
WHAT IS HEIMAT?
In the Middle Ages, the German word Heimat referred to the country or region where a person was born and owned land or property. The local people were granted birthrights which assured them support in cases of illness, poverty or old age.
Today, many people continue to associate the idea of Heimat with a place. In political debates, Heimat is often localized – within the borders of a national state or a cultural area. But can Heimat really be defined that way? Doesn’t everyone create their own personal image of Heimat that is based on a combination of objects, smells, people and memories?