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''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author
Johanna Spyri
Johanna Louise Spyri (; ; 12 June 1827 – 7 July 1901) was a Swiss author of novels, notably children's stories, and is best known for her book ''Heidi''. Born in Hirzel, a rural area in the canton of Canton of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, ...
, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' (german: Heidi kann brauchen, was es gelernt hat).
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
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss ...
. 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
As there is no dominant national language, the four main languages of French, Italian, German and Romansch form the four branches which make up a literature of Switzerland. The original Swiss Confederation, from its foundation in 1291 up to 1 ...
.
Plot
Heidi is an orphaned girl initially raised by her maternal grandmother and aunt Dete in
Maienfeld
Maienfeld ( rm, Maiavilla) is a municipality in the Landquart Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story ''Heidi''.
History
...
, in the
Grisons
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
, 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
A goatherd or goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. It is similar to a shepherd who herds sheep. Goatherds are most commonly found in regions where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South Asi ...
, 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, and Heidi is illiterate as a result.
Three years later, Dete returns to take Heidi to
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
to be a hired
lady's companion
A lady's companion was a woman of genteel birth who lived with a woman of rank or wealth as Affinity (medieval), retainer. The term was in use in the United Kingdom from at least the 18th century to the mid-20th century but it is now archaism, arch ...
to a wealthy girl named Klara Sesemann, who is unable to walk and regarded as an
invalid
Invalid may refer to:
* Patient, a sick person
* one who is confined to home or bed because of illness, disability or injury (sometimes considered a politically incorrect term)
* .invalid, a top-level Internet domain not intended for real use
As t ...
. Klara 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 housekeeper,
Fräulein
''Fräulein'' ( , ) is the German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and Mademoiselle in French.
Description
''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for marrie ...
Rottenmeier, views the household disruptions 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 Klara'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
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global populat ...
. He accompanies Heidi to church, and that winter takes accommodation in the village so that she can attend school.
Heidi and Klara continue to keep in touch and exchange letters. A visit by the doctor to Heidi leads him to eagerly recommend that Klara visit Heidi, feeling assured that the mountain environment and the wholesome companionship will do her good. Klara makes the journey the next season and spends a wonderful summer with Heidi, becoming stronger on
goat's milk
Goat milk is the milk of domestic goats. Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply. Some goats are bred specifically for milk. Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream will stay in ...
and fresh mountain air. But Peter, who grows jealous of Heidi's and Klara'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, Klara 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 Klara 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.
Characters
*Adelheid "Heidi": A joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler. She loves the beauty and fresh air of the mountains.
*Grandfather: Heidi's grandfather, a cantankerous loner who lives in a hut high in the mountains.
*Klara Sesemann: A lonely, frail girl who cannot walk. Spelled "Clara" in some translations.
*Peter: A goat herder who lives with his mother and grandmother.
*Herr Sesemann: Klara's father, a successful businessman who travels often.
*The Doctor: Friend of Herr Sesemann.
*Grandmama: Herr Sesemann's mother.
*Adelheid: Heidi's mother died from fever soon after her husband Tobias died. Spelled "Adelaide" in some translations.
*Tobias: Heidi's father who was killed when a beam fell on his head when Heidi was a baby.
*Dete: Heidi's selfish and insensitive aunt. Spelled "Deta" in some translations.
*Brigitte: Peter's mother who takes care of Peter and her mother. Spelled "Brigitta" in some translations.
*Fräulein Rottenmeier: The strict and arrogant housekeeper at Herr Sesemann's home who antagonizes Heidi.
*Sebastian: A manservant in the Sesemann household.
*Tinette: A maidservant in the Sesemann household.
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. As of 2010, only the Brooks, Edwardes and Hall translations are still in print.
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
Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
.
Versions of the story include:
*
''Heidi'', a 1937
motion picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
which starred
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...
in the
title role
The title character in a Narrative, narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The ...
.
*''
Heidi
''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
'', 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
''Heidi and Peter'' (German: ''Heidi und Peter'') is a 1955 Swiss family drama film directed by Franz Schnyder and starring Heinrich Gretler, Elsbeth Sigmund and Thomas Klameth. It was a sequel to the 1952 film ''Heidi'', which was itself an adapta ...
'', 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.
*''
Do Phool
''Do Phool'' () is a 1973 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by S. Ramanathan. The film stars Ashok Kumar, Vinod Mehra and Mehmood. It is a remake of the Tamil-language film '' Anubavi Raja Anubavi'' which inspired another Hindi film ...
'', a 1958 Indian
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language family drama film adaptation by
A. R. Kardar
Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).[Baby Naaz
Salma Baig (20 August 1944 - 19 October 1995) popularly known as Kumari Naaz or Baby Naaz was an Indian actress in Hindi language films.
Career
She started her career as a child actor in films. Her best remembered role as a child artiste was i ...]
in the role of Poornima (Heidi).
