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German to English: Pillow-fighting to fame General field: Other Detailed field: Sports / Fitness / Recreation
Source text - German To Fame through Pillow Fighting? “the potential is available”
BY OLIVER MARK | May 25th 2011
Gudrun Grondinger became the first world champion in Pillow Fighting in New York – thee 24 year old Vienna native talked about how she came to pillow fighting.
derStandard.at: How do you actually become a pillow-fighter?
Grondinger: A friend had asked me if I had ever heard of pillow fighting and as I am an open person in principle, I took part. I didn’t know it before. I had a look, it was fun and so I stayed with it.
derStandard.at: How long did you train before the World Championship?
Grondinger: The intensive training phase with the team had begun in February. There we had darauf geschaut, concentrated on training technique and combinations. Then, everyone trained endurance and strength on their own. For example, a friend went to the Fitness Center, I did yoga.
derStandard.at: What is your athletic background? Are you an active boxer yourself?
Grondinger: No, I have never done martial arts. I have practice other kinds of sports, like volleyball, basketball, handball and ballet.
derStandard.at: What characterizes pillow fighting?
Grondinger: What I like best is that though it has a martial art character, because you need endurance and strength, you can’t hurt your opponent. This danger of injury with other kinds of martial arts bothers me. With us the pillow waters the strikes down. The fun-factor is also important.
derStandard.at: It takes a combination of physical and mental strength?
Grondinger: Exactly. And also fun, you need that as well.
derStandard.at: You said that you have to train specific techniques? How does that work?
Grondinger: There are one-handed and double-handed techniques that you have to train. And also, that are surprising elements in the fight that the opponent can’t see. Further you have to practice your blocks, so to keeping the hands up, that way the opponent gets fewer points.
derStandard.at: The winner is determined by a point system. How does the fight work?
Grondinger: Woman against woman in a boxing ring. There is a referee and two point keepers. The fight time is made up of two, two minutes rounds. Points are made by hitting the head or upper body, you can parry with the hands or feet. There can also be negative points, if for example one lets the pillow fall, turns their back on the opponent or puts their hand, knee or elbow on the floor. If one touches the floor with both knees or does the other thing three times, then it is a technical K.O. Just women fight for now, the sports has not found an appeal with men yet.
derStandard.at: That was the first World Championship. Which nations were represented?
Grondinger: America, Japan, Austria and Sweden were there. We started out with eight total participants. That means there were three fights to complete.
derStandard.at: Is there a danger of some kind of injury?
Grondinger: Not really, at most you can rip off a knuckle, sprain your foot or a hit to the face can eventually lead to a bloody nose.
derStandard.at: Was there prize money for the Championship Title?
Grondinger: No, but I got a trophy
derStandard.at: And the pillow? Are there standard examples?
Grondinger: Yes, but the pillow can weigh a maximum of 750 grams, there can be no hidden objects. It doesn’t matter if it‘s feathers or down.
derStandard.at: Has your life changed since the world championship title?
Grondinger: It really was a nice break from daily life. As a student I’m normally busy with books and the trip to the USA, together with the victory, was a very special experience which I always think back on happily.
derStandard.at: Will Pillow Fighting advance to a kind of sport with which you can get money and fame?
Grondinger: I think that the potential is available. But it is still in the beginning stage, but perhaps something will develop from that. Some interested girls, who would like to try it out once, have already registered. For example, I heard from a teacher who wants to do this with his students to let out aggression. I think that is a great idea, and it would be nice if it serves a good purpose.
derStandard.at: Do you think that schools are a good location to make it popular?
Grondinger: Yes, I think so. You let off steam, there is no danger of injury and the fun factor is always in the foreground.
derStandard.at: What are your personal goals in this sport? Defending the World Champion title?
Grondinger: Das kann ich jetzt nicht genau sagen, wie es weitergehen wird. Prinzipiell kann ich mir schon vorstellen, dass mich wieder der Ehrgeiz packt und ich vorne dabei sein möchte. (om, derStandard.at, 25.5.2011)
Grondinger: I can’t say exactly right now how it will go on. In principle I can imagine that the ambition will possess me and that I will want to be in front. (from, derStandard.at, May 25th 2011)
Gudrun Grondinger, 24 year old native of Vienna, majoring in Scandinavian Studies and Russian.
(Original article - http://derstandard.at/1304552832962/Erste-Weltmeisterin-Beruf-Polsterkaempferin-Potenzial-ist-vorhanden)
Wienerin holt Titel bei Polsterschlacht-WM
18. Mai 2011, 11:01
•
Die österreichischen "Punching Polsters" beim Training
24 year old prevails against seven opponents
Vienna/New York – the Vienna native Gudrun Grondinger went for the Pillow Fighting Championship in New York and won fold for Austria, the "Austrian Pillow Fight League" reported on Wednesday. The 24 year old university student stood up against three other Austrian, a Swede, a Japanese and two Americans. The competition was carried live via webstream and commented on by boxing expert Sigi Bergmann.
