Heidi

Heidi (/ˈhaɪdi/; German: [ˈhaɪdi]) is a work of children's fiction

published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally Heidi
published in two parts as Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and
Learning[1] (German: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and Heidi:
How She Used What She Learned[2] (German: Heidi kann
brauchen, was es gelernt hat).[3] It is a novel about the events in the
life of a 5-year-old girl in her paternal grandfather's care in the Swiss
Alps. It was written as a book "for children and those who love
children" (as quoted from its subtitle).

Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written and is among the
best-known works of Swiss literature.[4][5]

Contents
Plot
Translations
Adaptations
Film and television Author Johanna Spyri
Theatre Original title Originally published
Computer games in two parts- Part 1:
Heidiland Heidi: Her Years of
Wandering and
Sequels
Learning, Part 2
Basis for Heidi Heidi: How She Used
Reception What She Learned
See also Translator Nathan Haskell Dole
References Country Switzerland
External links Language German
Genre Children's fiction

Plot Publication
date
1881

Heidi[6] is an orphaned girl initially raised by her maternal

grandmother and aunt Dete in Maienfeld, Switzerland after the early deaths of her parents, Tobias and
Adelheid (Dete's brother-in-law and sister). Shortly after the grandmother's death, Dete is offered a good job as
a maid in the big city, and takes 5-year-old Heidi to her paternal grandfather's house, up the mountain from the
Dörfli ('small village' in Swiss German). He has been at odds with the villagers and embittered against God for
years and lives in seclusion on the alm, which has earned him the nickname 'The Alm-Uncle'. He briefly
resents Heidi's arrival, but the girl's evident intelligence and cheerful yet unaffected demeanour soon earn his
genuine, if reserved, love. Heidi enthusiastically befriends her new neighbours, young Peter the goatherd, his
mother, Brigitte, and his blind maternal grandmother. With each season that passes, the mountaintop
 inhabitants, especially Peter and the grandmother, grow more attached
to Heidi, and she to them. However, the grandfather refuses to allow
Heidi to attend school, and quarrels with the local pastor and
schoolmaster, who try to encourage him to do so.

Three years later, Dete returns to take Heidi to Frankfurt to be a hired

lady's companion to a wealthy girl named Clara Sesemann, who is
unable to walk and regarded as an invalid. Clara is charmed by
Heidi's simple friendliness and her descriptions of life on the Alm, and
delights in all the funny mishaps brought about by Heidi's naïvety and
lack of experience with city life. However, the Sesemanns' strict
Aunt Dete hurrying away after housekeeper, Fräulein Rottenmeier, views the household disruptions
leaving Heidi with her grandfather as wanton misbehaviour, and places the free-spirited Heidi under
more and more restraint. Soon, Heidi becomes terribly homesick for
the Alm, and grows alarmingly pale and thin. Her one diversion is
learning to read and write, motivated by Clara's grandmother, who shows her trust and affection, and
encourages her to believe in God and to pray.

Heidi's intractable homesickness leads to episodes of sleepwalking where she goes downstairs and opens the
front door, which the household initially takes as the work of ghosts, and the family doctor recommends she be
sent home as a matter of urgency before she becomes seriously ill. She returns to the mountains laden with
presents for her friends, but finds one of her greatest pleasures is reading hymns to Peter's blind grandmother,
who can no longer do so for herself. Her faith in God speaks to something in the Alm-Uncle, and he returns to
the Christian faith. He accompanies Heidi to church, and that winter takes accommodation in the village so
that she can attend school.

Heidi and Clara continue to keep in touch and exchange letters. A visit by the doctor to Heidi leads him to
eagerly recommend that Clara visit Heidi, feeling assured that the mountain environment and the wholesome
companionship will do her good. Clara makes the journey the next season and spends a wonderful summer
with Heidi, becoming stronger on goat's milk and fresh mountain air. But Peter, who grows jealous of Heidi's
and Clara's friendship, pushes her empty wheelchair down the mountain to its destruction, although he is soon
wracked with guilt about what he did and ultimately confesses to it. Without her wheelchair, Clara has no
choice but to learn to walk; she attempts to do so and is gradually successful. She is not very strong, often
relying on Heidi or the grandfather to stay standing and not collapse, but it marks an end to her time as a
lonely, shut-in invalid. Her grandmother and father are amazed and overcome with joy to see Clara walking
again. The Sesemann family promises to provide permanent care for Heidi, if there ever comes a time when
her grandfather is no longer able to do so.

