Abstract
On the topic of migration in Germany, the public discourse is largely characterized by anxieties about the “foreignness” of refugees. In this context, ideas of a German Leitkultur (predominant culture) have become relevant. After being widely discussed in 2000, the concept was taken up again between 2015 and 2017. This contribution discusses to what degree the meaning of Heimat in the German discourse today is attached to the notion of Leitkultur. Although Heimat has eventually entered the realm of mainstream culture, its semiotic coding strongly follows a radicalization against practices of transculturally-based integration and carries a massive prejudice against any notion of Otherness. As a concept between political hysteria and cultural fashion, the understanding of Heimat has become more and more established within claims for cultural identity. The article reconstructs this shift in the contemporary radicalization of Heimat and explores its meaning and epistemological background.
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