The German Alpine Inhabitants of South Tyrol and the Seven Communes: Character and Industry

Appendix.

Statistics.

On the German alpine inhabitants of South Tyrol and the adjacent Venetian territory. (Continuation.) 3/7

III. Popular character and industry.

The difference in language keeps these communities, with regard to social relations, as it were in an isolated state, and compels them to limit their marriages to the borders of their, I might say, guilds; this causes their physical and moral character to still retain its originality, as Tacitus describes it to us in his Manners of the Germans.

They are generally of a robust build, hardened against great hardships, cold, and weather changes, have a lively facial structure, blue eyes, blonde hair, and are tall and nimble of person. As for their character, the same cannot be asserted of all, because the difference in governments also produced a difference in character. While the inhabitants of the Tyrolean Alps preserved themselves in their original German simplicity and flexibility, the inhabitants of the Seven Vicentine Communes under the government of the Republic of Venice claimed and, what means even more, constantly exercised without contradiction the rare privilege of carrying edged weapons and firearms of whatever kind, visibly or secretly. Just 20 years ago it was a common and everyday occurrence to see these peasants, when going from one village to another, or to field work, indeed even when going to church, walking along with a gun over their shoulder, which they then leaned in a long row outside near the church door, only to take back their own after divine service had ended. Where many carry weapons, they naturally must all carry them to restore balance; the young people in general find great pleasure in it.

These communities did not lack Amazons; these too knew how to command respect through a stiletto or pocket pistol hidden on their breast.

Even within this warlike exterior, this weapon-bearing people was good-natured, just, obliging, of a good heart, and capable of sacrificing even their life for a friend. But woe to him who offended them!

This was not, however, as it might seem, a state of anarchy or Tartar savagery. They had their statutes, their local authorities, which depended on the Venetian government, which they obeyed without prejudice to their privileges, and in case of need also rendered compulsory assistance in support of the laws. Yet the Venetian sbirri were not allowed to show themselves in the Seven Communes; the government therefore had to treat them with kindness.

The Republic of Venice had a political interest as its purpose in this special leniency, with which it also combined freedom from taxes; for it considered these mountain inhabitants, who held in their power the two routes leading from Trent into the Venetian state, namely from the Valsugana and the Astico valley, as a bulwark against future incursions of the Germans, and indeed in this capacity they proved their great usefulness, especially from the tenth to the twelfth century.

However, as was quite natural, the case sometimes arose that these constantly armed defenders knew how to make themselves exceedingly redoubtable even to the Vicentines themselves.

After the abolition of the Republic of Venice, with its wretched police this disorder also ceased, and the people themselves are now glad to have lost this pernicious privilege. *) Their Tyrolean brethren resemble them physically, but are of a calm and peaceful disposition. In food they are incredibly frugal; their usual diet is cornmeal polenta, without additives but merely salted, which they break into pieces with their hands and eat with sauerkraut, or a kind of wretched cheese. Their drink is milk. The rich man, with few exceptions, lives and dresses almost like the poor man. Luxury is not tolerated, and even for comfort little concern is shown. Their roads are poor and barely passable. Their houses, situated on the mountains at various distances according to the requirements of their plots of land, are poor. The kitchens, which are very smoky because for fear of conflagrations they have no chimneys, serve them in winter as a sitting room, where some also sleep at night and lie in case of illness. The kitchen is so much their everything that they call it Haus, which otherwise means the whole dwelling. Kitchen, or more commonly Kuchel, is an unknown word in some villages. In summer they sleep on the hay. Frugal as they are toward themselves, they are nevertheless very hospitable to anyone who visits them; no poor person leaves their house without a gift. This sacred duty, inherited from their ancestors, brings a multitude of roaming beggars upon them.

As far as morality is concerned, they are generally conscientious, honest, keep their word strictly, and are enemies of discord. No people in North Tyrol gives the civil courts as little trouble as this one. The criminal courts hardly have any notice of them. These good qualities open a broad path to their industry, with which they come to the aid of the poverty of their soil, as in winter – some for trade, others for work – they travel around in other regions, where they are favorably known and welcomed, returning to their families in spring with significant saved sums.

They have, however, besides agriculture, **) also some native products for the improvement of their branch of sustenance, namely wood, livestock, and especially wool. Yet all this would not suffice for their needs if the periodic migrations of these people were not combined with it, who, if they remained at home in winter, would increase consumption and go idle.

Thus, as soon as their field work has ended, namely roughly around All Saints' Day, they set out on their journey in various directions and for various purposes, according to the different custom existing in each locality.

*) By viceregal decree of November 21, 1505, the free carrying of weapons was generally prohibited, which prohibition was also renewed by the current Imperial-Royal Austrian legislation by means of a high patent dated January 18, 1818.

**) The branches of industry in the Seven Communes are, besides livestock breeding, which is primarily pursued, woodwork, charcoal burning, tanning, and straw hats, the latter however being manufactured only in the communes of Lusiana and in the adjacent areas of Crosara, Conco, and Valle San Florian. The main branch of industry in Valstagna, Campolongo, and Valravina consists in the cultivation of tobacco, which is granted to these communes out of supreme grace, but on the condition that they sell it to the government at the price determined by highest authority.

(To be continued.)