Translations
English: Thirteen English translations were done between 1882 and 1959, by British and American
translators: Louise Brooks, Helen B. Dole, H.A. Melcon, Helene S. White, Marian Edwardes, Elisabeth P.
Stork, Mabel Abbott, Philip Schuyler Allen, Shirley Watkins, M. Rosenbaum, Eileen Hall, and Joy Law.[7]

Adaptations

Film and television

About 25 film or television productions of the original story have been made. The Heidi films were popular far
and wide, becoming a huge hit, and the Japanese animated series became iconic in several countries around
the world. The only incarnation of the Japanese-produced animated TV series to reach the English language
was a dubbed feature-length compilation movie using the most pivotal episodes of the television series,
released on video in the United States in 1985. Although the original book describes Heidi as having dark,
curly hair, she is usually portrayed as blonde.

Versions of the story include:

Heidi, a 1937 motion picture which starred Shirley Temple in the title role.
Heidi, a 1952 film in Swiss German and German, directed by Luigi Comencini, starring Elsbeth
Sigmund (filmed on location in Switzerland), and followed by a sequel, Heidi and Peter, in
1955, directed by Franz Schnyder, also starring Ms. Sigmund.
Heidemarie S'Waisechind vo Engelberg, 1956 film of Austria directed by Hermann
Kugelstadt
A Gift for Heidi (1958), by George Templeton.
Heidi (1959), music by Clay Warnick, adapted by William Friedberg with Neil Simon.
Heidi a six-part 1959 BBC TV series starring Sara O'Connor in the title role, with Mark Dignam
as her grandfather and Lesley Judd as Clara.[8]
Heidi, a 1965 Austrian film, directed by Werner Jacobs.
Heidi, a 1968 television film which starred Jennifer Edwards with Maximilian Schell and
Michael Redgrave. This was the version that became infamous for interrupting an American
football game that was broadcast the same day (November 17) on NBC. The game between
the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets was cut off a few minutes before the end of the
game when it looked like the Jets were going to win. However, after the cut off, the Raiders
made a comeback and beat the Jets with TV viewers on the east coast missing the conclusion.
TV channels displayed the final score (Oakland winning 43-32) during the movie, further
enraging football fans. This incident led to a policy of not ending coverage of football games
until after their conclusion. The game has gone down in pro football lore as "The Heidi Game."
Heidi (Disneyland Storyteller Record) a 1968 old time radio–style adaptation of the story by
Disneyland Records, with music by Camarata, recorded in London and starring Brenda
Dunnich, John Witty and introducing (to American audiences) Ysanne Churchman as Heidi.
Heidi, Girl of the Alps, a 1974 Japanese anime series directed by Isao Takahata for Zuiyo
Eizo (later, Nippon Animation), dubbed into various languages. Compiled into an English-
dubbed movie entitled The Story of Heidi.
Heidi, a 1974 BBC adaptation starring Emma Blake.
Heidi, a 1978 26-episode Swiss/German television series, starring Katia Polletin as the
protagonist, which was dubbed into various languages, including English.[9]
The New Adventures of Heidi (1978), directed by Ralph Senensky.
Heidi: La marveilleuse histoire d'une fille de la montagne(2 record set). Story read by
actress Irène Vidy, Heidi theme song sung by Tony Schmitt. Milan Entertainment, a product of
Activ-Records, Altendorf, Schwyz Switzerland, 1980. (SLP 77)
Heidi's Song, a 1982 American animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera.
Climb a Tall Mountain, a Christian film from 1987 that uses the story's characters to illustrate a
message about the importance of love and forgiveness,
Courage Mountain, a 1990 American adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to
Johanna Spyri's novel Heidi, directed by Christopher Leitch.
Heidi, a two-part American television miniseries from 1993, starring Noley Thornton as Heidi.
Co-stars included Jane Seymour as Miss Rottenmeier, Jason Robards as Grandfather and Lexi
Randall as Clara.
Heidi, a 1995 animated film.
 Heidi, a 2005 animated film.
Heidi, a 2005 British live-action film directed by Paul Marcus.
Heidi 4 Paws, a comedic 2008 adaptation featuring talking dogs with the voice of Angela
Lansbury.
Heidi, a CGI remake of the 1974 anime series developed in 2015, made by Studio 100
Animation, the same makers of Maya the Bee.[10]
Heidi, a 2015 Swiss live-action film directed by Alain Gsponer.
Heidi, bienvenida a casa, a 2017 telenovela from Argentina.

