Heimatkunstbewegung

Heimatkunst Movement: literary movement of "local colourists" idealising the home country ("Heimat"), farming and rural life and advocating it as an alternative to modern civilisation. Inspired by developments in Germany (F. Lienhard), the movement was opposed to the urban literary scene and the literary movements of symbolism and decadent literature. As the so-called "Los-von-Wien" (= "break away from Vienna") movement, it turned against the "cliquism" of the "Junges Wien" movement. Discussion of the idea of Heimatkunst was initiated by H. Bahr in his weekly magazine "Die Zeit". As a consequence, P. Rosegger, F. v. Gagern, H. and R. Greinz advocated a "return to the province". The ground for this support of the "eternal values" of nature, landscape and tradition had been prepared by the works of A. Stifter, A. Pichler, P. Rosegger, F. M. Felder, L. Anzengruber, F. v. Saar and M. v. Ebner-Eschenbach and others (Heimatliteratur).

Literature: K.-H. Rossbacher, Heimatkunstbewegung und Heimatroman, 1975.