novels and Heimatfilm movies. During the Cold War era, Heimatschutz reserve battalions were deployed by the West German Bundeswehr for homeland defense. Today, the word is also used to translate the English expression "homeland security" used by the US federal government after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Switzerland In Switzerland, the term Heimatschutz is widely considered free from historic burden and refers to preservation order and fostering of traditions in a general sense. The Schweizer Heimatschutz (SHS), best translated as Swiss Heritage, a nonprofit organisation established in 1905, is dedicated to the advancement of Switzerland's building culture. Its focus is on the preservation of important landmarks, the development of the structural environment, and the promotion of good architectural design. See also Regionalism (art) References Sources Confino, Alon. The Nation as a Local Metaphor: Württemberg, Imperial Germany, and National Memory, 1871-1918. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1997. Swiss culture Cultural history of Germany First Austrian Republic