The discourse of Heimat, meaning homeland or roots, has been a medium of debate on German identity between region and nation for at least a century. This study explores the theme of German identity between locality and nation in literature and film from the late nineteenth century through to the present, locating key novels and films in a wider cultural context of great significance for an understanding of German history.

The discourse of Heimat, meaning homeland or roots, has been a medium of debate on German identity between region and nation for at least a century. This study explores the theme of German identity between locality and nation in literature and film from the late nineteenth century through to the present, locating key novels and films in a wider cultural context of great significance for an understanding of German history.

This study of Edgar Reitz s 1984 film saga Heimat explores the cultural contexts of the Heimat tradition and examines the political debate surrounding the film s reception. Responses were largely supportive but some critics were disturbed by an apparent tendency to induce a sense of uncritical nostalgia in viewers. Reitz, by contrast, had wanted to make a film which would help people confront their memories of the Third Reich. The author tests hostile critiques not only against the film s elliptical narrative but also against Reitz s filmic techniques. She examines the interplay of...