In the final round the pillow of Kate Russel (US) and Gudrun collided. The Austrian won the fight. Gudrun Grondinger majors in Scandinavian Studies and Russian, is the youngest of three siblings and lives in n Wien-Währing. (APA)
http://derstandard.at/1304552199412/New-York-Wienerin-holt-Titel-bei-Polsterschlacht-WM
Austrian Pillow Fight League
Translation - English Pillow Fighting To Fame? “the potential is available”
Vienna/New York – the Vienna native Gudrun Grondinger went for the Pillow Fighting Championship in New York and won fold for Austria, the "Austrian Pillow Fight League" reported on Wednesday. The 24 year old university student stood up against three other Austrian, a Swede, a Japanese and two Americans. The competition was carried live via webstream and commented on by boxing expert Sigi Bergmann.
The pillows of Kate Russel (US) and Gudrun collided in the final round. The Austrian won the fight. Gudrun Grondinger majors in Scandinavian Studies and Russian, is the youngest of three siblings and lives in n Wien-Währing. (APA)
http://derstandard.at/1304552199412/New-York-Wienerin-holt-Titel-bei-Polsterschlacht-WM
To Fame through Pillow Fighting? “the potential is there”
by Oliver Mark | May 25th 2011
Gudrun Grondinger became the first world champion in Pillow Fighting in New York – thee 24 year old Vienna native talked about how she came to pillow fighting.
derStandard.at: How do you actually become a pillow-fighter?
Grondinger: A friend had asked me if I had ever heard of pillow fighting and as I am an open person in principle, I took part. I didn’t know it before. I had a look, it was fun and so I stayed with it.
derStandard.at: How long did you train before the World Championship?
Grondinger: The intensive training phase with the team had begun in February. There we had darauf geschaut, concentrated on training technique and combinations. Then, everyone trained endurance and strength on their own. For example, a friend went to the Fitness Center, I did yoga.
derStandard.at: What is your athletic background? Are you an active boxer yourself?
Grondinger: No, I have never done martial arts. I have practice other kinds of sports, like volleyball, basketball, handball and ballet.
derStandard.at: What characterizes pillow fighting?
Grondinger: What I like best is that though it has a martial art character, because you need endurance and strength, you can’t hurt your opponent. This danger of injury with other kinds of martial arts bothers me. With us the pillow waters the strikes down. The fun-factor is also important.
derStandard.at: It takes a combination of physical and mental strength?
Grondinger: Exactly. And also fun, you need that as well.
derStandard.at: You said that you have to train specific techniques? How does that work?
Grondinger: There are one-handed and double-handed techniques that you have to train. And also, that are surprising elements in the fight that the opponent can’t see. Further you have to practice your blocks, so to keeping the hands up, that way the opponent gets fewer points.
derStandard.at: The winner is determined by a point system. How does the fight work?
Grondinger: Woman against woman in a boxing ring. There is a referee and two point keepers. The fight time is made up of two, two minutes rounds. Points are made by hitting the head or upper body, you can parry with the hands or feet. There can also be negative points, if for example one lets the pillow fall, turns their back on the opponent or puts their hand, knee or elbow on the floor. If one touches the floor with both knees or does the other thing three times, then it is a technical K.O. Just women fight for now, the sports has not found an appeal with men yet.
derStandard.at: That was the first World Championship. Which nations were represented?
Grondinger: America, Japan, Austria and Sweden were there. We started out with eight total participants. That means there were three fights to complete.
derStandard.at: Is there a danger of some kind of injury?
Grondinger: Not really, at most you can rip off a knuckle, sprain your foot or a hit to the face can eventually lead to a bloody nose.
derStandard.at: Was there prize money for the Championship Title?
Grondinger: No, but I got a trophy
derStandard.at: And the pillow? Are there standard examples?
Grondinger: Yes, but the pillow can weigh a maximum of 750 grams, there can be no hidden objects. It doesn’t matter if it‘s feathers or down.
derStandard.at: Has your life changed since the world championship title?
Grondinger: It really was a nice break from daily life. As a student I’m normally busy with books and the trip to the USA, together with the victory, was a very special experience which I always think back on happily.
derStandard.at: Will Pillow Fighting advance to a kind of sport with which you can get money and fame?
Grondinger: I think that the potential is available. But it is still in the beginning stage, but perhaps something will develop from that. Some interested girls, who would like to try it out once, have already registered. For example, I heard from a teacher who wants to do this with his students to let out aggression. I think that is a great idea, and it would be nice if it serves a good purpose.
derStandard.at: Do you think that schools are a good location to make it popular?
