Johanna Spyri from forest pine
On Wednesday, Rod unveiled the third statue of the #Woodvetia campaign for Swiss wood.
Johanna Spyri dedicated her stories to "children and also those who like children". That is why Spyri's figure is exhibited in a place that is close to the setting of the Heidi novel and where countless children pass by to experience the beauty of the Grisons mountains with their own eyes during their vacations: At the Heidiland freeway service station.
The statue will be inaugurated by Anuk Steffen. The Chur native played herself into the hearts of the numerous viewers in last year's movie in the role of "Heidi".
Johanna Spyri was born in Hirzel ZH in 1827. Her writing talent was encouraged early on by an acquaintance of her family. In 1879, "Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre" (Heidi's Years of Learning and Wandering) was published, set on an alp above Maienfeld in the Bündner Herrschaft. According to legend, Spyri came up with the story during a walk in Jenins. She put it down on paper in just a few weeks, creating one of the world's most popular and successful books for children and young adults to this day. Heidi has been translated into over 50 languages and made into a film over 10 times. Spyri thus achieved worldwide fame.
The figure of Johanna Spyri was created from a Scots pine from Maienfeld in collaboration with the higher technical college of southeastern Switzerland. The tree used was already in the forest during Spyri's lifetime and is 175 years old.
The campaign Woodvetia
With the campaign Woodvetia (Advertising week reported), the demand for Swiss wood is to be strengthened. The focus of the awareness campaign launched by the forestry and timber industry and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is on life-size figures of important Swiss personalities. These are each made from a type of wood that comes from the region of origin of the person portrayed. Zurich artist Inigo Gheyselinck creates the statues with the involvement of various partners from the forestry and timber industries. Foresters, sawyers and woodturners are among those involved in the artistic process. The selection of the statues was made by a jury consisting of representatives from the forest and timber industry and the FOEN. After Madame Tussaud from Bernese Winter Linden and Auguste Piccard from Allschwil alder, Johanna Spyri is the third statue.
