In 1880, Swiss author Johanna Spyri published the very first edition of Heidi. Little did she know at the time that her children’s story would become one of the best-selling books ever written, and would shape how the rest of the world sees Switzerland to this day.
Here’s what you need to know about the literary classic, and how you can visit the world of Heidi today.
Heidi is a children’s book telling the story of a five-year-old girl and her life in the Swiss mountains and the German city of Frankfurt. It was first published in 1880 and 1881 by Johanna Spyri from Zurich.
To date, it is the best-selling German-language book ever and the 17th best-selling book of all time, having sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.
Following the death of her parents, the orphan Heidi is taken by her aunt from her home in Maienfeld to live with her grandfather or “Alp-Öhi” (uncle of the Alp), high in the mountains of Graubünden. Though unwelcome at first and barred from attending school, Heidi befriends her neighbours Peter the goatheard and Brigitte, and wins her grandfather’s affections through her fearless acts, warm nature and interest in Swiss wildlife and animals.
Her aunt then returns and takes Heidi with her to Frankfurt to be the companion of Klara Sesemann, who is unable to walk. She soon faces the hijinks of a country girl’s first time in a big city and befriends Klara. However, she is wracked with homesickness, and on the advice of her doctor is told to return home to Switzerland.
Klara soon joins Heidi in Switzerland and - long story short - learns how to walk. Thanks to her devotion, dedication and kindness, Heidi is allowed to go to school, and Klara’s parents promise to take care of Heidi throughout her life.
Though Heidi is not a true story, the themes in the book are heavily influenced by the experiences of many people living in Switzerland in the 1800s. The contrast between the nature of the countryside and the industry of the city, and the fact that the former is seen as healthier and purer, played into Victorian concerns about industrialisation.
The fact that both Heidi and her aunt have to emigrate to Frankfurt for work also points to the mass emigration seen in Switzerland during the period. Rather than the land of banks and high salaries we know today, at the time, the country was very poor and at many points unable to feed itself due to famine. According to official data from the government, poverty and hunger forced 330.000 Swiss citizens to emigrate between 1850 and 1888, mostly to the United States.
Though Heidi, as a piece of literature, is hugely popular in its own right, what truly sent the story global was its many adaptations overseas. After the first English-language versions of the story were published in America in the 1880s and 1890s, by 1936, over 20 million copies were sold in the US alone.
This caught the eye of Hollywood, which released the first film of Heidi in 1937, with a young Shirley Temple playing the lead. The movie was a major hit across the world, and is attributed with building Switzerland’s reputation as a land of pristine lakes, stunning mountains and azure rivers.
Image credit: cfg1978 / Shutterstock.com
Other than Switzerland, the country that has taken Heidi to heart the most since its publication is Japan. The story was first translated into Japanese in 1920, and today over 300 different translations and adaptations of the work exist, many of which adopt the Japanese art style of manga.
As to why the story is so popular in the land of the rising sun, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs speculates that the themes of the book - tradition versus modernity, nature and health as a path to happiness - are all hot-button topics within Japanese society.
Since its publication, Heidi has been featured on Japanese postage stamps, and there is a special Swiss-style Heidi’s Village near the city of Hokuto.
For most modern audiences, their first introduction to Heidi is the 1974 Japanese Anime Heidi the Girl of the Alps from studio Zuiyo Eizo. This semi-faithful retelling of the classic story has captivated young audiences across Japan and the rest of the world, and is one of the main reasons why Japanese tourists visit Heidi-themed attractions in Switzerland in their thousands.
Since then, the story of Heidi has been adapted to film and TV over 15 times. These range from the straight-laced Swiss-made film Heidi in 2015, to the mad, adult, action, horror and dark comedy spinoff Mad Heidi in 2022.
Video: dl-_-lb / YouTube
Though the story of Heidi may be consigned to the page and screen, there are many great ways to experience the wonder of the story in Switzerland:
Thanks to the book, the region where Heidi is from has been named Heidiland. The tourist region spans Lake Walen and the various ski resorts on its southern bank, like Flumserberg, the region around Sargans and the foothills of Graubünden.
With its stunning mountains, pretty lakes, clear air and rustic mountain villages, the region encapsulates the atmosphere that made Heidi a bestseller. Some of the highlights of the region include the ski resorts of Flumserberg and Pizol, the banks of Lake Walen, the spa town of Bad Ragaz and the wine region around Maienfeld.
Above Maienfeld itself, you will find Heididorf. Though it isn’t really the home of Heidi herself, the small hamlet has been lovingly restored and designed to look exactly like it would in the books.
This includes Heidi’s house - a 300-year-old furnished building that can be explored freely - the Alp Cottage where her Alp-Öhi lived, the village school and the post office. While you are there, you can explore the buildings, take in the landscape and learn about all the traditional craft techniques used by residents of the Alps in the 1880s.
Video: Graubuenden / YouTube
The best place to learn about the author of Heidi is in Canton Zurich at the Johanna Spyri Museum. The museum itself is located in Hirzel, in the schoolhouse where Spyri began her education, and is full to the brim with interesting facts, exhibits and accounts of the famous Swiss writer.
Born in Hirzel in 1827, Spyri only began writing when she was in her 40s. She published 50 works of literature throughout her life, including 32 different children’s books.
Sadly for us, Spyri ordered that her personal estate be destroyed after her death in Zurich in 1901, so we know relatively little about her personal life, but what fascinating items remain can be explored at the museum.
Through her children’s story, Spyri successfully rebranded Switzerland from a poor nation of farmers into one of the most stunning places to visit on Earth. The themes and story of Heidi are timeless and will likely be enjoyed by children and adults for generations to come.