Tourist office Nals
Rathausplatz 1/A
39010 Nals (BZ)
South Tyrol / Italy
Tel. +39 0471 678619
Fax +39 0471 678141
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History
Family tree research
Nals is an ancient village. It is first mentioned as “Nalles“ in a document from 830 found in St. Gallen cloisters in Switzerland. The name is traced back to pre-Roman times, i.e. it is more than 2,000 years old. Several language and name researchers have tried to understand its meaning. However, the results were so different that it was not possible to decide on any of them. One of the most logical explanations comes from Joseph Thaler in “Tyrol’s antiquities in its geographic names“. It says that the name Nals might come from “naulochos“ – “navale“ (engl: harbour) or derive from the French ”naulis“ – ”nolis“ (engl: a ship’s freight, fare). This theory is also maintained by Beda Weber in “Meran and its surroundings“, where he indicates that “in this region” the rafting on the Etsch river was used for economic purposes.
Settlements and fortresses.
During the first centuries of our Christian calendar, Nals was already gaining importance. This is clear from two Roman stones found in Castle Schwanburg and some stone and coin findings from the same time. Professor Cartellieri understands one of the Sevir Augustalis inscriptions by a priest of a Roman holy place, in such a way that Nals must have been a “large and imposing place with a temple“. According to the findings and with a view to the close proximity of the large Roman military road through the Etsch Valley – the Via Claudia Augusta – this is highly possible, particularly as the Langobardian castle Sirmianum on the church hill of St. Apollonia in Sirmian, just above Nals, is understood to have been destroyed by the Franconians in 590 A.D. Some evidence from this very early settlement can also be found in the remains of fortresses in the surrounding area. The largest of these is found on the Burgstalleck, a forested hill South-West of Nals, the highest elevation of the low mountain range on the right hand side of the Etsch Valley between Meran and Bozen. The Burgstalleck can be reached from different hiking paths. The ascent via the Regelehof or Castle Payersberg can be made without any difficulty in about 1 ½ to 2 hours and can be finished via a circular walk to Obersirmian and then back to Nals. Just below the Burgstalleck, there is another fortress settlement, whose remaining stones shimmer through the dark forest. This is Fortress Föhrenbühel, which is situated on the way from Nals on the road to the Regele and Kofler farmhouses to Andrian. When in 1902 the foundations of the new server’s house were laid in St. Apollonia, they found a grave of six people and six horses, whose skeletons were buried in the ground with out coffins. They also found part of a braclet made of solid bronze. This speaks about another pre-historic settlement on the hill of St. Apollonia. Remains of several fortresses were also found on the Kasatschbichl, near St. Jakob in Grissian, on the Tisen Hirschbichl and on the St. Hippolyt mountain between Tisens and Völlan. All these findings from the past form evidence for an early settlement around the village.
The Nals aristocracy – the Payersberger and Jakob von Boymont-Payersberg families.
According to the Goswins chronicles (Marienberg cloisters – 14th Century), the residences in the area around Nals, which had some very furtile soil, were divided since the early Middle Ages by aristocrats and cloister lords from the entire South-German region. The cloisters of St. Afrea in Augsburg, Füssen, Schäftlarn and Weingarten (today in Germany), as well as Stams (today in Austria), Münster (Switzerland) and Allerengelsberg, the Meran Klarissen, Gries, Marienberg in South Tyrol/Italy, mainly owned vineyards in this area. This is also true for the aristocratic Lords von Payr, Boymundt, Campi, Fuchs etc. The richest local family were the Lords Payr von Payersberg in Nals, which might have originally come from Bavaria, as there is a “Lammlfuß de Bavarius” mentioned in a Trient document from 845, which was probably at home at Castle Payersberg. Since 1165, the Payr family were the ministerial counts of Eppan. As the first carrier of this name, which is shown in several documents, a certain Reimprecht von Payr, probably