Travel texts and moving cultures

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How does travel transform culture over time? This question lies at the core of this book, which merges cultural analysis of German literature and film with mobilities studies, emphasizing movement as central to human experience. The author explores two concepts: dwelling, symbolizing stability and permanence, and mobility, representing change and uncertainty. The analysis compares travel writing from two pivotal periods of global social change: historical (1770–1830) and contemporary (1985–2010). It features works like Georg Forster’s *A Voyage Round the World* (1777), detailing his journey with Captain Cook to New Zealand; Erich Loest’s *Zwiebelmuster* [Blue Onion] (1985), which reflects East Germans' travel aspirations before the Wende through a semi-autobiographical lens; and Bernhard Schlink’s *Die Heimkehr* [Homecoming] (2006), which reinterprets Homer’s Odyssey through a son's quest for his father. The historical period showcases a culture driven by mobility and travel desires, while the contemporary era highlights an increasingly mobile world where travel is seen as a human right. This approach illuminates the ethics surrounding growing mobility and questions the notion of homecoming.