Theatre

A stage musical adaptation of Heidi with book and lyrics by Francois Toerien, music by Mynie Grové and
additional lyrics by Esther von Waltsleben, premiered in South Africa at the Klein Karoo National Arts
Festival in 2016. Directed by Toerien with musical direction by Dawid Boverhoff, the production starred
Tobie Cronjé (Miss Rottenmeier), Dawid Minnaar (Mr Sesemann), Albert Maritz (Grandfather), Ilse Klink
(Aunt Detie), Karli Heine (Heidi), Lynelle Kenned (Clara), Dean Balie (Peter), Jill Middlekop and Marlo
Minnaar. Puppets for the production were created by Hansie Visagie.[11]

A stage musical adaptation of Heidi of the Mountain (music and lyrics by Claude Watt, book by Claude and
Margaret Watt) was performed in Sidney, BC, Canada by Mountain Dream Productions, premiering in 2007 at
the Charlie White Theatre, and has been performed again several times since then.[12] The 2007 production
starred Claude Watt (Grandfather), Margaret Watt (Frau Rottenmeier), Rianne Craig (Heidi) and Katrina
Brindle (Clara).

Computer games

There have been two Heidi computer games released for mobile devices, with the most recent being Heidi:
Mountain Adventures. Both games are based on the Studio 100 TV series of 2015 and are aimed at young
children, with educational elements and a series of mini-games.[13][14]

Heidiland
Heidiland, named after the Heidi books, is an important tourist area in Switzerland, popular especially with
Japanese and Korean tourists.[15] Maienfeld is the center of what is called Heidiland; one of the villages,
formerly called Oberrofels,[16] is actually renamed "Heididorf".[17] Heidiland is located in an area called
Bündner Herrschaft; it is criticized as being a "laughable, infantile cliche"[15] and "a more vivid example of
hyperreality."[18]

Sequels
The five sequel books, Heidi and Her Friends, Heidi Grows Up, Heidi's Children, Heidi grand-mère 1941
(Heidi as grandmother) and Au Pays de Heidi 1952 (In Heidi's land), were neither written nor endorsed by
Spyri, but were adapted from her other works by her French translator, Charles Tritten in the 1930s, many
years after she died.[19][20][21][22]

There are some major differences between the original Heidi and the Tritten sequels. These include;
 Heidi, the original story by Spyri, shows the simple life
of Heidi imbued with a deep love of children and
childhood. Spyri mentioned that the work was "for
children and those who love children". The sequels
portray Heidi in a different manner, as she grows up
and gets married.
Heidi in the first book, Heidi, is described as having
"short, black curly hair", when she is around five to
eight years of age. In Heidi Grows Up, when she is
fourteen, her hair is long, straight and fair.
In some English editions of Heidi the names of the
goats are translated into English (Little Swan and Little
Bear), while other editions use their original Swiss-
German names, Schwanli and Baerli. In Heidi Grows
Up only the names Schwanli and Baerli are used.

In 1990, screenwriters Weaver Webb and Fred & Mark Brogger,

Maienfeld, the main town in Heidiland
and director Christopher Leitch, produced Courage Mountain,
starring Charlie Sheen and Juliette Caton as Heidi. Billed as a
sequel to Spyri's story, the film is anachronistic in that it depicts
Heidi as a teenager during World War I, despite the fact that the original novel (where Heidi is only five years
old) was published in 1881.

