Johanna Spyri (1827 – 1901) – the Creator of Heidi

Johanna Spyri’s story of Heidi, written in 1880, is famous the whole world over. Who is not familiar with Heidi, Peter, Grandfather, Klara and the beautiful alpine world from this classic work of children’s literature? The book has been translated into some 50 languages and has sold just as many millions of copies with several film versions being produced. It is just as successful today as it always has been.

The author, who was born in 1827 as the daughter of a country doctor, grew up in Hirzel, a village in the canton of Zurich. She taught her younger sisters at home and also taught herself literature. After marrying, she moved to the city of Zurich where she later started to write children’s books.  Spyri died in 1901 in Zurich and was buried in the cemetery in Sihlfeld.