Abstract
«Heimat» does not to the German word of ‘home’ or ‘homeland’ but to a much more complex concept. Heimat has both a subjective meaning and a social imaginary. The concept of Heimat is experiencing a new revival. In recent years, it has been increasingly perceived as an opposition to change and modernization.
Thus, the concept of Heimat experiences multiple definitions and perceptions, demonstrating its potential to highlight controversy and provide keys to understanding social phenomena. For the German-speaking minority of the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano, the concept refers to a particular meaning and is part of a collective imaginary supported by cultural productions. In this case, Heimat as social imaginary holds together the community in a binary lifeworld divided by linguistic groups.