Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
Heidi is a Swiss children’s novel that has achieved widespread popularity since its publication in 1880, yet little is known about the author, Johanna Spyri. This text compares available biographical information on Spyri to the world of Heidi. Parallels such as the presence of rural social structures, children’s freedoms, and the view of mountains as a sanctuary from the ills of urbanity and its social restrictions, reveal how elements of Spyri’s life were adapted through the narrative process to create a standalone, idyllic narrative of childhood in the Alps that has grown to be globally beloved.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Zaiet, Luciana, "Hirzel, Freiheit, und die Berge: Wie sich Johanna Spyris Leben in Heidi widerspiegelt" (2025). Mountains and Modernity. 2.
https://scarab.bates.edu/mountains_modernity/2