Tyrolean Place-Names

After the project TIROLER NAMENBUCH WESTTIROL, in which we have collected the names in the upper part of the Tyrolean Inn valley and whereof we will publish the first three communities this autumn, we would like to treat the Stanzertal and the Paznaun, respectively the remaining communities of the political district Landeck, in the same way. As experience shows interest in onomastic works increases with the local population the more names are disappearing. The main reason for the lost of names is the declining agriculture (nowadays there are more skiing-pists than meadows, tourism instead of alpine agriculture), the growth of settlements and an increasing number of roads and motor-ways. But also our modern time is in need of names, be it for hiking-maps, leaflets or helicopter-rescues. The Tyrol is a land of contact and transition but nevertheless conscious of its own tradition. The place-names of the country play a great role in this time of self-decision and selffinding. According to this the collection and description of our names is the most important point before we can start etymologies. Historical documents will still be there in later times but the names must be collected now. Sometimes only names can help to analyze early settlements in the Tyrolean mountains and therefore names are witnesses of early history and important documents, worth conserving.