Experiencing German History Through the Presence of the Personal Artifact in Thomas Heise's <i>Heimat ist ein Raum aus Zeit</i> (2019)1

Abstract This article shows how Thomas Heise's essay film Heimat ist ein Raum aus Zeit (2019) emphasizes the significance of personal artifacts in portraying German history. Instead of utilizing archival footage, Heise explores Germany's past through his family's personal writings created primarily during the Nazi era and in the former GDR. Drawing on Jaimie Baron's concept of the “archive effect,” which frames archival documents as experiences of reception, this analysis illustrates how Heise's approach to presenting history emphasizes the audience's response to personal artifacts. The archive effect occurs when viewers realize the temporal and intentional disparities between the family materials and the film's modern images of landscapes, ruins, and trains. As these disparities are potentially challenging for viewers, Heise bridges possible gaps using a train‐related leitmotif, specific camera movements, and sound. Rather than merely conveying historical significance, these methods enable viewers to experience history through the presence of personal artifacts.