Heimat

Susanne Scharnowski

"What is the idea of Heimat (homeland) in German culture? The answers are varied, because the idea of Heimat has long since become a political battle concept. Some see it as the preservation of German culture and identity, others see it as a supposedly outdated idea standing in opposition to new values such as cosmopolitanism, dynamism and diversity. This volume offers an innovative overview of the history of culture and history of the Heimat idea since the seventeenth century. The book discusses the much misunderstood concept of Heimat as beginning in Romantic era as well as propaganda supporting Heimat in the colonial period, the First World War and the National Socialist era. Much of the book is focused on such controversial concepts as kitsch or nostalgia in the context of Heimat. Thus, this volume makes an important contribution to the study of an ideologically charged debate and...