Within the framework of the INTERREG III B of the European Untion, all Walser organisations that are spreaded across the alps established the project „Walser Alps- modern times and tradiotion in the heart of Europe“. The project is headed by our partner of the autonomous region Aostoa. Our two years lasting effort was successful in the end. Eight of the 22 projects were aproved including this one.

"Walser Alps" is a pilot project which is aimed at studying the transfer from a pre-industrial to a competitive, sustainable and modern society. The Walser project is meant to act as an example for many places in the central European apline region.
On the one hand the Walser-topic raised a lot of interest with the Walser themselves as well with other people in the last three to four decades. On the other hand the Walser migration, the deminishing culture and dialect are omnipresent. In this context the INTERREG project offers an unique chance to prevent the Walser customs to be merely found in books and museums. The project makes a great contribution to the Walser awarness: they learn which values are hidden behind their identity, culture and living space.

The following are the main goals:

• The Walser are very much interested in the Walser community and its modern identity.
• Walser-German is a living and changing language of a self-confident alpine minority.
• The Walser organisations position themselves as professionally working and independent nerve centre of culture in the alps.
• The Walser municipalities strengthen their potential for development by the sustainable formation of their own man-made landscape.
• Young Walser are integrated into the decision-making process in clubs and the municipalities.

The project is divided into eight measures, so called Work Packages (WPs):

WP 1:Transnational preperation and set-up of the partnership

WP 2:Transnational management

WP 3:Internal projectmanagement
Work Package 1,2 and 3 concern the preperations as well as the management and coordination of the tasks and different regions.

WP 4: Frame of communication
Modern Walser identity – cohesion between generations. The Walser website becomes the backbone of communication. It includes up-to-date information and interesting facts of the whole Walser region. Further, it connects all websited of the differnts Walser associations and museums. The discussion is meant to become a joint representation to the outside and media.
The experiences can be actively exchanged with other minorities.
Responsibility: Vorarlberger Walser Vereinigung

WP 5: Frame of cultural inheritance
Walser Alpen yesterday – Transfer of the cultural inheritance to the children. Historic witnesses are recorded and made digital (e.g. documents and old photographs). Selected topics are deatl with in detail.
Responsibility: Provinces Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli

WP 6: Frame of every day life
Walser alps today – Acquirement of the cultural inheritance by society. The Walser language has an oral tradition. In this part of the project a feasability study for a Walser dictionary, didactic material and renewed procurement of the Walser dialect is created.
Responsibility: Aosta region

WP 7: Frame of landscape
Walser alps tomorrow – Predictions fort he development of the municipalities. Coordination and measures to sustainably apreciate the man-made landscape. Development of an instrument for land use planning. A transnational future-conference evaluates the project from inside and presents how this project will be continued.
Responsibility: Walservereinigung Graubünden

WP 8: Frame of identity- Modern identity and cohesion between the Walser
Reorganisation of internal structures and building of a centre of competence.Booklet for the Walser associations. The modern Walser identity in the 21st century as well as the association’s structure which was adapted to present-day cultural terms will be discussed in work shops.
Responsibility: International Association for Walser traditions

The total value of the project amounts to 1,200,000 Euros.