The South-Tyrolean Freedom Movement – Free Alliance for South-Tyrol “SÜD-TIROLER FREIHEIT - Freies Bündnis für Tirol” is a liberal-patriotic alliance which claims the right of self-determination for the South-Tyrolean people.

Our country has been occupied since 1918 by the Italian central government but our resistance against this injustice still persists. Approximately 350.000 German-speaking Tyroleans live in this annexed area continuing their struggle to keep alive their traditions and customs, but it is a challenge to maintain our cultural heritage in a foreign national state. Moreover Italy is on the verge of bankruptcy, and even our very rich region suffers greatly because of the economic inability of the Italian central government. From our point of view the only way to remain a prosperous region is to separate from the Italian national state.

After World War I, Italian troops occupied the southern part of the Austrian Tyrol, although former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in his famous “Fourteen points” declared that a (re)adjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality. But the secret treaty of London, in which Italy betrayed his allies, guaranteed Italy the so called “Brenner border”. This border still divides Tyrol into two parts.

Under the fascist government of Mussolini, the German-speaking population of South Tyrol suffered displacement and persecution. Adolf Hitler agreed with Mussolini that the South Tyroleans had to be expatriated and therefore he prohibited all pro-South Tyrolean propaganda in Germany and Austria. For this reason national-socialism and fascism are considered the gravediggers of our country. Our movement doesn’t tolerate any form of political extremism.

As a consequence in South Tyrol, German schools were closed and prohibited. Moreover all German names were Italianized, even German grave inscriptions were cancelled, and nowadays fascist place-names are still in use. Even fascist monuments still exist and are renovated with Italian (including South-Tyrolean) tax-payers money. Furthermore senior Italian politicians, like the minister of foreign affairs Gianfranco Fini, chairman of the neo-fascist “National Alliance” party hold memorial ceremonies for fascist soldiers under the “Victory Monument” in the South Tyrolean capital Bozen. They celeberate their victory over our people, which historically was no military victory, because before World War I ended not a single Italian soldier entered Tyrolean territory. Italian troops occupied our land after a ceasefire had been established. Therefore it was a diplomatic victory, achieved through a pack of lies and betrayal – not a heroic military victory like the “Victory Monument” suggests.

Today in times of human rights and liberty, our people still haven’t received the right of self-determination. Therefore we claim the right to conduct a referendum in which our people can decide whether we want to be part of Italy or to become independent. The Italian government has never conceded this fundamental right to our people.

Freedom for South Tyrol – because South Tyrol is not, has never been and will never be Italy!