Grondinger: Yes, I think so. You let off steam, there is no danger of injury and the fun factor is always in the foreground.
derStandard.at: What are your personal goals in this sport? Defending the World Champion title?
Grondinger: Das kann ich jetzt nicht genau sagen, wie es weitergehen wird. Prinzipiell kann ich mir schon vorstellen, dass mich wieder der Ehrgeiz packt und ich vorne dabei sein möchte. (om, derStandard.at, 25.5.2011)
Grondinger: I can’t say exactly right now how it will go on. In principle I can imagine that the ambition will possess me and that I will want to be in front. (from, derStandard.at, May 25th 2011)
Gudrun Grondinger, 24 year old native of Vienna, majoring in Scandinavian Studies and Russian.
Original article - http://derstandard.at/1304552832962/Erste-Weltmeisterin-Beruf-Polsterkaempferin-Potenzial-ist-vorhanden
Photos from article and The Austrian Pillow Fighting League - http://www.apfl.at/
German to English: Grenzregion im Wandel General field: Social Sciences Detailed field: History
Source text - German Grenzregion im Wandel
Das Südtiroler Unterland 1945-1980 als Fallbeispiel einer
sozial und kulturell informierten Regionalgeschichte.
Mit schulisch-didaktischer Ausrichtung
Diplomarbeit
Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades einer Magistra der Philosophie
eingereicht von
Magdalena Pernold
Institut für Zeitgeschichte
Philosophisch-Historische Fakultät
Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck
eingereicht bei Univ.-Doz. Dr. Hans Heiss
Innsbruck, Februar 2011
Einleitung
„Im Grunde sind wir beneidenswert. Heimat mehrerer Sprachgruppen zu sein, kann
sicherlich viele Spannungen bedeuten. Aber es könnte darin auch eine Arznei gegen
ihre provinzielle Verkümmerung liegen.“
Als Südtiroler Unterland (oft auch Bozner Unterland) wird der südlichste Abschnitt der Provinz Südtirol inmitten des Etschtals zwischen Bozen und Salurn bezeichnet. Obwohl diese Region einen wichtigen Infrastrukturknoten zwischen den Großräumen Norditalien und Süddeutschland darstellt und somit alljährlich von Millionen Reisenden durchquert wird – sei es auf der Brennerbahnlinie als auch auf der Brennerautobahn –, sind ihre besonderen Verhältnisse außerhalb Südtirols nur einem relativ geringen Personenkreis ein Begriff.
Die verstärkte touristische Erschließung und die Gründung der Weinstraße in der zweiten
Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts machten das Unterland zwar bekannt, jedoch definiert sich seine
touristische Identität hauptsächlich durch die landschaftlichen Schönheiten und die besonderen klimatischen Voraussetzungen, die es zum mediterransten Gebiet Südtirols machen. Mit den ethnischen, sozialen, kulturellen und zum Teil auch ökonomischen Besonderheiten, die maßgeblich von der historischen Entwicklung besonders des 20. Jahrhunderts geprägt wurden, sind jedoch nur die wenigsten BesucherInnen vertraut.
Bis tief in die Neuzeit war das Leben der UnterländerInnen vom Jahreskreislauf der Natur bestimmt, während ethnische Aueinandersetzungen dabei keine Rolle spielten, wohl auch, da die überwiegende Mehrheit der Bevölkerung deutscher Muttersprache war. Im Zuge des im 19. Jahrhundert einsetzenden Nationalismus begann ein allmähliches Umdenken, obwohl der Alltag auch in dieser Zeit nicht von politischen Problemen überschattet war. Im 20. Jahrhundert allerdings kam es zu radikalen Änderungen, sei es durch die zwei Weltkriege, die Zeit des Faschismus oder die Option, die der einheimischen Bevölkerung oft großes Leid brachten.
Am Beginn meiner Untersuchungen stand das Interesse an einer systematischen Analyse der multiethnisch geprägten historischen Entwicklung des Unterlandes in der Zeit nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Da diese Region meine Heimat ist, ergibt sich für mich ein sehr persönlicher Bezug zu der behandelten Thematik.
Die Charakteristika dieses Gebiets sind innerhalb Südtirols einzigartig, da es viel stärker als andere Gegenden des Landes vom italienischen Kulturraum beeinflusst ist. Dies wurde von der Bevölkerung zwar als Gefahr für die eigene Identität, aber auch als Bereicherung ihres Lebens wahrgenommen. Die Südtirol-Problematik ist im Unterland durch seine Lage in einer Übergangszone zwischen dem deutschsprachigen und dem italienischen Kulturraum sowie der daraus resultierenden ethnischen Durchmischung besonders verdichtet.
