the multilingual border province of South Tyrol, annexed by Italy in September 1919 following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It covers the period between 1919 and the centenary of the annexation in September 2019.

The primary research questions are:
a) Is it possible to speak of a South Tyrolean cultural identity and, if so, how can it be defined?
b) What is the precise nature of South Tyrol’s multilingualism and its impact on South Tyrolean cultural identity?

The thesis uses an external perspective – independent of the individual language groups in South Tyrol – to explore the tensions between competing views of the province as a haven of multilingualism, a province irreconcilably divided along cultural and linguistic lines, or a transit land between Italy and the German-speaking world. The thesis examines how far the distinctiveness of the three main language groups – German, Italian and Ladin – precludes their influence on each other. It considers the differences within language groups, looking at how different identities can co-exist as part of the same broad language community. It brings together fictional and non-fictional written contributions, oral interventions, and artefacts of memory culture to model an approach to debates on cultural identity and multilingualism which integrates the perspectives of groups and individuals that have previously not been addressed in detail or only in isolation from the broader discussion.

The thesis argues that in order to develop an understanding of cultural identity in South Tyrol, it is necessary to analyse the particular constellation of factors which affect the cultural identity formation of the individual groups, their interactions and their development over time. These include geographical factors, historical and political factors, cultural and social factors, and not least the linguistic and literary expression of the different groups that participate in the province of South Tyrol.

Authors: Green, J

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-ergzajqn9
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: German studies; Italian studies; South Tyrol; multilingualism; cultural identity
• Subjects: Group identity; Italian; Multilingualism and literature; German