History of Tyrol

The History of South Tyrol begins in modern times with the creation of the Italian Province of South Tyrol in 1919. However, it is known that people have lived here since the stone age (see Ötzi), and the region was part of the Roman Empire from 59 BCE until the Völkerwanderung. From the 6th to the 9th century, the region was settled by the Bavarii together with the Langobards and the romanised natives. As part of France and later the Holy Roman Empire the region had a strategical importance as a bridgehead to Italy. Large parts of the province was donated to the Bishops of Trento and Brixen-Bressanone. After their caretakers, the earls of Tyrol (See Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol) had gathered the province under their command, the region together with the vallies to the north was known as Tyrol.

In 1342, the earldom went over to the Bavarian dukes again when Emperor Louis IV voided the first marriage of Countess Margarete Maultasch. But already in 1363 the Wittelsbach released the country for Habsburg.

Habsburg ruled the region almost continuously until 1918. Only in 1805 Austria was defeated by Napoleon and lost Tyrol to Bavaria in the Peace of Pressburg (Bavaria allied itself with Napoleon in the war). Tyrolians, lead by Andreas Hofer, rose in rebellion against Bavarian rule. In 1814 Tyrol is transferred from Bavaria to Austria at the Congress of Vienna.