"There is a great difference between dwelling among mountains and dwelling in a town."— Johanna Spyri, Heidi
Johanna Spyri
The writer of Heidi
Johanna Heusser was born in Hirzel, a small Swiss mountain village. Her father was a doctor; her mother wrote poetry. The family had six children. Johanna grew up running through mountain meadows, helping with the farm animals, and listening to her mother's poems.
As a young woman, she married a lawyer named Bernhard Spyri and moved to the big city of Zürich. She missed her mountains terribly. She also had a quiet, lonely time in the city. She raised one son and didn't write much, until her late forties.
Quick Facts
- Born: June 12, 1827
- From: Hirzel, Switzerland
- Job: Writer
- Famous for: Heidi (and its sequels)
Heidi has been adapted into more than a dozen movies and TV shows. The 1937 American film starring Shirley Temple was a huge hit, and a 1974 Japanese animated TV series called 'Heidi, Girl of the Alps' became famous around the world.
Her Famous Story
Read Spyri's Heidi on Worldly
Heidi is one of the warmest, most magical children's books ever written. On Worldly, every page is adapted to your reading level.
Her Life, Year by Year
From the Alps to Zürich to literary fame
Johanna Spyri's life was quiet, with one big creative explosion in her later years.
Born in a Swiss village
Johanna Heusser is born in Hirzel, a small village in the Swiss Alps. She's one of six children.
She marries and moves to Zürich
Johanna marries Bernhard Spyri, a lawyer. They move to Zürich, the big Swiss city. She misses the mountains terribly.
Her son is born
Her only son Bernhard Diethelm Spyri is born. Johanna devotes herself to raising him.
She starts writing
At 44, Johanna publishes her first short story. She'll publish many more over the next decade.
Heidi is published
Johanna publishes Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning, the first half of what we now call simply Heidi.
Heidi part two
A year later, Johanna publishes the sequel, Heidi Makes Use of What She Has Learned. Together the two parts form the Heidi story we know today.
Tragedy strikes
Johanna's son dies of tuberculosis. Her husband dies the same year. Johanna is left alone.
She dies in Zürich
Johanna dies in Zürich at age 74. Heidi is now famous around the world, and Johanna leaves nearly all her royalties to charity.
Heidi's World
Three things kids love about Heidi
Heidi has charmed readers for nearly 150 years. Here's why.
Heidi · 1880
A grandfather who softens
Heidi's grandfather is gruff, lives alone in a hut high in the mountains, and hates the village below. Heidi changes him just by being herself, no big speeches.
Heidi · 1880
Mountain life
Goat milk, fresh cheese, alpine flowers, sledding, summer pastures. The book makes the Swiss Alps feel like a magical place where every day is an adventure.
Heidi · 1880
Friendship that travels
When Heidi is sent away to Frankfurt to be a companion for a sick girl named Clara, she's homesick. But she also helps Clara, and eventually brings her home to the Alps. Friendship runs through every page.
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about Johanna Spyri
She didn't write Heidi until age 53
Johanna spent most of her life as a quiet wife and mother. She didn't publish Heidi until she was 53. Sometimes the biggest creative work comes late.
She gave away most of her money
Heidi made Johanna rich, but she gave most of the royalties to charity. She helped fund schools, libraries, and refugee programs.
Heidi exists in two volumes
What we now read as 'Heidi' was originally TWO books. Johanna published the first part in 1880 and the sequel in 1881. They've been bound together ever since.
She lost her son and husband the same year
In 1884, Johanna's only son died of tuberculosis at age 29, and her husband Bernhard died the same year. Johanna was left alone.
Heidi is the most famous Swiss book
Heidi may be the most internationally famous piece of Swiss culture. The book has been translated into more than 50 languages and adapted into films, plays, and animated series around the world.
The 1974 anime is huge in Japan
A 1974 Japanese animated TV series called 'Heidi, Girl of the Alps' became a massive hit in Japan, Europe, and Latin America. Many people first met Heidi through that show.
Good questions, answered
Johanna Spyri FAQ
Is Heidi based on a real person?+
Not exactly, but Johanna based the setting on her own childhood mountain village in Switzerland. The Alps in the book are very real, and the everyday details of mountain life come from Johanna's own memories.
Why does Heidi go to Frankfurt?+
Heidi's aunt arranges for her to go live with a wealthy family in Frankfurt as a companion to a sick girl named Clara. Heidi misses the mountains terribly, but she also makes a real friendship with Clara.
How many Heidi books are there?+
Just two by Johanna Spyri, originally published in 1880 and 1881, which are now combined into one book. Other authors have written sequels, but those weren't by Johanna.
What age is Heidi good for?+
Heidi works as a read-aloud from age 5, and as a chapter book from age 7 or 8. The Worldly version is adapted to fit each reader's level.
What's the famous Heidi movie?+
Probably the 1937 American film starring Shirley Temple, or the 1974 Japanese animated TV series 'Heidi, Girl of the Alps' which became famous worldwide. There have been many other Heidi adaptations too.
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