Heimat has been a crucial concept for the construction of identity in the German-speaking world. Seemingly impossible to translate, Heimat has served to describe feelings of comfort and belonging that are traditionally tied to a specific location, be it one's place of birth or childhood home. Yet, in a world characterized by ever increasing global influences and a fast-paced lifestyle, the notion of Heimat as a static, inflexible and rather exclusionary idea is becoming more and more obsolete and is giving way to new hybrid Heimat forms that encompass traditional as well as foreign elements....
Heimat has been a crucial concept for the construction of identity in the German-speaking world. Seemingly impossible to translate, Heimat has served ...