Die BewohnerInnen des Unterlandes betonen häufig den „etwas anderen“ Charakter ihrer Bevölkerungsgruppe zum Unterschied zu jenen aus anderen Teilen Südtirols, da aufgrund der hohen Migrationsrate im Unterland andere kulturelle und soziale Merkmale entstanden. Durch die Jahrhunderte entwickelte sich das Unterland in sprachlicher und kultureller Hinsicht schließlich zu dem, was es heute ist. Sowohl die orografisch rechte als auch die linke Talseite des Unterlandes weisen dabei eine jeweils unterschiedliche ethnische Verteilung auf, da die rechte, agrarisch geprägte Seite überwiegend deutschsprachig ist, während es auf der orografisch linken Talseite einen bedeutenden italienischen Bevölkerungsanteil gibt.
Die vorliegende Arbeit gliedert sich in zwei Teile, wobei der erste Teil aus der wissenschaftlichen Ausarbeitung der Themenstellung besteht. Darin wird gezeigt, wie sich die Grenzregion Unterland im 20. Jahrhundert wandelte, wobei das Hauptaugenmerk auf der Zeit zwischen 1945 und 1980 liegt. Da das Unterland eine genau abgrenzbare Kleinregion ist, handelt es sich bei dieser wissenschaftlichen Arbeit um die Ausarbeitung eines regionalgeschichtlichen Themas.
Der zweite Abschnitt nimmt anhand der ausgearbeiteten Fakten eine schulisch-didaktische Aufbereitung einer speziellen Thematik, nämlich des Mittelschulstreits in Neumarkt Ende der 1970er Jahre als exemplarischer Fall der Schulpolitik, vor. Die Maxime des langjährigen Südtiroler Landesrates für die deutsche Schule und Kultur, Anton Zelger (1914–2010), – „Je klarer wir trennen, desto besser verstehen wir uns“ – ist ein Sinnbild für das Gedankengut der Menschen der damaligen Zeit. Es stellt sich die Frage, was die deutsche Sprachgruppe dazu bewog, mit allen Mitteln eine eigene Mittelschule für sich zu beanspruchen und was die Ziele der ItalienerInnen waren, die eine gemeinsame Mittelschule bauen lassen wollten. Die im fachdidaktischen Teil ausgearbeitete Unterrichtseinheit wendet ramapädagogische Methoden an, wobei die Dramapädagogik zu Beginn erläutert wird.
Der Schwerpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit liegt auf der Zeit nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, wobei kurz auf die Entwicklung bis zum Jahre 1945 eingegangen wird. Die Zeit nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg lässt sich nämlich nicht verstehen, wenn nicht die Geschehnisse der Jahrzehnte zuvor mitbedacht werden. Deshalb scheint ein kurzer Überblick über die Ereignisse nach dem Anschluss Südtirols an Italien, die das Unterland betrafen, angebracht. Des Weiteren wird die Entwicklung im Zeitraum zwischen den Jahren 1945 und 1964 genauer betrachtet, wobei das Jahr 1964 eine besondere Zäsur darstellt: In diesem Jahr kam es nämlich zur kirchlichen „Einigung“ Südtirols, im Zuge derer das Unterland Teil der neu geschaffenen Diözese Bozen-Brixen wurde. Zum Schluss wird die Periode zwischen den Jahren 1965 und 1980 beschrieben, einer Zeit, in der sich viele Voraussetzungen der Gegenwart entwickelten. Die Unterteilung in einzelne Zeitspannen soll nicht den Anschein erwecken, als handle es sich dabei um strikt voneinander abgetrennte Phasen. Das Ende einer Phase markierte zumeist keine einschneidenden sozialen Zäsuren, da die Geschichte als ein Kontinuum angesehen werden muss.
Bis in die Gegenwart wurde das Südtiroler Unterland von der wissenschaftlichen Forschung stark vernachlässigt. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die wesentlichen Merkmale und Charakteristika des Unterlandes herauszuarbeiten. Im Allgemeinen haben die HistorikerInnen und SoziologInnen großes Interesse an Regionen, die in einem Übergangsgebiet zwischen zwei Kulturen liegen. Doch das Gebiet zwischen der Salurner Klause und Bozen wurde bis in die Gegenwart relativ wenig erforscht – ganz im Gegensatz zur Situation in Südtirol im Allgemeinen, über die es viele bedeutende Werke gibt.
