17.05.2023 The South Tyrolean Settlement in Reutte – A Piece of History in the Heart of the Town

Today, I would like to introduce you to a part of Reutte that you may not have discovered yet, even though it is located almost right in the town center and is well worth a visit – the South Tyrolean Settlement.

Historical  Background

After the First World War, South Tyrol was officially awarded to Italy in the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919. Everyday life for the South Tyrolean population – around 90% of whom were German-speaking – became increasingly difficult. German-language schools were closed, and Italians from southern regions were resettled in the area. Following Austria’s annexation by Germany in March 1938, many South Tyroleans hoped that the new ruler, Adolf Hitler, would bring South Tyrol “back home to the Reich.” These hopes were dashed when the so-called “Option” was agreed upon in the Hitler–Mussolini Agreement.

A Forced Choice

The “Option” forced the German-speaking South Tyrolean population to make a dramatic decision:

– They could remain in South Tyrol, renounce their cultural identity, accept Italian citizenship, and still face the risk of being resettled elsewhere within Italy

or

– They could choose German citizenship, but would then be required to leave their homeland of South Tyrol and start a new life within the German Reich.

The bitter truth for everyone involved was that, regardless of their decision, they would lose their homeland of South Tyrol.

This so-called “choice” caused a deep and lasting division within society. Entire villages and families were torn apart – those who chose to stay (“Dableiber”) could not understand those who opted to leave (“Optanten”), and vice versa.

In the vote, around 80 percent – approximately 166,000 South Tyroleans – chose the option of adopting German citizenship and emigrating. By the end of the war, about 75,000 of them had actually left. Due to the outbreak of the Second World War, the resettlement process slowed down significantly and was eventually brought to a complete halt.

The Construction of the South Tyrolean Settlement in Reutte

A total of 22 settlements were built in Tyrol. While the planning of all settlements was carried out centrally, regionally typical elements were incorporated into the architecture. Construction in Reutte began in July 1940 and was classified as essential to the war effort, which meant it was exempt from the general ban on new construction at the time. Almost exclusively local companies were commissioned for the project.

The houses were built by Alpenländische Heimstätte. After two years, the first three buildings were handed over to their new residents. By November 1943, the remaining apartments, roads, and green spaces had been completed.

In total, 155 high-quality apartments were created in 18 residential buildings. For the standards of that time, the apartments were considered very comfortable and modern.

Who Lived in the Soth Tyrolean Settlement After Its Completion?

One might assume that the settlement was inhabited exclusively by South Tyrolean resettlers. In reality, however, of the 501 people who moved in, 261 were not resettlers.

Some of the apartments were allocated to so-called “non-resettlers,” including war invalids and people affected by air raids, local residents who had made their older homes available to resettlers, as well as party officials.

A Look Inside

For many tenants, this was the first time they had an apartment of their own with a lockable front door. Many residents of Reutte were also unfamiliar with the comfort and privacy of having their own apartment, as multi-generational households were still common at the time.

An apartment for a family with one to three children was laid out as follows:

• Bathroom – toilet with running water (instead of the pit latrines still widely used in Reutte at the time) and a washbasin; connections for a wood-fired boiler and a bathtub were provided

• Kitchen with fitted kitchen units and a sink with running cold and hot water; a built-in cupboard beneath the window with exterior ventilation slits served as a “refrigerator”

• Electric stove and wood-burning stove

• Parents’ bedroom with chimney connection

• Children’s bedroom with chimney connection

• Cellar compartment

All other furnishings had to be provided by the residents themselves. Freight companies transported the resettlers’ few belongings to Reutte, where they were stored until the apartments were ready for occupancy.

Resettler families were often large. Extended families were either allocated apartments with two children’s bedrooms or, if required, two neighboring apartments.

In addition, the settlement included gardens for self-sufficiency, a children’s playground, a communal meeting area, and plenty of green spaces.

Although the South Tyrolean settlements were planned centrally, great care was taken to combine elements from the former homeland of South Tyrol with features of the new home in Reutte. One example of this is the characteristic double staircase of the Marktgemeindeamt Reutte, which can also be found in the South Tyrolean Settlement. The beautiful, large wooden balconies, on the other hand, are typical of South Tyrolean farmhouses and were likewise incorporated into the design of the settlement.

Facade Design with a Message

The facades of the houses feature murals created by the painter Karl Heinrich Walther Kühn, depicting scenes that reflect the ideology of the time and are well worth exploring on a walk through the settlement.

In addition to a coat-of-arms frieze at the entrance to the settlement, displaying the coats of arms of South Tyrolean towns and municipalities, the facades show scenes from rural life (with clearly defined family roles), slogans emphasizing performance and achievement, as well as ornamental rune motifs.

Two Murals Worth Taking a Closer Look At

Wolkensteiner Straße 26

This mural features a three-part composition. The lowest level depicts a medieval knightly scene with musicians and warriors.

On the middle level, the figures shown in the center and on the left represent the last knight and the first cannoneer – Emperor Maximilian I – as well as the ship symbolizing the discovery of America.

The uppermost level portrays a family, representing life in the present at the time the mural was created.

The rooster on the far left edge of the image symbolizes morning, while the owl on the far right represents evening.

Wolkensteiner Straße 22

This mural refers to one of the two Rodfuhr panels housed in the Museum im Grünen Haus, which date back to the early 18th century. These panels depict the salt trade, which was of vital importance to the local population in the past.

In recent years, there has been considerable debate about the preservation of the South Tyrolean Settlement. Its central location means that a much larger amount of modern living space could be created if the buildings from the 1940s were to be removed.

For now, the entire South Tyrolean Settlement remains intact and is still largely inhabited.

A total of 53% of the settlement is protected as a listed historic site and will therefore be preserved permanently. The remaining part, however, could potentially be demolished in the future.

„Memorial Site South Tyrolean Settlement - A Planned Homeland?"

The Museumsverein Reutte has restored an apartment at Südtirolerstraße 12 to reflect its original condition at the time of its construction. In cooperation with the Marktgemeinde Reutte, the “Memorial Site South Tyrolean Settlement” was created.

The history of the South Tyrolean Settlement in Reutte is documented here in a vivid and accessible way, ensuring that it is preserved for future generations. The apartment at Südtirolerstraße 12 can be visited as part of a guided tour through the South Tyrolean Settlement.

Interest in these tours is high – school classes, travel groups, clubs, and local residents alike book guided visits and, in doing so, gain deeper insight into the more recent history of Reutte.

Guided Tours of the South Tyrolean Settlement Including a Visit to the Memorial Site:

Guided tours take place on the third Wednesday of each month, on May 15 / June 19 / July 17 / August 21 / September 18 / and October 16, 2024, starting at 17:30. The meeting point is the Museum im Grünen Haus, Untermarkt 25.

The tours last approximately 1.5 hours and are free of charge with the Aktiv Card of the Naturparkregion Reutte.