Protection of the Ladins

After the Second World War many German and Ladin speaking South Tyroleans hoped for reunification with (Austrian) Tyrol. The Treaty of Paris between Italy and Austria (1946) did not consider the Ladins.

In 1946 the movement "Zent Ladina Dolomites", called for official recognition of the Ladin people. The Italian authorities hardly gave this demand any attention. Even the support of the "Südtiroler Volkspartei" (SVP) (South Tyrolean People's Party) and an appeal to the Allies changed nothing.

On the 1st January 1948 the new Italian constitution came into force. Since then the existence of the Region of Trentino-Alto Adige has been constitutionally fixed. The Region was given a special statute. The Ladins in Val Badia and Gherdëina were named in Article 87 of the autonomy statute.

In 1951, by means of a bye law, three language groups within the Province of Bolzano were established: the German, the Italian and the Ladin.

In 1964 the new Diocese Bolzano-Bressanone was created. The diocese borders were brought into line with the political borders. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Fodom and Colle Santa Lucia were made part of the Diocese Belluno. Gherdëina went back to the Diocese Bressanone and Fascia stayed with the Diocese Trento.

The Autonomy Statute for the Region Trentino-Alto Adige from 1972 is described as the "Paket" (package). It includes the protection clauses for the German and Ladin speaking population of the autonomous Provinces of Bolzano and Trento.