Die vorliegende Arbeit geht auf politische, ökonomische, soziale und kulturelle Aspekte näher ein. Das 20. Jahrhundert war dabei ein Zeitraum, in dem sich das Leben der UnterländerInnen radikal änderte: In ökonomischer Hinsicht entwickelte sich die Bevölkerung dieses Gebietes von einer Agrargesellschaft hin zu einer Dienstleistungsgesellschaft; durch die überaus starke Einwanderung von ItalienerInnen änderte sich die ethnische Zusammensetzung, was Auswirkungen auf die kleinräumige Gesellschaft und damit auf die kulturellen Besonderheiten des Gebietes hatte. Das Unterland erlebte im 20. Jahrhundert zwar einerseits alle Südtirol betreffenden bedeutenden Ereignisse mit, andererseits war es von Geschehnissen geprägt, welche nur sein eigenes Einzugsgebiet betrafen (beispielsweise der Tatsache, dass es für einen längeren Zeitraum zur Provinz Trient gehörte).
Im Folgenden gebe ich einen kurzen Überblick über die wichtigsten Fragestellungen, mit denen ich mich befasste. Zu Beginn meiner Arbeit standen dabei aber noch nicht alle Fragestellungen fest, da sich viele erst im Verlauf ergaben. Spezielle kulturelle, soziale und sprachliche Merkmale des Unterlandes weisen darauf hin, dass es in diesem Gebiet nicht erst seit Kurzem zu einem bedeutenden Austausch zwischen den Deutschsprachigen und den ItalienerInnen kam. Es muss hierbei besonders unterschieden werden zwischen der bei weitem überwiegenden Einwanderung von Welschtirolern vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg und ItalienerInnen aus den „Alten Provinzen“ unter dem Faschismus beziehungsweise dann unter Nachkriegsitalien. Es stellt sich aber die Frage, ob es Unterschiede zwischen den beiden genannten Gruppen von Zuwanderern gab hinsichtlich der Tatsache, wie sie sich einlebten und wie sie von der einheimischen Bevölkerung gesehen wurden.
Weiters werde ich mich mit der Frage beschäftigen, ob die Salurner Klause, die das Unterland im Süden abgrenzt, wirklich eine derartig abschottende Wirkung hatte, wie es von nationalistischen SchriftstellerInnen gerne dargestellt wird. Musste sich durch räumliche Trennung im Hinblick auf die Salurner Klause notwendigerweise eine Abgrenzung zwischen dem deutschen und dem italienischen Sprachgebiet entwickeln?
Die orografisch rechte und linke Talseite weisen zweifellos unterschiedliche Merkmale auf, was im Kapitel 1.3. durch einen Vergleich der Gemeinde Kurtatsch, die charakteristisch für einen überwiegend deutschen, agrarisch geprägten Ort ist, und dem gemischtsprachigen Hauptort des Unterlandes, Neumarkt, gezeigt wird. Es stellt sich dabei die Frage, aus welchen Gründen sich die beiden Talseiten derartig unterschiedlich entwickelten. Was bewog die zuwandernden ItalienerInnen, im überwiegenden Maße in die Gemeinden der orografisch linken Talseite zu ziehen?
Auch wird der Frage nachgegangen, warum es im sprachlichen Grenz- bzw. Übergangsgebiet Unterland manchmal zu Problemen zwischen der deutschen und der italienischen Sprachgruppe kam. Entstanden die ethnischen Probleme im Unterland auf kleinräumlicher Ebene (etwa in den einzelnen Gemeinden) oder auf Landes- beziehungsweise Staatsebene, indem von der Politik ein öffentlicher Bekenntnisdruck ausgerufen wurde und dadurch Auseinandersetzungen forciert wurden?
Im Unterland ist wie im übrigen Südtirol der Primärsektor bis in die Gegenwart der deutschen Sprachgruppe vorbehalten, während die ItalienerInnen – zusammen mit vielen Deutschsprachigen – im sekundären und tertiären Sektor arbeiten. Es ist klar, dass die deutsche Bevölkerung seit jeher den Grund und Boden bewirtschaftet hatte, sodass sie eine besondere Beziehung dazu entwickelte. Lässt sich also die Aufteilung der Sprachgruppen auf die einzelnen Sektoren auf politische Vorgaben im 20. Jahrhundert zurückführen?
Das Unterland besteht sowohl aus Berggemeinden als auch aus Talgemeinden, wobei die entlegenen Dörfer im Gebirge ökonomische (Forst- und Milchwirtschaft) Unterschiede zu jenen der Talsohle (Mais/Obst- und Weinanbau) aufweisen. Die durch das Unterland fließende Etsch bestimmte bis zur Etschregulierung um 1890 das Bild der gesamten Talsohle, doch danach änderte sich dies. Die vorliegende Arbeit geht auf die Veränderungen des Anbaus im Bereich der Talsohle ein. Es stellt sich dabei die Frage, warum bis Ende der 1950er Jahre Mais in der Talsohle angebaut und warum diese Pflanze dann vom intensiv betriebenen Obstanbau abgelöst wurde.
Gab es im Unterland aufgrund seiner Lage in einer sprachlichen und kulturellen Grenzregion besonders heimat- und traditionsbewusste Theatervorführungen der deutschen Heimatbühnen, um sich von den ItalienerInnen abzugrenzen?
