Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Optanten für Deutschland

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Optanten für Deutschland (Association of optants for Germany, ADO) was founded on 30 January 1940. It was an association for German speakers who, according to the Alto Adige Option Agreement between Mussolini and Hitler, had chosen to emigrate to Germany rather than stay in the province of Bolzano-Bozen and become Italianized.

Background

The southern part of Tyrol, an alomost exclusively German speaking area of the Austrian Empire, was occupied by Italy at the end of World War I. Between 1928 and 1939 various resistance groups formed in the province of Bolzano-Bozen to fight the fascist Italian regime and its policy of suppressing the German language. Children were taught the prohibited German in clandestine catacombe schools and Catholic media and associations resisted the forced integration under the protection of the Vatican. The underground resistance movement, the "Völkischer Kampfring Südtirols", was formed by a Nazi party member, "Peter Hofer".

Alto Adige Option Agreement

When Hitler and Mussolini reached an agreement on the assimilation of the German and Ladin speaking minorities, the so-called Option was put forward. The South Tyroleans had to choose between remaining in Fascist Italy or emigrating to the Third Reich. All those in favour of leaving were allowed to take German classes and take part in Tyrolean associations again.

Peter Hofer, with the help of the German authorities, transformed the VKS in to the ADO and organised these associations and classes in order to support those ("Optanten") who left.

The South Tyroleans who remained ("Dableiber") organised themselves into the Andreas Hofer Bund under the leadership of Friedl Volgger and Hans Egarter.

German Occupation

In September 1943 the Wehrmacht occupied the province and on 10 September 1943 the Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills was established. The ADO was dissolved and joined with the "Deutsche Volksgruppe". Peter Hofer was chosen as the "Volksgruppenführer". Some members of the ADO joined with the South Tyrolean Volunteer Corps and were involved in the annihilation of the Jewish population in Merano. They also attempted to arrest fleeing Italian soldiers and attacked those who had chosen to remain, even though this had been expressly forbidden by the Third Reich authority.

Post war

After 1945 none of the ADO leaders was tried for their crimes (Peter Hofer was killed by an Allied bombing raid). Only recently have historians started to look in to this dark period in the history of the province of Bolzano-Bozen.

ee also

* Alto Adige Option Agreement