together with his son Otto, built the first Castle Payersberg. Otto’s only daughter Elisabeth was married to Dietmar von Boymundt. Since then, the family line is known as Boymundt-Payersberg. According to the Tyrolean Aristocrat’s article, the counts of Payersberg did not produce any more sons after 1791. Their last decendant, Countess Josefa Amade de Varkony, died in 1851 in the Austrian Steiermark region. Today, the partly ruined Castle Payersberg is privately owned by the Malpaga family. The most popular and well-known figure in the line of the Boymundt-Payersberg was Jacob Baron of Boymundt-Payersberg-Schwanburg, born on 5th July 1527 in Ivano, in the district of Strigno in the Sugana Valley. He was born as the son of Martin, captain of Ivano and his wife Sofie of Breisach. When he was 14 years of age, he became an aristocratic servant in the courts of the Lord-Bishop Count Fuchs Fuchsberg of Brixen. In 1550, he became the owner of the aristocratic court in Bozen and held the position until 1569. On 20th May 1560, Kayser Ferdinand honoured him personally with a knighthood, put him into the kaiser’s council and changed his name to “von Schanburg“ after he had built Castle Schwanburg between 1560 and 1575. The castle was built on the ruins of a house previously built by Gaul. Jacob “the Schwanburger“, as he was called by his fellow aristocrats, was one of the most popular figures in the country during his life. He was a cheerful character, always willing to serve, very capable intermediary and hard-working host, who was asked for assistance not only from people of his own standing but also from the emperor. Jacob extended and secured his residence in Nals, the Schwanburg, several times. He showed particular interest for the cultivation of wine and for agriculture in general. In 28 years, he increased his proceeds from the vineyards from 279 to 2,020 yhrn (1 yhrn = approx. 76 litres). The profit from these proceeds increased from 418 to 4,510 fl (Gulden). In 1563, Jacob bought some land near the Schwanburg and built a large new cellar, which has been renovated in the meantime and is still used for its original purpose. The extensive snow fall in January 1571 is reflected in his autobiography as follows: “The snow was so high, that it pressed down the roof of the large new cellar and has destroyed all the wooden structure, as well as the roof itself. It cost me 800 fl (Gulden) to re-build the same.“ In addition to his inheritance, he bought another 20 farmhouses, which he used for agriculture in the best possible way. The Schwanburger was known as one of the richest and mightiest lords in the country. His travels to Vienna, Prag, the Steiermark and Kärnten regions, to Spain, France and Italy, extended his understanding of the world around him. On 22nd October 1581, he died. Later on, the Schwanburg was bought by the aristocratic Trapp family, who sold the place in 1771 to the Thaler family. In 1873, Mrs Berta, the widow Thaler, using her maiden name Carli gave the residence into the hands of her nephew Rudolf Carli, whose heirs are today still known as the most famous wine cellar owners.
The mine.
During the 15th Century, the village of Nals was already working successfully in mining. It is known that in 1426, a mountain solicitor lived in the area, who was most likely resident at what is known today as the Hiaseggerhof. The mining concentrated mainly on lead, which was processed in Lana and the Sarn Valley. It is still possible to find some of the entrances called Knappenlöcher near the Bacher farmhouse in Nals. One of the entrances, which was in the gardens of Castle Schwanburg, was closed only a few decades ago. As the miners in Terlan became more successful than those in Nals, the mountain court was transferred in 1533 to Terlan. However, around 1673, both mining companies (Nals and Terlan) were no longer economical. Some years earlier, in 1628, the poor mountain judge Hans Christoph Engl, whose low annual salary was decreased once more from 60 to 30 fl (Gulden), sold “some tools to an official in Bozen for very little money” in order to stay alive. The miners, who had experienced great times between 1480 and 1570, were reduced form more than 1,000 people to only a few. Finally, the mines were closed.
From marshland to fertile orchards. - The regulation of the river Etsch.
