Demographic Tradition and ethnic Minorities

The objective of this research proposal is to highlight the impact of current demographic changes on ethno-cultural processes in the Italian part of the Alps. Given its distinct population development as well as its distinct autochthonous ethnic structure, this Alpine region is appropriate to show completely new trends in ethno- demography and settlement development in European high mountains. Notably, the proposed project can build on important research results to this issue presented by the applicant in the last decades. Apart from assimilation depopulation can be identified as a major driving force for the evanescence of ethno-linguistic minorities; on the other hand, in-migration can also be unfavorable for minorities, particularly after a period of population losses. The current tendency of reverse migration to remote areas in the entire Alpine region shows marked similarities with the process of amenity migration. This phenomenon, a relatively new area of research, forms the basis of the project`s conception. The research area encompasses all regions with ethno-linguistic minorities in the Italian Alps: Northern Friuli (Friulian mountains), the German language pockets in the Eastern and Western Alps, South Tyrol and the Bellunese Ladin area, the Aosta Valley, the Occitan region in Piedmont (including the Valdesi valleys). Considering the current status of research this project proposal is built on two major theses: Thesis 1: Mountain depopulation which is largely based on bio-demographic trends seriously threatens the existence of smaller ethno-cultural minorities. In fact, the depopulation of the Italian Alps promises negative effects not only for the smaller minorities such as Germans and Slovenes. The local population as a whole is diminishing. In some valleys of Friuli for example, the local population already have vanished altogether. Thus, smaller ethnic groups such as the German language pockets have been halved. Some valleys with Slovene and Friulian settlements are losing their last residents at the very present. There are parallel processes in the Italian Western Alps that affect particularly the valleys populated by Occitans. Thesis 2: Subsequently, most of the numerous, abandoned Alpine valleys offer themselves as areas for re- settlement. Pull factors for this new process will be amenity migration benefiting from the big and favorable real estate market. This process will change the autochthonous ethnic structure. First analyses show that from the mid 1990s onwards, a new demographic trend has developed in the Italian Alps: Since that time the re-settling of peripheral high mountain regions can be seen as a completely new process. In the French parts of the Western Alps it has already resulted in population growth. The evaluation and interpretation of the current status of research, the scientific interpretation of source material, specifically of official statistics, field studies with a variety of data acquisition methods, discussion of first investigation results and judicial assembling of partial results will be key tools to achieve the project goals.

The objective of this research proposal is to highlight the impact of current demographic changes on ethno-cultural processes in the Italian part of the Alps. Given its distinct population development as well as its distinct autochthonous ethnic structure, this Alpine region is appropriate to show completely new trends in ethno- demography and settlement development in European high mountains. Notably, the proposed project can build on important research results to this issue presented by the applicant in the last decades. Apart from assimilation depopulation can be identified as a major driving force for the evanescence of ethno-linguistic minorities; on the other hand, in-migration can also be unfavorable for minorities, particularly after a period of population losses. The current tendency of reverse migration to remote areas in the entire Alpine region shows marked similarities with the process of amenity migration. This phenomenon, a relatively new area of research, forms the basis of the project`s conception. The research area encompasses all regions with ethno-linguistic minorities in the Italian Alps: Northern Friuli (Friulian mountains), the German language pockets in the Eastern and Western Alps, South Tyrol and the Bellunese Ladin area, the Aosta Valley, the Occitan region in Piedmont (including the Valdesi valleys). Considering the current status of research this project proposal is built on two major theses: Thesis 1: Mountain depopulation which is largely based on bio-demographic trends seriously threatens the existence of smaller ethno- cultural minorities. In fact, the depopulation of the Italian Alps promises negative effects not only for the smaller minorities such as Germans and Slovenes. The local population as a whole is diminishing. In some valleys of Friuli for example, the local population already have vanished altogether. Thus, smaller ethnic groups such as the German language pockets have been halved. Some valleys with Slovene and Friulian settlements are losing their last residents at the very present. There are parallel processes in the Italian Western Alps that affect particularly the valleys populated by Occitans. Thesis 2: Subsequently, most of the numerous, abandoned Alpine valleys offer themselves as areas for re-settlement. Pull factors for this new process will be amenity migration benefiting from the big and favorable real estate market. This process will change the autochthonous ethnic structure. First analyses show that from the mid 1990s onwards, a new demographic trend has developed in the Italian Alps: Since that time the re-settling of peripheral high mountain regions can be seen as a completely new process. In the French parts of the Western Alps it has already resulted in population growth. The evaluation and interpretation of the current status of research, the scientific interpretation of source material, specifically of official statistics, field studies with a variety of data acquisition methods, discussion of first investigation results and judicial assembling of partial results will be key tools to achieve the project goals.