The Trouble with Heimat: Identity and Belonging in German Culture
In an era marked by global displacement, shifting identities and rise of nationalistic movements, the idea of Heimat—a uniquely German term for "home" or "homeland"—takes on urgent new meaning. Once idealized as a space of comfort and belonging, Heimat is also deeply tied to exclusion, nationalism, and the trauma of the 20th century. This course explores Heimat in both its nostalgic and dangerous dimensions, especially its ideological manipulation from the Nazi era to the present day.
Through literature, film, and philosophy, students will engage with voices from both the past and present—including post-migrant artists and thinkers—who reflect on the promises and perils of home, homeland, and identity. Central to the course is a critical inquiry into whether Heimat can ever be truly inclusive, or if terms like Herkunft (origin) provide better alternatives.
Students will engage in guided discussions around questions such as:
• Can you be homeless in your own home?
• What roles do family and national identity play in shaping Heimat?
• When does the sense of home become unheimlich (uncanny)?
Texts, films, podcasts, and performances by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Hilde Domin, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Fatih Akin, Yael Ronen, Max Czollek, Saša Stanišić and Alice Hasters.
This class is designed for students with a solid grasp of basic German vocabulary and grammar who wish to expand their knowledge of the language and culture through reading, discussion, and writing.
Taught in German. Fulfills SAS core requirements AHp, WCd.
Prerequisite: 01:470:232, or simultaneous enrollment in 01:470:231 or 232. May be repeated for credit.