Originally, the Etsch valley was an extensive marshland, covered by alder groves. In 1838, Beda Weber wrote in his book “The country of Tyrol“: “The groves between Meran and Bozen are partly good maize fields, partly woodland, partly meadows and partly marshland with straw making areas.” Today, visitors to Nals will only find a few remains of these straw-making areas. The main success of making the land useful has been due to the regulation of the river Etsch. Through this initiative, it was possible to cultivate the marshland. Repeated floods along the river Etsch forced the population of the valley to built dams along the river in order to protect their property. Due to the continued increase in the cultivated area in the valley, the people formed dam or protective co-operatives. However, these co-operatives did not bring the necessary success and the chronicles of those times still talk about floods in the area. A better solution to the problem was found, when it was discovered that building a continuous dam would protect the land from the flood waters of the river Etsch. However, the inhabitants of the valley did not have sufficient money for such an extensive project. For this reason, it was necessary for the population to wait until the government finally took control of this problem. At the time of Empress Maria Theresia, the government started to show public interest in regulating the Etsch river. In cooperation with the state, it was then possible to begin systematic work along the river. The first complete project was presented in 1805 by major Novak. Due to a demands from the towns of Meran, Mais, Marling, Lana, Tisens, Nals, Gargazon, Andrian and Terlan, where they were asking for a railway line, as well as the regulation of the Etsch river, the work for the stretch between Meran and Bozen was only started in 1880. The advancement of the work was satisfactory, so that the railway line Bozen – Meran could be opened in October 1881. The dam was finished in 1891 and handed over to a cooperative, which called itself „Cooperative for the Regulation and Maintenance of the Etsch river”. Today, it is called “Advanced Cooperative Passer – Eisack”. The safety of both Etsch dams allowed the cultivation of extensive ground along the valley. Where previously air-polluted marshland was found, they now were able to create fertile ground for meadows and orchards.
Nals, a border village – 1809: the division of Tyrol.
At the time of the Napoleonian conquests, in 1805, Tyrol became part of Bavaria, which was one of Napoleon’s alleys. The foreign occupants promised that the country could keep its previous laws, but in the end, the promise was not upheld. For this reason, discontentment rose inside the Tyrolean population and soon, they began to make plans to liberate themselves. These plans were put into action in 1809, when the Tyroleans under the leadership of Andreas Hofer, conquered their enemy during the famous battle at Mount Isel, despite them being in a superior position. However, the Peace Treaty of Schönbrunn on 14th October 1809 decided that Tyrol would once more be given to Bavaria. Due to the defeat of the Austrian troops near Wagram, Tyrol reached a ceasefire agreement at Znaim in Tyrol. The Tyroleans, however, understood this as a game of war and prepared themselves once more for a battle at Mount Isel. In this situation, Napoleon decided to release troops from other areas and let them loose from all sides against Tyrol. The fourth battle at Mount Isel was lost by Tyrol. The enemy’s revenge was horrific and was trageted particularly against the rebel leaders. In order to hit not only the country but also its population, Tyrol was divided into three parts. The most northern part was given to Bavaria, the southern part to the Kingdom of Italy and the eastern part to the Illyric provinces. According to the protocol, the border between Bavaria and Italy run right through the village of Nals. The ordnance survey map showed the border to be along the Gampen Pass, across the Wechsel and Moschenberg mountains to St. Apollonia in Obersirmian, from there to Castle Payersberg and the Grissian river, then following the Giessen river towards the river Etsch, running along its shores to Gargazon and from there to the Aschler river and across the Tschöggel mountain. The older inhabitants of the village still remember an old border stone. They still talk about some smuggler stories relating to those times. One of the things smuggled was salt, which was much more expensive on the Bavarian side of the border. Through the Vienna Council in 1815, Tyrol was united once again and the border in Nals disappeared.
The war memorial – World Wars I and II
Another turn in Tyrol’s history happened in 1918 with the defeat of the central powers and the end of World War I. The victorious power, particularly US president Wilson, responded positively to Italy’s demand for the border to be at the Brenner Pass. The Peace Treaty of St. Germain (1919) allowed for 250,000 German-speaking Tyroleans, who lived north of the Salurn Klause, to be removed from Tyrol. Also, it was agreed that the border between Austria and Italy should run along the Brenner Pass, the Reschen Pass and south of the Toblach fields. 21 men from Nals did not return from the trenches of World War I. During the Second World War, many of our people stood at different front lines. Most lives were taken along the eastern front. 28 soldiers from our village died. In 1967, the local Traffic Association started an initiative in which a monument was erected in the park between the schoolhouse and the church to honour the fallen soldiers. This was possible due to the actions taken by the Companions of the South Tyrolean Front Fighters Association Nals, as well as through monies given by our German twin town Gemünden am Main. The larger-than-life statue made of Bronze was created by the Bozen sculptor Hans Plangger. On 30th April 1967, the monument was consecrated and Dr. Silvius Magnago, who was Head of the Provincial Government at the time and delivered a festive speech.
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