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WALSERSPRACHE - The four main objectives of the Alpine Space ...

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Gurin aber Was mi net brennt, das blaas i net, ‘Was mich nicht brennt,<br />

das blase ich nicht’ tönte es in Macugnaga wieder vertrauter: Was töd dich<br />

nid bisse, mösch ni chrowwu, ‘Was dich nicht beisst, das kratze nicht’.<br />

Neben der Verbreitung könnten die Bilder im Sprichwort ein <strong>The</strong>ma<br />

sein, die ja meist etwas ganz anderes meinen, als der Wortlaut zum<br />

Ausdruck bringt. Auch Vergleiche mit italienischen Sprichwörtern bieten<br />

sich an.<br />

Es braucht, und das scheint mir eine unerlässliche Säule im Revitalisierungsprozess<br />

zu sein, Erwachsene, die Lernenden – vorweg Kindern<br />

und Jugendlichen – bereitwillig in «Walser» Auskunft geben.<br />

We have convened here to ponder over <strong>the</strong> progress <strong>of</strong> research on Walser language and<br />

its revival south <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Alps. I will speak solely on <strong>the</strong> revitalisation project. It comes down to<br />

steering this language in <strong>the</strong> right direction. Enlightened influence must be brought to bear<br />

upon a conscious and well-directed effort on <strong>the</strong> communication systems <strong>of</strong> a few Walser<br />

colonies on <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn slopes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Alps, in order to foster <strong>the</strong> Walser language. It split into<br />

several dialects right after <strong>the</strong> settling <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se sites by <strong>the</strong> Walsers centuries ago. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

dialects are variants <strong>of</strong> Alemannic or, to be more correct, <strong>of</strong> Higher Alemannic. I would like<br />

to share with you a few thoughts I have been entertaining over <strong>the</strong> last 40 years <strong>of</strong> acquaintanceship<br />

with <strong>the</strong> Italian colonies in connection with <strong>the</strong> planned revitalisation project. Let<br />

us take a look at Macugnaga in <strong>the</strong> Eighties. In an inn we find a few men, <strong>the</strong> innkeeper,<br />

her 10-year old son and myself. First <strong>the</strong>y chatted in an Italian local dialect, while <strong>the</strong><br />

innkeeper and myself spoke German. During <strong>the</strong> conversation <strong>the</strong> innkeeper asked her son<br />

if he wanted to join us and speak a little “Makanaatitsch”, that is <strong>the</strong> German dialect from<br />

Macugnaga. He declined <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer with a bored air. Like all <strong>the</strong> kids from <strong>the</strong> latest generation,<br />

he had learned too well that <strong>the</strong> German dialect had become superfluous and<br />

encumbering as an everyday language. In Macugnaga, at that time, out <strong>of</strong> a population <strong>of</strong><br />

760 inhabitants, barely 95 people still spoke German, <strong>of</strong> which 85 were over 40 years old.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re were no more fluent speakers below <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 30. <strong>The</strong> situation has been steeply<br />

declining ever since. <strong>The</strong> void left by elders passing away was not filled by any youth and<br />

<strong>the</strong> communication system simply collapsed. <strong>The</strong> same happened in Alagna. It looks a little<br />

bit brighter in Formazza, Gressoney and Issime. But let’s come back to <strong>the</strong> revitalisation<br />

process. It is regrettable that <strong>the</strong>re be no umbrella or central organisation for all Walsers in<br />

Italy. It could take over <strong>the</strong> steering process and <strong>the</strong> responsibility for managing <strong>the</strong> entire<br />

project. Periodically it could also send out a call for a brainstorming session or a simple<br />

exchange <strong>of</strong> ideas and it could act as a central bureau for all information. <strong>The</strong> only institution<br />

which could take up such a demanding task is <strong>the</strong> Walser Cultural Centre, established<br />

in 1982 in Gressoney, which so far has quite successfully taken care <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interests<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three communities in <strong>the</strong> Lys Valley, Gressoney-St-Jean, Gressoney-Trinité and Issime.<br />

58<br />

ANMERKUNGEN ZUM PROJEKT WIEDERBELEBUNG DER <strong>WALSERSPRACHE</strong><br />

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