Updated: June 18, 2024

The Swiss Family Robinson is a novel, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family who is shipwrecked in the East Indies en route to Port Jackson, Australia.

Making for a deserted island, they discover and develop all the necessaries for a good life - showing incredible resourcefulness in adapting and utilising the island's many natural resources (which come from several different continents) and a large quantity of provisions salvaged from the ship. They build a tree house, among other things (which has survived into film adaptations bearing few other resemblances to the original book).

Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss, and edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss, this novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world and self-reliance.

Most of the episodes (in the book) have to do with Christian-oriented lessons. Although movie and TV adaptations have often given them the surname Robinson, which is not, of course, a Swiss name, the "Robinson" of the title refers to Robinson Crusoe.

Movies:

Swiss Family Robinson (1940) Swiss Cheese Family Robinson (1947) Swiss Family Robinson (1960) The Swiss Family Robinson (1976) Mountain Family Robinson (1980) The New Swiss Family Robinson (1998) The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (1998)

Television:

Lost in Space (1965), was known as the "Space Family Robinson" Swiss Family Robinson (1975) - American series starring Martin Milner Swiss Family Robinson (1976) - Canadian series starring Chris Wiggins The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island - (1981) anime series.

Television Movies:

The Swiss Family Robinson (1958) The Swiss Family Robinson (1973) The Swiss Family Robinson (1973) The Swiss Family Robinson (1975) Beverly Hills Family Robinson (1998) Swiss Family Robinson Lost in the Jungle (2000) Stranded (2002), aka "The Swiss Family Robinson"