Lyla Lindsey
The Sound of Music is a musical set in Nazi-occupied Austria during World War II. It is based on the true story of the von Trapp family, who fled Austria in 1938 after refusing to fall in line with the Nazi regime. The musical has been criticised for historical inaccuracies, including a whitewashing of Austria's complicity in the Third Reich. The von Trapps' escape to Switzerland at the end of the musical is also geographically inaccurate, as Salzburg is 350km from the Swiss border. Despite these inaccuracies, the musical has taken on a deeper meaning for some due to the war in Ukraine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for the Von Trapp family's escape from Austria | Georg von Trapp was an Austrian naval officer who refused to work with the Nazis and pledge his loyalty to them. He was forced to either join the Nazi navy or flee. |
| How the Von Trapp family escaped Austria | The family took a day train to Italy and then flew to the US. They did not flee on foot in the middle of the night as depicted in the movie. |
| The Von Trapp family's return to Austria | The family returned to Nazi Austria in 1939 to tie up their affairs. |
| Georg von Trapp's relationship with the Nazis | Georg von Trapp was against the Nazis and refused to fly the Nazi flag on his house. He also declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. |
| The Von Trapp family's relationship with the Nazis | The family was not pro-Nazi. They were aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda and policies, and the brainwashing of children against their parents. |
| The Nazis' pursuit of the Von Trapp family | The family was caught trying to flee by Hans Zeller, the Gauleiter of Austria, who was assigned to maintain Nazi order in the country. Zeller had the family's estate surrounded by Nazi officers and tried to stop them from leaving. |
| The historical accuracy of "The Sound of Music" | The movie whitewashed Austria's complicity in the Third Reich and portrayed Austrians as being opposed to annexation by Germany, when in reality, they enthusiastically supported it. |
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What You'll Learn
The von Trapps' escape from Austria
The family's decision to leave was prompted by their opposition to the Nazi regime, which had annexed Austria in 1938. Georg von Trapp had refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house and declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. They were also aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda, the pervasive fear of spies, and the brainwashing of children against their parents.
The von Trapps weighed the benefits of staying in Austria, such as greater fame as a singing group and career opportunities, against leaving behind their friends, family, and estate. Ultimately, they chose to leave, and their departure was timely, as the Austrian borders were sealed the next day.
The family travelled with suitcases and musical instruments, pretending nothing was amiss. They had a contract with an American travel agent, whom they contacted once in Italy to request fare to America. From Italy, they first travelled to London before sailing to the United States, where they settled in Stowe, Vermont, in the early 1940s.
It is worth noting that the von Trapps did briefly return to Nazi Austria in 1939 to tie up loose ends. This would not have been possible if they had been in danger of arrest, as depicted in the film.
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Georg von Trapp's refusal to work with the Nazis
The patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp, was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of World War I, sinking 11 Allied merchant ships and two Allied warships. After the German takeover of Austria in 1938, Georg von Trapp was offered a commission in the German Navy, which he declined out of hostility to Nazi ideology. He also politely refused to fly the Nazi flag on his house and declined a request for his family choir to perform at Hitler's birthday concert.
Von Trapp's refusal to work with the Nazis put him and his family at risk. When the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapps realized they were in danger. They weighed the benefits of staying in Austria and taking advantage of the enticements the Nazis were offering—greater fame as a singing group, a medical doctor's position for Rupert, and a renewed naval career for Georg—against leaving behind everything they knew. They decided that they could not compromise their principles and left.
The von Trapps' departure from Austria was less dramatic than depicted in the film *The Sound of Music*. In reality, the family left in broad daylight, exiting the gate at the rear of their villa and crossing the railroad tracks to board a train to Italy, where they had citizenship. They then travelled to London before sailing to the United States for their first concert tour. They returned to Europe in 1939 to tour Scandinavia, but as World War II broke out, they returned to the United States.
Von Trapp's refusal to work with the Nazis was not due to a fear of getting killed or put in camps, but rather a desire to remain true to his principles and not serve a regime he abhorred. He chose to emigrate from Nazi Austria and start a new life in the United States with his family, where they continued their singing career.
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Anti-Semitism in Austria
The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the von Trapp family, who fled Austria after the country was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. The family was aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda and policies and the brainwashing of children against their parents. They weighed these dangers against the enticements the Nazis were offering them, including greater fame as a singing group, a medical doctor's position for Rupert, and a renewed naval career for Georg. Eventually, they decided to leave, taking a train to Italy and then a boat to the US.
Austria has a long history of anti-Semitism, which has persisted into the present day. In the 19th century, anti-Semitism in the country was largely influenced by Catholic anti-Semitism, which attributed the secularization and modernization of society to Jewish influence. This brand of anti-Semitism was propagated by figures such as Sebastian Brunner, a priest who published the official organ of the Viennese Church, and the Christian Social Party, led by Mayor of Vienna Karl Lueger. Lueger's brand of anti-Semitism was economically, religiously, and culturally motivated, rather than racial. In the 1880s and 1890s, the common adversary of all Semites in Austria, especially in Vienna, was the Liberal Party.
