Chesnokova, L. V. The Concept of Heim (Hearth and Home): Shelter from the Existential Fear in German Culture

Abstract: The author of the article describes one of the most important concepts in German culture, the concept of Heim (Hearth and Home). The author provides a definition of the concept and describes its etymology and traditional use in German culture. The author also describes the main features of this concept from the point of view of the German national mentality including emotional fullness and the feeling of protection, safety and psychological comfort. Moreover, the author compares this German concept with associated terms in other languages and cultures. The author underlines that the concept of Heim (Hearth and Home) satisfies one of the main human needs in privacy and personal (safe) space and protects humans from feeling homelessness as well as experiencing the existential fear (Angst). For a German person, his own tidy and cozy home is the place where the order and safety reign and where he can feel protected from anxieties and threats and chaos of the outside world.

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