← back to glossary ← back to glossary

Heimat/ Sense of Home/ Homeland

The German term “Heimat” describes an emotional or nostalgic connection to a place, region or country. It is often translated as “home” or “homeland”. “Heimat” can be a person’s place or country of birth or the place where a person lives or feels at home. Unlike the place of birth or place of residence, “Heimat” is an abstract emotional concept that has different meanings for different people. Some people feel they can have a “Heimat” everywhere or at several places, others feel like they do not have this sense of home at all. The term can also be applied to a sense of belonging to other abstract concepts such as a “linguistic Heimat” or “cultural Heimat”. Conservatives and right wing politicians often use the concept of “Heimat” in political debates and political agendas as German value, others criticise the concept for being exclusive.