Trapp Family Singers: Return To Austria?

The Von Trapp family, who inspired the musical and film The Sound of Music, left Austria in 1938 to escape the Nazis. They travelled to the United States via Italy, London and Scandinavia, and settled in Stowe, Vermont, where they bought a farm and opened the Trapp Family Lodge. One of the original von Trapp children, Johanna, married and eventually returned to live in Austria.

The von Trapps fled Austria by train, not over the Alps

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria is one of the most famous scenes in The Sound of Music. The film depicts the family courageously and triumphantly crossing the Alps on foot towards freedom in Switzerland. However, this famous scene is not accurate. If the von Trapps had crossed the mountains from Salzburg, they would have ended up in Nazi Germany, not Switzerland, which is about 200 miles away.

In reality, the von Trapps' escape was not so dramatic. They left through the back gate of their villa and crossed over the railroad tracks that ran behind their property. From there, they boarded a train to Italy, where they had citizenship due to the Captain's birthplace becoming Italian territory in 1920. The family's daughter, Maria, noted in an interview that they were honest about their plans to go to America to sing and that they "left by train, pretending nothing". The family's escape was not secretive, and they did not carry their suitcases and musical instruments over the mountains.

The von Trapps' escape from Austria was not the only aspect of their story that was dramatised in The Sound of Music. The film also depicts the family secretly escaping over the Alps to Switzerland, when in reality, they travelled to Italy. The family's escape was also not as last-minute as the film suggests. They left Austria in June 1938, and Adolf Hitler ordered the borders of Austria closed one day later. The family then travelled to London before boarding a ship for America in September 1939.

The von Trapps' story has captured the hearts of audiences around the world, but it is important to remember that the film takes liberties with the truth. The family's escape from Austria by train, rather than over the Alps, is a reminder that reality is often more interesting than fiction.

The family had Italian citizenship

The von Trapp family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria is immortalised in the musical and film "The Sound of Music". However, their escape was not over the Alps to Switzerland, but rather by train to Italy, where they had citizenship.

Captain Georg von Trapp was born in Zadar, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. In 1920, Zadar became part of Italy, and so Georg and his family became Italian citizens. This is why they first fled to Italy in 1938, when Austria was annexed by Germany. They stayed in the Netherlands for some months, before moving on to London and then the United States.

The family's Italian citizenship allowed them to escape to safety, but they did not remain in Italy. They were able to travel to the United States, where they became well-known as the "Trapp Family Singers". They settled in Vermont, and after World War II, they founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund to send aid to those in need in Austria.

The family's Italian citizenship was, therefore, a crucial factor in their escape from Austria and their subsequent success in the United States. It provided them with a safe haven and allowed them to avoid remaining in a country under Nazi rule.

Georg von Trapp was a warm and loving father

The patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, Georg von Trapp was a far cry from the cold-blooded character depicted in the film adaptation of his family's life. In reality, he was a warm and loving father who was always around and enjoyed musical activities with his family.

Von Trapp was born in 1880 in Zadar, which was then a Crown Land of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now located in Croatia. He followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Navy at the age of 14. During World War I, he became the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander, earning him numerous decorations, including the title of "Ritter" (knight). After the war, he retired from the navy and settled down with his first wife, Agathe Whitehead, with whom he had seven children.

Tragedy struck the family in 1922 when Agathe died of scarlet fever. Von Trapp then married Maria Kutschera in 1927, and they had three children together. Around this time, the family began singing together at their local church in Aigen, where they were encouraged by a young priest, Dr. Franz Wasner. With his support and training, they expanded their repertoire to include sacred music alongside the folk songs, madrigals, and ballads they had been singing.

Von Trapp was a devoted father who was protective of his family. When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, he refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house and declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. Recognising the danger his family was in, he decided to emigrate from Nazi Austria, and they settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941.

Von Trapp passed away in 1947 at the age of 67, and the family home in Stowe was converted into the Trapp Family Lodge. His warm and loving nature was a stark contrast to the detached and cold-blooded portrayal in "The Sound of Music," which greatly distressed his family.

Maria von Trapp was a tutor, not a governess

Maria von Trapp was born Maria Augusta Kutschera in 1905 in Vienna, Austria. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by an abusive relative who was an atheist and socialist. She accidentally attended a Palm Sunday service, believing it to be a concert of Bach music, and this religious awakening led her to enter the Benedictine Abbey of Nonnberg in Salzburg as a novice. While there, she struggled with the rules and discipline, but she felt that this experience was necessary to correct her "twisted character and overgrown self-will".

Maria's health suffered during her time at the abbey due to a lack of exercise and fresh air. Concerned for her health, the Reverend Mother of the Abbey asked her to teach Captain Georg von Trapp's sick daughter, Maria. Maria von Trapp not only tutored young Maria but also enjoyed singing with the children and taking them on outdoor activities. Captain von Trapp fell in love with her and asked her to stay with him and become a second mother to his children. She fled back to the abbey to seek guidance, and the mother abbess advised her that it was God's will that she should marry him. She returned to the family and accepted his proposal.

Maria and Georg von Trapp married in 1927 and had three children together: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes. The family enjoyed singing together and, with the encouragement of a young priest, Dr Franz Wasner, they began to perform at their local church in Aigen. They also performed at a song competition in Salzburg in 1936, for which they won a prize. Accompanied by Dr Wasner, the family then toured and performed in Vienna and Salzburg and undertook a European tour that included France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and England.

When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, the family decided to leave. They first went to Italy, then to London, and finally to the United States, where they became known as the "Trapp Family Singers". They performed internationally until 1955, after which Maria and three of her children became missionaries in Papua New Guinea. In 1965, Maria returned to Vermont to manage the Trapp Family Lodge, which had been named Cor Unum.

The von Trapps founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund after World War II

The von Trapp family's story inspired the musical and film "The Sound of Music". The real-life von Trapps shared common themes with the fictionalised story, including family loyalty, principled decision-making, and a passion for music.

The von Trapp family left Austria and emigrated to the United States to escape the Nazis. They settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, and purchased a 660-acre farm in 1942, converting it into the Trapp Family Lodge. After World War II, the von Trapps founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund, which sent food and clothing to impoverished people in Austria.

The von Trapps became well-known as the "Trapp Family Singers" and performed a unique mixture of liturgical music, madrigals, folk music, and instrumentals to audiences in over 30 countries for 20 years. They made a series of 78-rpm records for RCA Victor in the 1950s and also released some recordings on LPs. The family singing group disbanded in 1957.

The von Trapps' story is one of the better-known immigrant experiences documented in the records of the National Archives and Records Administration. The family's journey from Austria to the United States, as well as their applications for citizenship, are recorded in the holdings of the National Archives.

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