Charlemagne Where borders are the migrants

摘要

A CENTURY AFTER its collapse, Austria-Hungary lives on in the tidy Alpine town of Bolzano in northern Italy (Bozen to German-speakers). Viennese coffee houses and beer halls clatter and chatter with life. Streets have names like Bahnhofsallee. "Under Austria, life here was very plural. There were equal rights. People could speak what language they wanted," notes Sven Knoll. Then, he adds, came Mussolini, who tried to Italianise the region by imposing language restrictions and encouraging migration from the south. Mr Knoll's South Tyrol Freedom Party wants Austrian passports for German-speaking locals and eventually secession for the region, which was awarded to Italy after the first world war for its support of the Allies. The current right-wing government in Vienna is planning a new citizenship law, so the first goal is within reach. Mr Knoll hopes the second is only a matter of time.