Abstract
The militant disputes of the 20th century have had a big influence on the collective memory of Europe. However, Europe as a project for peace and economic development has started to crack. While facing all the global challenges, especially to young generations, the EU offers insufficient identity-forming features that could create an “European“ identity able to overcome the “national“ ones. On the other hand, the history of South Tyrol, together with initiatives like the Euregio Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino, demonstrates that regional identities are becoming more and more important. A former culture and economic area, which has been existing for centuries, is now being redefined and revitalized in the spirit of the European integration process.