Neue Heimat Amerika: Briefe deutscher Ausgewanderter im 19. Jahrhundert. Mit uberlegungen zum literarischen Auswandererbrief bei Berthold Auerbach

This contribution analyzes authentic and fictional letters from 19th-century emigrants and their semantics of Heimat. Under the conditions of migration, letters in particular become the central medium for everyday reflection on homeland. This article shows that the use of the term Heimat encompassed a very large semantic spectrum, which takes up various connotations of Heimat in German-speaking countries, while at the same time shaping this discourse through the experience of migration. This mutual influence can be traced in German Realism, in which fictitious letters from emigrants played a crucial role. The literary discourse on Heimat, the second part of this article shows, echoes the massive migration experiences of the time.

Automated summary

This article analyzes authentic and fictional letters from 19th-century emigrants and their semantics of Heimat. It shows that the term Heimat encompassed a large semantic spectrum, shaped by migration experiences, influencing German Realism. The literary discourse on Heimat echoes the massive migration experiences of the time.