*''Heidi'' (1959), music by
Clay Warnick
Henry Clay Warnick, Jr., also known as Buck Warnick, Clay Warnick, and H. Clay Warnick, (born, December 14, 1915, Tacoma, Washington — died February 8, 1995, West Orange, New Jersey) was an American composer, arranger, lyricist, conductor, and m ...
, adapted by William Friedberg with
Neil Simon
Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
.
*''Heidi'' a six-part 1959 BBC TV series starring Sara O'Connor in the title role, with
Mark Dignam
Cuthbert Mark Dignam (20 March 1909 – 29 September 1989) was a prolific English actor.
Born in London, the son of a salesman in the steel industry, Dignam grew up in Sheffield, and was educated at the Jesuit College, where he appeared in num ...
as her grandfather and
Lesley Judd
Lesley Judd (born 20 December 1946) is an English former television presenter and dancer, best known as a long-serving host of the BBC children's programme '' Blue Peter'' (1972–1979).
Background
Born in London, the daughter of Leslie T. Judd ...
as Klara.
*
''Heidi'', a 1965 Austrian film, directed by
Werner Jacobs
Werner Jacobs (1909–1999) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He was born in Berlin on the 24 April 1909. He is best known for his contributions to Modebummel (1951), Der Stern von Santa Clara (1958) and André und Ursula (1955). ...
.
*
''Heidi'', a 1968
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
which starred
Jennifer Edwards with
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', h ...
and
Michael Redgrave
Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elect ...
. This was the version that became infamous for interrupting an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
game that was broadcast the same day (November 17) on NBC. The game between the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
and the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
was cut off a few minutes before the end of the game when it looked as if the Jets were going to win. However, after the cutoff, 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 professional football lore as "The Heidi Game" or "Heidi Bowl."
* ''Heidi'' (Disneyland Storyteller Record) a 1968
old time radio
The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...
–style adaptation of the story by Disneyland Records, with music by
Camarata, recorded in London and starring
Brenda Dunnich,
John Witty
John Witty (1915–1990) was a British film and television actor.
Witty's distinguished voice appeared extensively on various series and documentary short films. He presented the TV series ''Mail Call'' (1955–56) with his wife Genine Graham ...
and introducing (to American audiences)
Ysanne Churchman as Heidi.
*''
Heidi, Girl of the Alps
is an anime television series produced by Zuiyo Eizo and is based on the novel ''Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning'' by Johanna Spyri (1880). It was directed by Isao Takahata and features contributions by numerous other anime filmma ...
'', a 1974 Japanese
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series directed by
Isao Takahata
was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei ...
for Zuiyo Eizo (later,
Nippon Animation
is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City.
Nippon Animation is known for producing numerous anime series based on works of ...
), dubbed into various languages. Compiled into an English-
dubbed movie entitled ''The Story of Heidi''.
*''Heidi'', a 1974
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
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.
*''
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
Altendorf is a municipality in March District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
History
Altendorf is first mentioned in 972 as ''Rahprehteswilare''.
In 1932, construction started on the '' Etzelwerk'', a hydro-electric power station to g ...
Switzerland, 1980. (SLP 77)
*''
Heidi's Song
''Heidi's Song'' is a 1982 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and based on the 1881 novel ''Heidi'' by Johanna Spyri. The film was directed by Robert Taylor from a screenplay by Taylor, Joseph Barbera and James ...
'', a 1982 American animated film produced by
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
.
*''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
''Courage Mountain'' (also known as ''Courage Mountain: Heidi's New Adventure'') is a 1990 adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to Johanna Spyri's 1881 novel ''Heidi''. It was directed by Christopher Leitch and stars Charlie Sheen, Leslie Ca ...
'', a 1990 American adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to Johanna Spyri's novel ''Heidi'', directed by Christopher Leitch.
*''
Heidi
''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
'', a two-part American television miniseries from 1993, starring
Noley Thornton as Heidi. Co-stars included
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their Wives of Henry VIII, marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen followi ...
as Miss Rottenmeier,
Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...
as Grandfather and
Lexi Randall
Lexi Randall (born January 1, 1980) is a former child actor in films and television. She appeared in the film ''The Long Walk Home'' and ''The War'' with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood. Randall starred in the three television movies made from the ...
as Klara.
*
''Heidi'', a 1995 animated film.
*
''Heidi'', a 2005 animated film.
*
''Heidi'', a 2005 British live-action film directed by
Paul Marcus
Paul Coryn Valentine Marcus (30 May 1954 – 13 February 2011) was a BAFTA winning British television director and producer.Obituary '' London Guardian'', 4 March 2011. His most notable success was as producer of the television series ''Prime Su ...
. Starring Irish child actress Emma Bolger in the title role, alongside
Max Von Sydow
Max von Sydow ( , ; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish-French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...
and
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in '' On H ...
.
*''
Heidi 4 Paws
''Heidi 4 Paws'' is a feature-length children's film that retells the classic story of Heidi using dogs in all the acting roles. ''Heidi 4 Paws'' was syndicated to public television stations in the United States through American Public Televisio ...
'', a comedic 2008 adaptation featuring talking dogs with the voice of
Angela Lansbury
Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
.
