Include a brief personal brainstorm
(questions, experiences, opinions) in terms of H.E.I.M.A.T.
Christoph Schwarz, August 2008
a) My starting point is a speculation: why are we using „H.E.I.M.A.T“ with points between the
characters? As if it is an acronym for something… does it refer to the subjectivity of the term, or that
Heimat ist too complex and consisting of different layers together shaping one word? That it’s not only
about the obvious origin, but rather something which can change in time?
b) A few weeks ago somebody told me that Heimat is the place one is ashamed of.
c) Another strong point for me is the Nazi-connotation of the term- it reminds people from Austria of
their past, of the atrocities people commited in the name of Heimat, which makes it even more unlikely
for people to use the term Heimat these days. So for me this term is spoiled somehow.
d) Heimat expresses for me a stronger relationship to a geographical area than I have. Right now I am
doing a residency programme in Italy, and some people start explanations about their home by saying
“In my country…”. If Heimat is referred to a city, I can somehow understand it. Referred to a whole
nation, I feel much more astonished, because the concept of nationality is a mystery for me. A
imagined community of people, a sucessful concept, tempting and dreadful at the same time. A
concept (nationalism) which invented its origin afterwards (nation).
e) I think the term Heimat can be very useful by explaining a certain field in which one feels “strongly
at home, in good hands, safe”. If I have to compare the weight of “home” and “Heimat” I would say that
Heimat has much more weight.
f) People don’t accept if you have several Heimats. It can only be one place. A immigrant could live for
decades in Austria, he will always being asked about his Heimat, meaning the place where he was
born, raised. It would be much easier if it would be allowed to have several Heimats.
g) I am right now part of a project dealing with untranslatable words. We want to publish a langauge
guide for these terms, accelerating the possible integration and usage of foreing words in any
langauges. Heimat is on our list, but I am not sure if I want to perpetuate this very strong idea and urge
people to use it