Picture of Johann David Wyss

Timeline

Lifetime: 1743 - 1818 Passed: ≈ 206 years ago

Title

Author

Country/Nationality

Switzerland
Wikipedia

Johann David Wyss

Wyss has been described as an author whose style was "firmly Christian and moral in tone". There are also many underlying tones of Christianity throughout the book and in the case of many of the characters and their morals.

Johann David Wyss (German: May 28, 1743 – January 11, 1818) was a Swiss author, best remembered for his book The Swiss Family Robinson (Der schweizerische Robinson) (1812). He was born and died in Bern. It is said that he was inspired by Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, but wanted to write a story from which his own children would learn, as the father in the story taught important lessons to his children. The Swiss Family Robinson was first published in German in 1812 and translated into English two years later. It has since become one of the most popular books of all time. The book was edited by his son, Johann Rudolf Wyss, a scholar who wrote the Swiss national anthem. Another son, Johann Emmanuel Wyss, illustrated the book. Unlike his son Johann Rudolf, who died at the age of 48, Johann David Wyss lived up to the age of 74, dying in 1818.

Books by Johann David Wyss

The Swiss Family Robinson Cover image

The Swiss Family Robinson

Adventure Fiction
Family Ship Storm

A beautiful story about survival, the Robinson family shows that one does not have to have the usual comforts of life in order to be comfortable and happy. It is also a story about family relations. The book showcases a family of six that has to sta...