How The Von Trapp Family Fled Austria By Foot

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria was far less dramatic than its portrayal in the film *The Sound of Music*. In the film, the family flees Salzburg by hiking over the mountains to Switzerland. In reality, such a journey would have taken them into Nazi Germany, not Switzerland, which was around 200 miles away. Instead, the von Trapps left their villa in broad daylight, crossing the railway tracks behind their home to board a train to Italy, where they had citizenship. They left just in time, as the Austrian borders were sealed the next day.

The von Trapps did not cross the Alps to escape the Nazis

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria was far less dramatic than the Hollywood portrayal in "The Sound of Music". In the film, the family is shown hiking over the Alps to Switzerland, but in reality, such a journey would have taken them into Nazi Germany, not Switzerland. In fact, Salzburg, where the von Trapps lived, does not even border Switzerland.

The von Trapps' actual departure from Austria was far more low-key. In broad daylight, they simply walked out of the gate at the rear of their villa and crossed the railroad tracks that ran behind it to board a train to Italy. They pretended that they were going on a family vacation, and their neighbours saw them off. The family left just in time, as the Austrian borders were sealed the next day.

The von Trapps were able to travel to Italy because Georg von Trapp was born in Zadar, which became part of Italy in 1920, making him and his family Italian citizens. From Italy, they travelled to London and then boarded a ship to the United States, where they stayed until their visas expired. They then toured Scandinavia and returned to the U.S., where they applied for immigrant status.

The von Trapps' escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was certainly a dramatic and courageous act, but it did not involve a daring hike over the Alps. Instead, they used their Italian citizenship and travelled by train and ship to reach safety in America.

The von Trapps left Austria by train

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria was far less dramatic than the Hollywood portrayal in The Sound of Music. In the film, the family are shown hiking over the mountains to Switzerland, but in reality, such a journey would have taken them into Nazi Germany.

In fact, the von Trapps left Austria by train. In broad daylight, they exited the gate at the rear of their villa and crossed the railroad tracks that ran behind it. They travelled to Italy, where the family had citizenship due to Georg von Trapp's birthplace, Zadar, becoming part of Italian territory in 1920.

The family left just in time. The next day, the Austrian borders were sealed. The von Trapps travelled with their musical conductor, Reverend Franz Wasner, and secretary, Martha Zochbauer. They told people they were going to America to sing and pretended that their departure was nothing out of the ordinary.

The family's escape was timely, but not secretive. Salzburg residents saw them off, and the children travelled with suitcases in tow, under the guise of a family vacation.

The von Trapps travelled to Italy, not Switzerland

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria was far less dramatic than the one depicted in the film *The Sound of Music*. In the film, the family is shown hiking over the mountains to Switzerland. However, in reality, such a journey would have taken them straight into Nazi Germany, not Switzerland, which was around 200 miles away.

The von Trapps did not, in fact, travel to Switzerland. Instead, they went to Italy. Georg von Trapp was born in Zadar, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time but became Italian territory in 1920, making him and his family Italian citizens. The family left Salzburg by train, pretending to be going on a vacation. They departed just in time, as the Austrian borders were sealed the following day.

The von Trapps' escape was not as secretive as it was portrayed in the film. They told people they were going to America to sing, and they did not climb over mountains with their suitcases and instruments. They travelled with their musical conductor, Reverend Franz Wasner, and secretary, Martha Zochbauer.

After leaving Austria, the family stayed in Warmond, near The Hague in the Netherlands, as guests of a Dutch banker, Ernest Menten. This episode is described by local historian Miep Smitsloo in her 2007 Dutch book *Tussen Tol en Trekvaart* (*Between Toll and Canal*). However, Maria von Trapp does not mention this stay in her account of the family's flight. From there, they went to London and then to the United States, where they stayed until their visas expired.

The von Trapps did not carry suitcases and musical instruments

The von Trapp family's escape from Austria was far less dramatic than the Hollywood portrayal in "The Sound of Music." In the film, the family is shown hiking over the Alps to Switzerland, carrying their suitcases and musical instruments. However, this would have led them into Nazi Germany, not Switzerland, which was around 200 miles away.

In reality, the von Trapps left Salzburg by train, in broad daylight, pretending to be going on a family vacation. They did not carry suitcases and musical instruments over the mountains. Instead, they crossed the railroad tracks behind their villa to board a train to Italy, where they had citizenship due to Georg von Trapp's birthplace, Zadar, becoming Italian territory in 1920. The family's departure was timely, as the Austrian borders were sealed the next day.

The von Trapps' escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was not as dramatic as depicted in the film, but it was certainly a timely and courageous act. They left behind their friends, family, estate, and possessions, refusing to compromise their principles in the face of the Nazi regime.

The portrayal of the family carrying suitcases and musical instruments over the Alps adds to the cinematic drama of "The Sound of Music." However, it is important to remember that the von Trapps' actual escape was a more discreet and less physically demanding endeavour, involving a train journey to Italy rather than a mountain hike.

The von Trapps did not secretly escape

The von Trapp family did not secretly escape over the Alps to Switzerland, as depicted in the film "The Sound of Music." In reality, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was far less dramatic.

In broad daylight, the family left their villa in Salzburg and crossed the railroad tracks behind their home to board a train to Italy. They pretended that they were going on a family vacation, and even told people that they were going to America to sing. They did not sneak over the mountains with their heavy suitcases and musical instruments in tow. Instead, they travelled with their musical conductor, Reverend Franz Wasner, and secretary, Martha Zochbauer.

The von Trapps' decision to leave Austria was prompted by their refusal to compromise their principles in the face of Nazi occupation. They declined to fly the Nazi flag on their house, and Georg von Trapp turned down a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. They also knew that by staying, they would be offered greater fame as a singing group, a medical career for one of their sons, and a renewed naval career for Georg. However, they chose to leave behind their friends, family, estate, and possessions, and instead fled to Italy, where Georg had citizenship due to his birthplace becoming Italian territory in 1920.

The family's escape was indeed timely, as the Austrian borders were sealed the day after they left. During World War II, Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler used the von Trapp's villa as a summer residence.

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