In dieser Arbeit wurde zum ersten Mal der Mittelschulstreit in Neumarkt wissenschaftlich aufgearbeitet, wobei hierfür die Unterlagen im Archiv der Marktgemeinde Neumarkt ausgewertet wurden. Dabei werden die im Zuge des geplanten Mittelschulbaus entstandenen Konflikte zwischen der deutschen und der italienischen Sprachgruppe sowie die jeweils geäußerten Argumente genau beschrieben.
Im eingangs angeführten Zitat des verstorbenen deutschsprachigen Südtiroler Politikers Alexander Langer (1945–1995), der für die interethnische Verständigung eintrat, wird eine Gesellschaft mit mehreren Sprachgruppen als etwas Positives dargestellt. Wenn mehrere Sprachgruppen wie etwa im Unterland zusammenleben, so kann dies gleichwohl zweifellos ethnische Spannungen hervorrufen. Wer jedoch die andere Sprachgruppe besser kennenlernt und, was wichtig ist, bereit ist, deren Sprache zu lernen und auch zu gebrauchen, wird die andere Kultur nicht mehr derart geringschätzig betrachten, wie sie von der Politik oftmals dargestellt wird.
Seit den 1970er Jahren trat die Landespolitik vermehrt für ein friedliches Nebeneinander der Sprachgruppen ein, da man in der Vergangenheit negative Erfahrungen mit dem italienischen Staat gemacht hatte. Bis heute hält dieses Nebeneinander an und wurde noch nicht von einem Miteinander der Sprachgruppen abgelöst. Für die Zukunft wäre es aber zweifellos sehr wichtig, dass es vermehrt zu einem Miteinander zwischen Deutsch- und Italienischsprachigen kommt, da dadurch die ethnischen Spannungen wohl verringert werden könnten.
Es ist an sich ein Leichtes, Personen gegen die jeweils andere Sprachgruppe aufzuwiegeln – sei es vonseiten der Medien als auch der Politik –, wodurch schnell Konflikte heraufbeschworen werden. Die Politik gefährdet den sozialen Zusammenhalt einer (auch mehrsprachigen) Gesellschaft, wenn sie bereits bestehende „innere Trennlinien“ noch vertieft. Im Alltag gibt es heutzutage meist keine Probleme zwischen ItalienerInnen und Deutschen, bei an sich kleinen Begebenheiten können jedoch spannungsgeladene Situationen entstehen, die ein Zusammenleben erschweren.
Wer die historischen Ereignisse des 20. Jahrhunderts, die das Unterland betreffen, kennt, der wird weniger Schwierigkeiten haben, die Positionen der deutsch- als auch der italienischsprachigen UnterländerInnen zu verstehen. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll dazu beitragen, dass die Zusammenhänge zwischen Geschehnissen, welche zum Teil bis in die Gegenwart nachwirken, leichter erkannt werden. Es sei aber angemerkt, dass die Arbeit aus der Sicht einer Deutschsprachigen geschrieben wurde; Ziel war es aber, die Position der ItalienerInnen nicht außen vor zu lassen.
Translation - English Border Region in Flux
The South Tyrol Lowlands from 1945-1980 as a case study of a socially and culturally informed regional history with a scholastic-didactic orientation.
Diploma-Thesis
To obtain the academic degree of Magister in Philosophy
Submitted by
Magdalena Pernold
Institute of History
Philosophical-Historical Faculty
Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck
Received by Univ.-Doz. Dr. Hans Heiss
Innsbruck, February 2011
Introduction
„We are basically enviable. To be the home of multiple linguistic groups, this can mean a lot of tension. But a drug against provincial degeneration can also lie within.”
The southernmost segment of the Etsch Valley between Bozen and Salurn is described as the South Tyrolean Lowlands (often The Bozen Lowlands as well). Even though this region represents an important point of infrastructure between the greater area of northern Italy and southern Germany and with it millions of travelers passing through all year – be it on the Brenner train line as well as on the Brenner Highway - its special relationships are an idea for just a relatively small circle of people outside South Tyrol.
The strengthened tourist development and the founding of the Wine Road in the second half of the twentieth Century made The Lowlands known, however its touristic identity is primarily identified through the attractions of the countryside and special climate conditions that makes it the most Mediterranean area of South Tyrol. Only a very few visitors, however, are trusted with the ethnic, social, cultural and also partly economic peculiarities, that are decisively shaped from historical developments especially of the 20th century.
Up until very recently the lives of the people of The Lowlands was governed by nature’s yearly cycle, while ethnic conflict did not play a roll, probably also because the predominant majority of the population were German native speakers. In the course of the use of Nationalism in the 19th Century a gradual change in thinking began, even though daily life was not overshadowed by political problems in these times either. Though radical changes came in the 20th Century, be it through the two world wars, the time of fascism or the Option , which often brought the local population great sorrow.