Basis for Heidi

In April 2010, a Swiss professorial candidate, Peter Buettner, uncovered a book written in 1830 by the
German author Hermann Adam von Kamp. The 1830 story is titled "Adelaide: The Girl from the Alps"
(German: Adelaide, das Mädchen vom Alpengebirge).[23] The two stories share many similarities in plot line
and imagery.[24] Spyri biographer Regine Schindler said it was entirely possible that Spyri may have been
familiar with the story as she grew up in a literate household with many books.

Reception
The book has been criticised, even in its day, for its religiously conservative positions,[25] and later for black-
and-white character portrayals and an idealization of pastoral life.[26]

In Japan, since its first Japanese translation in 1906, the book has been influential upon the general,
stereotypical image of Switzerland for the Japanese, especially its tourists, many visiting the Heidi's Village
park.

See also
2521 Heidi (an asteroid named after Heidi)
Alpine people and culture
Alpine transhumance (the traditional practice of moving grazing herds in the Alps between
winter valleys and summer mountain pastures)
History of the Alps
Swiss folklore
References
1. Title view of the public library of SIKJM (http://www.e-rara.ch/sikjm/content/titleinfo/5320749)
2. Page view of the electronic SIKJM library (http://www.e-rara.ch/sikjm/content/pageview/532116
2)
3. Nathan Haskell Dole (https://books.google.com/books?id=SmkZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR3),
translator of the 1899 edition
4. "Swiss Literature (old link)" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070808132233/http://www.revue.ch/
swisskids_en/schweizer_geschichten/SG7_eng_juli.php). revue.ch. Archived from the original
(http://www.revue.ch/swisskids_en/schweizer_geschichten/SG7_eng_juli.php) on August 8,
2007. Retrieved March 4, 2008.
5. "Swiss Literature" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080206223105/http://ead.nb.admin.ch/web/s
wissinfodesk/cultl-en.html). admin.ch. Archived from the original (http://ead.nb.admin.ch/web/s
wissinfodesk/cultl-en.html) on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2008.
6. Meaning of "Heidi" (http://www.namen-namensbedeutung.de/Namen/Namen-Heidi.html) (in
German)
7. Stan, Susan (2010). "Heidi in English: A Bibliographic Study", New Review of Children's
Literature and Librarianship, 16:1, 1–23, DOI: 10.1080/13614541.2010.495568 (https://www.tan
dfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13614541.2010.495568)
8. "Children's Television: Heidi: 1: Up the Mountain" (http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8d3dbd53d8d34
2b2aa9d0de3d07487e3). Radio Times (1853): 14. May 15, 1959.
9. "Thursday TV BBC1 - Heidi" (https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1303400534687338496/photo/
4). Radio Times via twitter.com. September 8, 1983. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
10. "Animation" (http://www.studio100.tv/activities/animation/). Studio100.tv. "Studio 100 is
producing a new CGI format animated series of Heidi, which will be delivered for broadcast in
2015. It has been sold to more than 100 countries and coincides with the 40th anniversary of
the classic 2D series. Johanna Spyri wrote the first Heidi books back in 1880; since then more
than 50 million books have been translated into 50 languages worldwide."
11. "'The story behind the legend of Sweeney Todd " (http://www.kosie.biz/index.php?option=com_
zoo&task=item&item_id=38&Itemid=207). Kosie House of Theatre. Retrieved on October 22,
2016.
12. Reeuwyck, Christine (January 25, 2012). "Kids bring Heidi to Charlie White" (https://www.penin
sulanewsreview.com/entertainment/kids-bring-heidi-to-charlie-white/). Peninsula News
Review. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
13. "Mobile : Explore the Swiss Alps in Heidi: Mountain Adventures" (https://bunnygaming.com/ne
ws/mobile/heidi-mountain-adventures-released/). bunnygaming.com. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
14. "Explore the Swiss Alps in Heidi: Mountain Adventures!" (https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pre
ssreleases/345659/Explore_the_Swiss_Alps_in_Heidi_Mountain_Adventures.php).
Gamasutra. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
15. Abend, Bernhard; Anja Schliebitz (2006). Schweiz (https://books.google.com/books?id=JTqNw
Ba58xAC&pg=PT146). Baedeker. pp. 145–46. ISBN 978-3-8297-1071-8.
16. Beattie, Andrew (2006). The Alps: a cultural history (https://books.google.com/books?id=dm7M
K6qHL_oC&pg=PA142). Oxford: Oxford UP. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-19-530955-3.
17. Simonis, Damien; Sarah Johnstone; Nicole Williams (2006). Switzerland (https://books.google.
com/books?id=-CIiItGuisoC&pg=PA274). Lonely Planet. p. 274. ISBN 978-1-74059-762-3.
18. Solomon, Michael R. (2006). Conquering consumerspace: marketing strategies for a branded
world (https://books.google.com/books?id=wBej3cFqSSAC&pg=PA30). Broadway: Amacom.
p. 30. ISBN 978-0-8144-0741-7.
19. Heidi au pays des Romands (http://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/heidi-au-pays-des-romands/1889318);
swissinfo.ch
20. Dans le palais des glaces de la littérature romande (https://books.google.no/books?id=3edI5Bp
ygPEC&lpg=PA23&ots=Wn8tExowQ5&dq=%22heidi%20grand-m%C3%A8re%22%20tritten&
hl=no&pg=PA23#v=onepage&q=%22heidi%20grand-m%C3%A8re%22%20tritten&f=false);
edited by Vittorio Frigerio and Corine Renevey. Amsterdam, 2002. ISBN 90-420-0923-3
21. Bibliographie französischer Übersetzungen aus dem Deutschen; Bibliographie de traductions
françaises d'auteurs de langue allemande (https://books.google.no/books?id=EldTFsP8AZkC&
lpg=PA1029&ots=2gOP88j4aX&dq=%22Au%20Pays%20de%20Heidi%22%20tritten&hl=no&
pg=PA1029#v=onepage&q=%22Au%20Pays%20de%20Heidi%22%20tritten&f=false); by L.
Bihl, K. Epting. Walter de Gruyter, 1987
22. abebooks.fr (http://www.abebooks.fr/Heidi-Grandit-Jeune-Fille-Enfants-Grand-M%C3%A8re/99
10359021/bd)
23. "Heidi-Zeichner ist tot: Woher das Zeichentrick-Mädchen kommt und was aus ihm geworden
ist" (https://www.hna.de/welt/heidi-zeichner-isao-takahata-ist-tot-wo-kommt-heidi-her-9756166.
html). April 6, 2018.
24. Squires, by Nick (April 29, 2010). "Swiss Heidi may in fact be German" (https://www.telegraph.c
o.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/7653092/Swiss-Heidi-may-in-fact-be-German.html).
25. Neue Deutsche Biographie, Band 24 (http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118616455.html).
2010.
26. Kari Sønsthagen og Torben Weinreich. Leksikon for børnelitteratur. Branner og Korch, 2003.
ISBN 87-411-5970-5