During the political and economic crisis of the early post-World War I years, Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe were blamed for the housing shortage, and Jewish citizens were accused of not fighting in the war. Anti-Semitic rallies and demonstrations, sometimes violent, were held, and university classes taught by Jewish professors were frequently interrupted by members of student fraternities.
Anti-Semitism did not disappear in Austria after World War II, and it continued to be a part of Austrian political life and culture, particularly in political parties and the media. In the post-war years, expressions of anti-Semitism became more coded and ambiguous, reflecting the country's ambivalence towards its past. According to Austrian sociologist Bernd Marin, anti-Semitism in Austria after 1945 could be characterized as "anti-Semitism without Jews" and "anti-Semitism without antisemites", as Jews constituted only 0.1% of the population, and explicit expressions of anti-Semitism were publicly forbidden and tabooed.
In recent years, there have been reports of anti-Semitic incidents in Austria, including graffiti, vandalism of Holocaust memorials, and attacks on Jewish individuals and institutions. In 2012-2013, there were more than 15 antisemitic incidents reported, including swastika graffiti, the desecration of Jewish graves, and the vandalism of Stepping Stones, which commemorate the names of people murdered during the Holocaust. In 2014, a training match between Israeli and Austrian football squads ended with a violent attack on the Israeli team by Austrian pro-Palestinian fans. In 2015, there were at least three reports of antisemitic graffiti in Austria, all on memorials for the Holocaust. In 2020, an immigrant from Syria was arrested in Graz for attacking Jews and defacing a synagogue with "Free Palestine" graffiti.
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The von Trapps' train journey to Italy
The von Trapp family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was far less dramatic than the one depicted in the film *The Sound of Music*. In reality, the family left in broad daylight, exiting the gate at the rear of their villa and crossing the railroad tracks to board a train to Italy. They left just in time; the next day, the Austrian borders were sealed.
The von Trapps' journey to Italy was the first leg of their escape to the United States. They chose Italy because Georg von Trapp, the family patriarch, was born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time but became part of Italy in 1920, making him an Italian citizen. This citizenship extended to his wife and children.
The family's decision to flee Austria was driven by their opposition to the Nazi regime. When the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapps realised they were at odds with a regime they abhorred. Georg von Trapp refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house, declined a naval command, and turned down a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. They also became aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda, the pervasive fear of spies, and the brainwashing of children against their parents.
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The whitewashing of Austria's complicity in the Third Reich
The Sound of Music, a film based on a true story, has been criticized for whitewashing Austria's complicity in the Third Reich. The film depicts the von Trapp family, who were a genuine singing group, and their escape from Austria. However, the film's portrayal of the family's escape to Switzerland is inaccurate, as in reality, they would have crossed into Nazi Germany. The final scene, in which the family walks across the border into Switzerland, is described as "complete nonsense".
The film also depicts Austrians as being opposed to annexation by Germany, when in fact, there were enthusiastic crowds greeting the Nazis in Vienna. Austrians made up a disproportionate number of those involved in the Final Solution, with a significant percentage of the SS, concentration camp personnel, and camp commanders being of Austrian background.
Furthermore, the film fails to acknowledge the role of Austrians in the execution of the Holocaust and the crimes of the Nazi regime. Instead, it reinforces the falsehood that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression. This whitewashing of history is a serious objection to the movie, as it distorts the truth about Austria's role in the Third Reich.
The von Trapp family's actual escape from Austria was less dramatic than portrayed in the film. They left by train to Italy, where they had citizenship, and then took a boat to the US. They were not in danger of arrest, as they later returned to Nazi Austria in 1939 to tie up their affairs. The family was genuinely not pro-Nazi, with Georg von Trapp refusing to fly the Nazi flag on their house and declining a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. However, their escape was timely, as the day after they left, the Austrian borders were sealed.
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Frequently asked questions
The Von Trapps fled Austria because they were against the Nazis. Georg Von Trapp was an Austrian naval officer and when the Nazis invaded Austria, all military officials were forced to pledge loyalty to the Nazis or flee. Georg Von Trapp refused to fly the Nazi flag on his house and declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party.
The Von Trapps' escape from Austria was not as dramatic as it was depicted in the movie. In reality, they simply walked out of the gate at the rear of their villa and crossed the railroad tracks to board a train to Italy, where they had citizenship. From there, they took a boat to the US.
The Von Trapps settled in the US, where they continued to perform as a singing group. They later voluntarily returned to Nazi Austria in 1939 to tie up their affairs.
The movie whitewashed Austria's complicity in the Third Reich. Austrians are shown as being opposed to annexation by Germany, when in reality, they enthusiastically welcomed the Nazis. Austrians took a leading part in the execution of the Holocaust and other crimes of the regime.
The main objection to the movie was that it reinforced the falsehood that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression, when in reality, many Austrians actively supported the Nazi regime.
