Heimat

Heimat by Hermann Südermann (1893). The story of an opera singer, Magda, who falls pregnant by one of her lovers and returns to her conservative home in rural Germany, followed by a young lover, Von Keller.

The original text

Translations and adaptations

Hugely popular internationally for many years, it was translated into Afrikaans (via the Dutch Haar Thuis or Het Ouderlijk Huis) as Huis Toe by Mrs A.E. Carinus-Holzhausen.

The English translation in America was known as Magda.

Performance history in South Africa

First produced by Paul de Groot with his first semi-professional company. Opened at the Pretoria City Hall for three days on 9 July 1925. Featuring Paul de Groot, Stephanie Fauré as Magda, Anna Aucamp, Marguerite de Vos, Matt Laubscher, Danie Smal, Henri Cilliers, Wena Naudé. Repeated in July and in September played a week in the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, in conjunction with African Theatres. Later the amalgamated Paul de Groot Geselskap (“Company”), took the play in a successful tour between July and December 1926, with Hendrik Hanekom, Mathilde Hanekom, Anna Marais, Wena Naudé, Maxie Botha, Simon Malherbe, André Huguenet and Paul de Groot in the cast. By 1929 the play had seen 132 performances under De Groot's direction.