Introduction

For several years now, democracies all over the world have seemed to be in crisis as fundamental democratic principles, such as the separation of powers or the protection of minorities, have come under increasing attack from nationalist movements and parties. Germany is no exception. Not surprisingly, the responses adopted by established politicians to defend the values and institutions of democracy are primarily national in approach; above all, democracy itself is an institutional order that is bound to nation-states. This is the context in which a concept that many believed to have already been dead and buried in post-war Germany has experienced a renaissance in national debates about identity and community: Heimat . It has cropped up almost everywhere—in novels, songs, and political debates. The most striking evidence without a doubt was the expansion of the country's Federal Ministry of the Interior in March 2018, which was intended as more than just a technocratic decision. Since then, it has borne the title of Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat (Ministry of the Interior and Community), with Heimat in this context being broadly defined, including the promotion of volunteering, the integration of migrants, and spatial planning.