External links
Works related to Heidi at Wikisource
Media related to Heidi at Wikimedia Commons

Heidi (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1448) at Project

Gutenberg

Heidi (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20781) at Project

Gutenberg (illustrated)

Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7

Heidi on a CHF 50 Swiss
500) at Project Gutenberg (in German)
commemorative coin,
Heidi (https://librivox.org/search?title=Heidi&author=Spyri&reade 2001.
r=&keywords=&genre_id=0&status=all&project_type=either&record
ed_language=&sort_order=catalog_date&search_page=1&search_
form=advanced) public domain audiobook at LibriVox
Heidi (in English) free downloads in multiple ebook formats (http://girlebooks.com/ebook-catalo
g/johanna-spyri/heidi/)
Heidi's Land (http://www.heidisland.com), The official Web site (in French) for the 1980s
television show with Katia Polletin (Heidi) and Stefan Arpagaus (Peter)
Remembering Heidi: Swiss Pride at its best (http://www.eturbonews.com/21441/remembering-h
eidi-swiss-pride-its-best), by Dr. Anton Anderssen
Swiss Heidi may in fact be German (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switz
erland/7653092/Swiss-Heidi-may-in-fact-be-German.html)
Johanna Spyri's stolen Alps story? (https://archive.is/20120730120236/http://www.3sat.de/dyna
mic/sitegen/bin/sitegen.php?tab=2&source=/kulturzeit/themen/143450/index.html)(in German)

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