The concept ofHeimatwith its seemingly pre- or anti-modern connotations of rootedness in a place of origin is central to a critical understanding of German history and culture. Over the course of the past fifteen years, scholars across a range of disciplines have found new ways to examine the changing notions of Heimat its multifaceted cultural, literary, and visual history, its gendered connotations, and its national and ideological appropriations.This anthology is the first to examine cultural manifestations ofHeimatby giving special consideration to issues of memory and space. The contributions to this volume challenge static notions of place often associated withHeimat. Instead, they explore the social and cultural production of places of belonging as they emerge in literary and visual narratives ranging from 1800 to 2000 and beyond.Although the anthology includes historical perspectives onHeimat, its overall objective is not to trace its cultural or literary history, but to place this complex term into new conceptual contexts. Drawing attention to manifestations ofHeimatwithin German literary and cultural studies provides a rich ground for exploring the transformation of locality in trans/national contexts.

Friederike Eigler, Georgetwon University, Washington DC, USA;Jens Kugele,Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.