At the beginning of my research my interest lay in a systematic analysis of the multi-ethnic influenced historical development of The Lowlands in the time after the Second World War. Because this region is where I am from, there arose a very personal relation to the topic dealt with.
The characteristics of the area are unique within South Tyrol, as it is influenced by the Italian cultural-space much more strongly than other areas of the province. This is seen by the population as a danger to their own identity, but also seen as an enrichment of their lives. The South Tyrol Problem in The Lowlands is especially compressed in its position in a transitional-zone between the German speaking and Italian speaking cultural space, as well as the ethnic mixing resulting from this.
The residents of The Lowlands frequently stress the “somewhat different” character of their population group in contrast to others from different parts of South Tyrol, as due to the high rate of migration in The Lowlands other cultural and social features have come into being. Through the centuries, The Lowlands has developed in linguistic and cultural respects finally into what is seen today. The right as well as left side of the valley of The Lowlands each show a different ethnic distribution, as the right side, influenced by agriculture is predominantly German speaking, while on the left side of the valley there is a considerable Italian percentage of the population.
The present work is divided into two sections; the first half consists of the scientific elaboration of the selection of topics. Therein will be shown how the border region The Lowlands has changed in the 20th Century, where the focus will be on the time between 1945 and 1980. As The Lowlands is an exact circumscribable environment, this scientific work is about the working out of a regional historical theme.
The second half of the paper, with the aid of the elaborated facts, takes a scholastic-didactic preparation of a special topic, namely the school strikes in Neumarkt at the end of the 1970s as an example of a case of school politics. The maxim of the South Tyrol administrative district for the German education and culture for many years, Anton Zelger (1914–2010) – “the more we separate ourselves, the better we understand each other,” is a symbol of the ideas of the people at this time. It asks the question, what persuaded the German language group to claim a Secondary school of their own by every means and what were the goals of the Italians, who wanted to build a joint secondary school.
The focus of the present work lies in the time after the Second World War, which will start shortly after the development up to 1945. The time after the Second World War cannot actually be understood, if the events of the previous decade are not considered as well. Therefore, a short overview of the events after the South Tyrol’s annexation to Italy, which concerns The Lowlands, seems needed. Furthermore the developments between 1945 and 1964 will be examined more closely, as the year 1964 represents a special caesura: namely in this year there was a “Unification” of South Tyrol’s church, in the course of which The Lowlands became part of the newly created Bozen-Brixen Diocese. In closing, the time between 1965 and 1980 will be described, a time in which many contemporary conditions developed. The division into individual time spans should not seem like it is about phases strictly divided from one another. The end of a phase does not in most cases mark drastic, social caesurae, as the history must be seen as a continuum.
Up to the present day, South Tyrol’s The Lowlands has been greatly neglected by scientific research. The goal of this work is to work out the Lowland’s essential features and characteristics. In general, historians and sociologists have great interest in regions, which lay in a transitional area between two cultures. However, the region between the Salurn Chasm and Bozen has been researched relatively little up to present – totally in contrast to the situation in South Tyrol in general, about which there is a lot of meaningful work.
The present work looks more closely into political, social and cultural aspects. The 20th Century was a period of time in which the lives of the people of The Lowlands were radically changed: in economic hindsight the people of this region developed from an agrarian society to a service society: through the exceedingly strong influx of Italians the ethnic composition changed, which had impacts on the society of this small area and with it on the cultural special features of the area. The Lowlands on the one hand experienced meaningful events that concerned all South Tyrol, on the other hand it was influenced by events which concerned only its trading area (for example, the fact, that for a long time it belonged to the Province of Trento.
In the following, I give a short overview of the most important questions with which I concerned myself. At the beginning of my work however not all of my questions have been ascertained, as many will show up in the course of the work. Special cultural, social and linguistic features of The Lowlands allude to the fact that not just starting recently has there been a meaningful exchange between German and Italian speakers in this area. At this juncture it must been especially differentiated between the widely predominating immigration of Welsch Tyroleans before the First World War and Italians from the “Old Provinces” under Fascism or post-war-Italy. However, it poses the question of whether there are differences between both named groups of immigrants in respects to how they settled in and how they were seen by the native population.
Furthermore, I will concern myself with the question of whether the Salurn Chasm, which borders The Lowlands in the south, really has a partitioning effect, as nationalistic writers like to portray it. Does a boundary necessarily have to develop between the German and Italian linguistic areas through spatial separation concerning the Salurn Chasm?
