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Abstract

The German word Heimat, widely considered untranslatable, has peculiar connotations of coziness and harmony, a heritage of the Romantic movement of the early nineteenth century. During the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, Heimat was chiefly used as a legal term for residency or right of settlement. In modern philosophy and sociology, the concept of home is defined as a basic quality of man as a territorial being. Today, Heimat is seen as an individual achievement, as a cultural construct that is present in all cultures, and as an affective attachment to a particular environment (topophilia). In traditional societies, this feeling is rooted in a specific geographical area. In an age of migration, aspects of Heimat such as language, religion, costumes, or cherished objects are transferred from their original setting to new homes. Creating favorable environments for the growth of feelings of Heimat should be a priority for political decision-makers.