The Von Trapp Family's Escape: Ages Revealed

The von Trapp family, a respected Austrian singing group, left Austria in 1938 after the Nazi annexation of the country. The family, which at the time included children ranging in age from 7 to 27, as well as an infant, first travelled to Italy, where they were citizens due to the birthplace of their father, Georg von Trapp, and then to London, before sailing to the United States.

The eldest child, Rupert, was 27

The eldest child of Georg and Agathe von Trapp, Rupert, was 27 when the family left Austria in 1938. The family, who were a respected Austrian singing group, decided to leave after Adolf Hitler annexed Austria. They first travelled to Italy, where they were citizens due to Georg's place of birth, and then to London, before sailing to the United States.

Rupert von Trapp was born on 1 November 1911 in Pula. He was the first of seven children born to Agathe Gobertina Whitehead and Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp. In 1927, when Rupert was 16, his mother Agathe died, and his father married Maria Kutschera, who was 25 years his junior. Maria was a tutor to one of the von Trapp children and, later, to all of the children. She and Georg went on to have three more children together.

The von Trapp family's story inspired the musical and film The Sound of Music, as well as two German films and a memoir. The real-life family performed as the "Trapp Family Choir" and then the "Trapp Family Singers", and gave over 2,000 performances in more than 30 countries. They eventually settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, and purchased a 660-acre farm in 1942, which they converted into the Trapp Family Lodge.

The youngest child, Johannes, was 2

The von Trapp family left Austria in 1938, after Adolf Hitler annexed the country. The family travelled by train to Italy, where they were citizens due to Georg von Trapp's place of birth. The family then went to London and eventually made their way to the United States, where they became known as the "Trapp Family Singers".

In 1963, Johannes introduced the first herd of Scotch Highland Coos to the lodge. He took over the management of the lodge from Maria in 1969 and has since expanded the business, including the introduction of the first commercial cross-country ski centre in the United States in 1968. Johannes has two children, Kristina and Sam, who help run the lodge, which has been recently renamed the von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort.

The family travelled to Italy by train

The von Trapp family left Austria in 1938, after the country was annexed by Nazi Germany. The family, led by patriarch Georg von Trapp, chose to leave their homeland rather than support the Nazi regime. They travelled to Italy by train, as Georg was born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of his birth and became part of Italy in 1920. This made him and his family Italian citizens.

The von Trapps' journey to Italy was just the first leg of their journey to the United States, where they intended to continue their singing career. They contacted an American booking agent from Italy and requested passage to America. They then travelled to London before sailing to the US for their first concert tour.

The family's story has become famous around the world due to the musical and film 'The Sound of Music'. However, their real-life escape from Austria did not involve climbing over the Alps to Switzerland, as depicted in the film. Instead, they took a train to Italy, pretending that nothing was amiss.

At the time of their departure from Austria, the older von Trapp children ranged from 7 to 27 years old, while the younger ones were 11 and 9, respectively. Georg von Trapp himself was 47 when he married his second wife, Maria, in 1927, and the couple had three children together: Rosmarie, born in 1929, Eleonore (Lorli), born in 1931, and Johannes, born in 1939 in Pennsylvania.

They had lost most of their fortune in a 1935 banking collapse

The von Trapp family were a respected Austrian singing group who achieved fame in their native Austria during the interwar period. The family consisted of former Austrian naval commander Georg von Trapp, his wife Maria, and their ten children.

In 1935, the von Trapps lost most of their fortune in a banking collapse. The money had been inherited from Georg's first wife, Agathe Whitehead, and was initially invested in a bank in England. However, due to economic pressures from a hostile Germany, Austrian banks were in a precarious position. Seeking to support his friend in the banking business, Auguste Caroline Lammer, Georg withdrew most of his money from London and deposited it in an Austrian bank. Unfortunately, the bank failed, wiping out most of the family's substantial fortune.

This financial setback forced the family to seek alternative means of income, and they turned to their musical talents. By 1935, the family was already singing at their local church in Aigen, where they were instructed by a Catholic priest, Franz Wasner. They also performed at their Salzburg home, where they were heard by the German concert singer Lotte Lehmann. Impressed by their talent, Lehmann encouraged them to take part in a song competition in Salzburg in 1936, which they won. This victory led to more performance opportunities, and the family toured and performed in Vienna, Salzburg, and other European countries.

Despite their growing musical success, the deteriorating situation in Austria leading up to World War II prompted the von Trapps to immigrate to the United States permanently. They continued to perform as the "'Trapp Family Singers'" in their new home country, touring nationally and internationally. The family eventually settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, and their story later inspired the famous musical and film "The Sound of Music."

They settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941

The von Trapp family settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, having left Austria in 1938. The family's story inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, The Sound of Music.

The von Trapps' escape from Austria was prompted by the country's annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938. They travelled by train to Italy, and from there, they went to the Netherlands, London, and then the United States. They returned to Europe in 1939 for a tour of Scandinavia, but their plans were disrupted by the outbreak of World War II. They went back to the United States in September 1939, and after a brief period in Pennsylvania, they settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941.

The von Trapp family, originally from Austria, were a respected singing group known for their unique blend of liturgical music, madrigals, folk music, and instrumentals. They continued to perform and tour after settling in Stowe, and their style evolved to include more English-language songs.

In 1942, the family purchased a farm in Stowe, which they named "Cor Unum" (Latin for "One Heart"). This eventually became the Trapp Family Lodge, which opened its doors to guests in 1950. The lodge suffered a devastating fire in 1980 but was rebuilt, and it continues to be owned and operated by the von Trapp family.

The von Trapp family's time in Stowe was marked by both successes and tragedies. They found success in their musical career and received recognition for their contributions to entertainment and humanitarian causes. However, they also experienced the loss of several family members, including Georg von Trapp, who passed away in 1947, and Martina von Trapp, who died in 1951 due to complications following childbirth.

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