Under the Treaty of Saint-Germain, Italy would have to suffer reparations under Mussolini until the prohibition of the German language in public space.
Only after 1946, did the German-speaking South Tyroleans gradually regain their rights.
After the end of the World War I, the nationalities border in South Tyrol ran at Salurn, not by Brenner, as the Italians suggested to American President Wilson, because England, France, and Russia had promised Italy the Brenner border in the London Secret Treaty of April 1915, so that after the truce the Italians may occupy the border immediately.
The fascists want to reach their goal with the assimilation of the German-speaking South Tyroleans, the advancing immigration of Italians to South Tyrol, and the expatriation of the German-speaking South Tyroleans.
In 1923, South Tyrol was renamed ""Alto Adige"" (Oberetsch) and was added to the Province of Trento. On October 23, a decree was passed that declared Italian as the official language for all state offices and public companies. Furthermore schools were forced to cease teaching German in effort to abolish the language(Lex Gentile). Then Kanonikus M. Gamper called for the founding of the ""Catacomb Schools"". These private lessons would be punished by criminal law.
From 1914 to 1918 after World War I, my great-grandfather had to change his last name to sound more Italian when parts of Austria became Italy. My great-grandfather had to work for the state and was forced to change his last name from Kofler to Coveli.