Im Heimatmuseum

Taking a heritage museum in the small village of Obermillstatt in the Austrian Nock mountains as a point of departure, this chapters zooms in on questions of belonging and alienation in a world marked by global transformations. The objects and photographs collected and curated by members of the heritage club, depict the importance of "Fremdenpflege" (care for foreigners) - the often decades-long relationships that local village inhabitants have cultivated with 'guests' and tourists who visit the region every summer. The example of a recently founded local food coop also makes visible the dark side of global dependencies: out-migration, the decline of agricultural infrastructures and the emergence of 'ghost villages' brought about by the boom of holiday homes in the region. Through the stories of Karin and Wolfgang, two club members, the chapter shows the creative ways village inhabitants try to counteract such developments. Summarised, the chapter engages with the complex and often contradictory ways people t