*''
Heidi
''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
'', a CGI remake of the 1974 anime series developed in 2015, made by
Studio 100 Animation
Studio 100 Animation is an animation studio based in Paris and it is a subsidiary of the Belgian Studio 100 ''group'', the studio specialises in producing TV series and films for children and families.
History
In 2008, Studio 100 acquired the Ge ...
, the same makers of ''
Maya the Bee
''Maya the Bee'' () is the main character in ''The Adventures of Maya the Bee'', a German book written by Waldemar Bonsels and published in 1912. The book has been published in many other languages and adapted into different media. The first Ame ...
''.
*''
Heidi
''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
'', a 2015 Swiss live-action film directed by Alain Gsponer.
*''
Heidi, bienvenida a casa
''Heidi, bienvenida a casa'' is a telenovela created and produced by Marcela Citterio for Nickelodeon Latin America. Based on the 1881 children's novel by Johanna Spyri, ''Heidi'', it stars Chiara Francia as the titular character. The series was ...
'', 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 (Rottenmeier), Dawid Minnaar (Sesemann), Albert Maritz (Grandfather),
Ilse Klink
Ilse Klink (born 4 March 1972), is a South African actress and singer. She is best known for his roles in the popular television serials ''Isidingo'' and ''Inkaba'' and ''Arendsvlei''.
Personal life
She was born on 4 March 1972, in Cape Town, S ...
(Aunt Dete), Karli Heine (Heidi), Lynelle Kenned (Klara), Dean Balie (Peter), Jill Middlekop and Marlo Minnaar. Puppets for the production were created by Hansie Visagie.
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. The 2007 production starred Claude Watt (Grandfather), Margaret Watt (Rottenmeier), Rianne Craig (Heidi) and Katrina Brindle (Klara).
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
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...
.
Heidiland
Heidiland, named after the ''Heidi'' books, is an important tourist area in Switzerland, popular especially with Japanese and Korean tourists.
Maienfeld
Maienfeld ( rm, Maiavilla) is a municipality in the Landquart Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story ''Heidi''.
History
...
is the center of what is called Heidiland; one of the villages, formerly called Oberrofels,
is actually renamed "Heididorf".
Heidiland is located in an area called
Bündner Herrschaft; it is criticized as being a "laughable, infantile cliché"
and "a more vivid example of
hyperreality
Described by Jean Baudrillard, the concept of hyperreality captures the inability to distinguish "The Real" (a term borrowed from Jacques Lacan) from the signifier of it. This is more prominent in technologically advanced societies. Hyperreality ...
."
Sequels
The five sequel books, ''Heidi and Her Friends'', ''
Heidi Grows Up'', ''
Heidi's Children
''Heidi's Children'' (''Heidi et ses enfants'') is a 1939 novel, the second of four sequel novels to Johanna Spyri's original ''Heidi'' series, written by Spyri's French and English translator, Charles Tritten. It was originally published in Fre ...
'', ''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.
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, and director Christopher Leitch, produced ''
Courage Mountain
''Courage Mountain'' (also known as ''Courage Mountain: Heidi's New Adventure'') is a 1990 adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to Johanna Spyri's 1881 novel ''Heidi''. It was directed by Christopher Leitch and stars Charlie Sheen, Leslie Ca ...
'', starring
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
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''). The two stories share many similarities in plot line and imagery. 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
![Swiss-Commemorative-Coin-2001-CHF-50-obverse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Swiss-Commemorative-Coin-2001-CHF-50-obverse.png)
The book has been criticised, even in its day, for its religiously conservative positions, and later for black-and-white character portrayals and an idealization of pastoral life.
[Kari Sønsthagen og Torben Weinreich. ''Leksikon for børnelitteratur''. Branner og Korch, 2003. ]
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
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2521 Heidi (an asteroid named after ''Heidi'')
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Alpine people and culture
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Alpine transhumance
Alpine transhumance is transhumance as practiced in the Alps, that is, a seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer (German ' from the term for "seasonal mountain pasture", '). T ...
(the traditional practice of moving grazing herds in the Alps between winter valleys and summer mountain pastures)
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History of the Alps
The valleys of the Alps have been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Alpine culture, which developed there, centers on transhumance.
Currently the Alps are divided among eight states: France, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Aust ...
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Swiss folklore
Swiss folklore describes a collection of local stories, celebrations, and customs of the alpine and sub-alpine peoples that occupy Switzerland. The country of Switzerland is made up of several distinct cultures including German, French, Italian, a ...
References
External links
(illustrated)
(in German)
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''Heidi'' (in English) free downloads in multiple ebook formats''Heidi's Land'' 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'' by Dr. Anton Anderssen
in German)
{{Authority control
Heidi books
1881 German-language novels
1880s children's books
Books about women
Maienfeld
Swiss novels adapted into television shows
Swiss novels adapted into films
Swiss novels adapted into plays
Alps in fiction
Frankfurt in fiction
Novels set in Germany
Novels set in Switzerland
Literary characters introduced in 1881