The right and left sides of the valley doubtless show different features, which will be shown in chapter 1.3 through a comparison of the community of Kurtatsch, which is characteristic of a predominantly German, agrarian area and the mixed-lingual, principle town of The Lowlands, Neumarkt. With this, it asks the question: for what reasons did the two sides of valley develop differently. What persuaded immigrating Italians to go in overwhelming masses to the communities on the left side of the valley?
The question of why there was trouble between the German and Italian linguistic groups in the linguistic border, or rather transitional, area will also be looked into. Did the ethnic problems in The Lowlands come into being on a small regional level (in individual communities) or on the provincial, or rather state, level, by calling for a public call for commitment in policy and therefore forcing arguments?
Up to the present day, in The Lowlands, as in the rest of South Tyrol, the primary sector is reserved for the German linguistic group, while the Italians – together with many German speakers – work in secondary and tertiary sectors. It is clear, that the German population has always farmed their property, so that they developed a special relationship to it. Does the division of linguistic groups into individual sectors go back to political guidelines in the 20th Century?
The Lowlands is made up of mountain as well as valley communities, although the remote villages in the mountains contain economic differences (forest and milk economies) to those at the valley bottom (Maize/fruit and winegrowing). The Etsch River, which flows through The Lowlands, defined the picture of the whole bottom of the valley up until the Etsch Regulation around 1980, but after which this changed. The present work responds to the changes of cultivation in the valley bottom. With this, it asks the question why Maize was farmed in the valley bottom up to the end of 1950 and why this plant was then replaced by intensive fruit cultivation.
Were the theater productions in The Lowlands especially conscious of homeland and tradition, positioned as they are in a linguistic and cultural border area, in order to achieve a clear distinction from the Italians?
In this work, the Secondary School Conflict in Neumarkt will be scientifically processed for the first time; the documents in the Neumarkt Community Archive were invaluable for this. What is more, the conflicts that arose in the course of the planned building of the secondary school between the German and Italian linguistic groups as well as arguments expressed at the time will be described exactly.
In the quote at the beginning from the deceased German-speaking South Tyrolean Politician Alexander Langer (1945 – 1994), who stood in for inter-ethnic understanding, portrayed a society with multiple ethnic groups as something positive. If many linguistic groups live together like in The Lowlands for example, nonetheless this can doubtless cause ethnic tensions. However, whoever gets to know the other linguistic group better and, which is important, is ready to learn and also to use their language will no longer regard the other culture with such a low opinion, as they are oftentimes portrayed by politicians.
Since the 1970s, the provincial politicians have increasingly stood for the linguistic groups living peacefully next to each other, as in the past there have been negative experiences with the Italian state. This “living-next-to-each-other” has kept until today and has not been taken superseded by a coexistence of the linguistic groups. For the future it would be doubtless very important that German- and Italian-speakers would increasingly coexist, as the ethnic tensions could be reduced through this.
It is easy, to instigate people against the respectively different linguistic group - be it on the media side as well as politicians, through which trouble can quickly be caused. The policy endangers the social cohesion of a (also multi-lingual) society, if it deepens already existing ‘inner boundary lines’ . For the most part today in daily life, there are no problems between Italians and Germans. Small incidences by themselves can however develop into tense situations that can make living together more difficult.
Those who know the historical events of the 20th Century, which concerns The Lowlands, will have fewer difficulties understanding the positions of the German-, as well as Italian-speaking, The Lowlanders. The present work should contribute to this, so that the connections between the events, which partly continue to have an effect in the present, should be easier to recognize. It has been commented, that this work has been written from the view of a German speaker; the goal was not to leave out the position of the Italians.
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Years of experience: 15. Registered at ProZ.com: Apr 2012.
In December 2014, I graduate with a Masters in Technical Communication from Boise State University while working full time. I am currently taking a course in online document production, where we are conducting a usability test. I have also taken a course on oral communication; where we learned how give presentations in business settings. Research methodologies, including citing sources and using qualified sources, are skills that I have developed as part of my practical writing training in this program.
I have two years experience as a technical writer contractor with HP as well as two years experience as a German to English translator.
For eight months between 2009 and 2010, I had the opportunity to work as a proofreader for the Youth Olympic Winter Games Innsbruck 2012. In this position I proofread several English-language documents (written by native German-speakers) to ensure that they were ready for presentation.
Presently I work as an information developer, writing user documentation for HP printers. This position requires the ability writing concisely, following a style guide and writing to a tight deadline. Because we want user to find the information they need as quickly and as easily as possible, we are constantly updating and refining how we write and how our documents are structured. Constant contact with the client and within our team is essential to keeping on top of current trends.
I have also had the opportunity to work as a freelance translator for AA Translations.
Between semesters I have earned a certification in XML and HTML through W3Schools.com. I am currently studying to become certified in SDL Trados.
I look forward to the opportunity to work withh you and your company. I am happy to answer any questions about my prior experience and background.
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