“The Aversions between East and West … Were Not to Be Found Here”

Abstract This article tests the analytical potential of Heimat to explore identity constructions in East Germany more precisely than sociological studies have done so far. Using the example of the conservative party in the East German region of Eichsfeld in the 1990s and 2000s, I argue that the concept of Heimat , understood as a historical process in which individuals construct their subjectivities in relation to their immediate material environments, can help us to identify variations, complexities, and contradictions of different identities in concrete historical situations. Positioning itself against current debates, the article concludes that Heimat necessarily encompasses both inclusion and exclusion. However, the conservative Heimat concept of the Eichsfeld Christian Democratic Party ( cdu ), on which this article focuses, proves negotiable and is not necessarily more open toward anti-democratic forces than it superficially seems.