Heidi

Between the years 1750 and 1900, Switzerland was a country in transition. With the introduction of English spinning machines, Switzerland experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization as people migrated to the cities from the countryside looking for factory work. After a period of political instability, Switzerland became a federal state in 1848. The country entered a second phase of industrialization as Swiss engineers began building their own technology, improving the rail transport system, and constructing waterpower plants to replace the British coal-fired technology, which fueled the mass production of textiles. To this day, Switzerland remains one of the most industrialized, wealthiest countries in Europe.

With the mass migration to the cities, new technologies replaced traditional practices like spinning wool, making artisanal cheese, and patchwork farming. Mourning the loss of these erstwhile practices, 19th-century artists responded to the cultural and economic changes by saturating their works with nostalgia, calling for a return to a simpler, more traditional way of life. Johanna Spyri’s Heidi, a portrait of traditional Alpine life unspoiled by modern technology, romanticized the iconic Swiss landscape as she sought to uphold and immortalize the traditional values of Switzerland’s past (“On the Industrial History of Switzerland.” European Route of Industrial Heritage. Switzerland - ERIH.).

Spyri was not the first author to create a “cult of landscape” through picturesque descriptions of Switzerland. Romantic British poets such as William Wordsworth and Lord Byron inspired interest in the storybook-like landscape with their writings, and Mary Shelley wrote her famous novel Frankenstein while vacationing on the banks of Lake Geneva. Later authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mark Twain also found inspiration in Switzerland’s enchanting vistas, and contrary to popular belief, Switzerland inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s vision of Middle Earth, not New Zealand.

The Romantic writings of 19th- and 20th-century authors sparked an interest in Swiss tourism, and today it remains one of the top travel destinations in Europe. Captivated by the pristine blue skies and vibrant green meadows speckled with wildflowers, enchanted visitors are transported away from busy life into a pastoral fantasy. However, Switzerland’s landscape is most known for its awe-inspiring mountain ranges. With 60% of the country covered by mountains, many images of Switzerland come with the backdrop of snow-capped, razor-sharp peaks contrasting with the cobalt blue skyline.

Though Spyri imbued her novel with traditional Protestant beliefs, it is her depictions of rustic agrarian life that still intrigue readers and compel travelers to visit Switzerland in hopes of capturing a glimpse of Heidi’s romantic mountain life. Travelers can even visit Heidiland, located in Eastern Switzerland, which includes a replica of Heidi’s home, a hike to an alm, and a museum that features an exhibition on Spyri’s life and literary influence. A trip to the fairytale-like village gives travelers and Heidi enthusiasts an immersive experience of traditional Alpine life (Heidiland Switzerland - Home of The Heidi Village - (britonthemove.com).