Damon Mcknight
When the von Trapp family left Austria, they travelled to Italy, where they were citizens due to Georg von Trapp's place of birth. They then travelled to London and the United States, where they settled in Stowe, Vermont, and became known as the Trapp Family Singers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for leaving Austria | To escape the Nazis and the deteriorating situation in Austria leading up to World War II |
| First destination | Italy |
| How they left Austria | By train |
| Next destinations | The Hague, Netherlands; London; United States |
| U.S. states they lived in | Pennsylvania; Vermont |
| U.S. cities they lived in | Philadelphia; Merion; Stowe |
| Year they settled in the U.S. | Early 1940s |
| What they did in the U.S. | Performed and toured nationally and internationally as the "Trapp Family Choir" and then the "Trapp Family Singers" |
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What You'll Learn
The von Trapps first went to Italy
The von Trapp family, a respected Austrian singing group, first went to Italy when they left Austria. They took a train to Italy, not over the mountains to Switzerland as depicted in the film *The Sound of Music*. Georg von Trapp, his wife, and their children were all Italian citizens because Georg was born in Zadar, now in Croatia, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of his birth. However, after World War I, the empire was dissolved, and Zadar became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
The von Trapps' decision to leave Austria was prompted by their opposition to the Nazi regime. When Germany invaded Austria in 1938, Georg von Trapp, a former submarine commander, understood the risks and knew that having Italian citizenship would help his family escape. They could not compromise their principles, so they chose to leave behind everything they knew and became refugees.
The von Trapps had a contract with an American booking agent when they left Austria. Once in Italy, they contacted the agent and requested fare to America. They first travelled to London before sailing to the United States for their first concert tour. They earned money by performing and touring nationally and internationally, first as the "Trapp Family Choir" and then as the "Trapp Family Singers."
The von Trapps' story has captivated audiences worldwide, with their lives serving as the basis for a memoir, two German films, and the Broadway musical *The Sound of Music*. However, it is important to note that their real-life escape from Austria was quite different from the dramatic portrayal in the film.
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They travelled to London
The von Trapp family left Austria by train to Italy, where they were citizens due to Georg von Trapp's place of birth, Zadar, which was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but became part of Italy in 1920. They did not remain in Italy for long, and soon travelled to London.
In London, the von Trapps were in contact with their American booking agent, who they requested fare from to travel to America. The family had a contract with this agent when they left Austria. From London, they sailed to the United States for their first concert tour.
The von Trapps' escape from Austria was prompted by the country's annexation by the Nazis in 1938. The family's patriarch, Georg von Trapp, was offered a commission in the German Navy, which he declined out of hostility to Nazi ideology. He also refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house and declined a request for his family choir to perform at Hitler's birthday party. The von Trapps knew they could not compromise their principles and decided to leave.
After touring in Scandinavia, the von Trapps returned to the United States on September 7, 1939, and applied for immigrant status. They settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, purchasing a 660-acre farm in 1942 and converting it into the Trapp Family Lodge. They earned money by performing and touring nationally and internationally, first as the ""Trapp Family Choir" and then as the "Trapp Family Singers".
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The family eventually settled in the United States
The von Trapp family first fled to Italy, where they were citizens, as Georg von Trapp had been born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. They then travelled to London and, eventually, to the United States, where they settled.
The family's escape was aided by the fact that Georg had a second passport. This allowed them to simply board a train to Italy, as opposed to the dramatic escape over the mountains into Switzerland, as depicted in the film *The Sound of Music*.
The von Trapps had a contract with an American booking agent when they left Austria, and they contacted this agent from Italy to request fare to America. They had also told people that they were going to America to sing. The family first travelled to London and then sailed to the United States for their first concert tour. They arrived with very little money, having lost most of their fortune in a banking collapse in Austria in 1935. They earned money by performing and touring nationally and internationally, first as the ""Trapp Family Choir" and then as the "Trapp Family Singers".
The family settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941, and they purchased a 660-acre farm in 1942, converting it into the Trapp Family Lodge, initially called "Cor Unum" (Latin for "One Heart"). They ceased to perform as a unit in 1957. After World War II, the von Trapps founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief Fund, which sent food and clothing to people in need in Austria.
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They became the Trapp Family Singers
The von Trapp family, also known as the Trapp Family Singers, were a respected Austrian singing group. They achieved fame in their native Austria during the interwar period. The group was formed from the family of former Austrian naval commander Georg von Trapp. The family's singing was encouraged by a Catholic priest, Franz Wasner, who instructed the children in music and later became their musical director. In 1936, Lotte Lehmann heard the family sing and suggested they perform paid concerts.
When the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapps knew they had to leave. 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. The family also knew that they risked being offered incentives by the Nazis, such as greater fame as a singing group, a medical doctor's position for one of the sons, and a renewed naval career for Georg. They decided that they could not compromise their principles and chose to leave their friends, family, estate, and possessions behind.
The von Trapps travelled to Italy, of which they were legally citizens due to Georg's place of birth, and from there to London and then the United States, where they had a contract with an American booking agent. They settled in Stowe, Vermont, in the early 1940s and bought a 660-acre farm, which they converted into the Trapp Family Lodge. They earned money by performing and touring nationally and internationally, first as the ""Trapp Family Choir" and then, the "Trapp Family Singers", a name suggested by their booking agent, Frederick Christian Schang. Their unique mixture of liturgical music, madrigals, folk music, and instrumentals attracted audiences in over 30 countries for the next 20 years.
The von Trapps ceased to perform as a unit in 1957. However, their legacy continued, with five grandchildren of Werner von Trapp forming a singing group called "The von Trapps" and recording five albums between 2001 and 2016.
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They purchased a farm in Vermont
The von Trapp family escaped Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938, first travelling to Italy, where they were citizens, as Georg von Trapp had been born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They then travelled to London and the United States, where they stayed until their visas expired. After a tour of Scandinavia, they returned to the US in 1939 and applied for immigrant status.
In the US, the von Trapps earned money by performing and touring nationally and internationally, first as the "Trapp Family Choir" and then as the "Trapp Family Singers". After living briefly in Philadelphia and Merion, Pennsylvania, the family settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941. They purchased a 660-acre farm in 1942 and converted it into the Trapp Family Lodge, initially called "Cor Unum" (Latin for "One Heart").
The family's unique style blended liturgical music, madrigals, folk music, and instrumentals, and they performed for audiences in over 30 countries for the next 20 years. After World War II, the von Trapps founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief Fund, sending food and clothing to people in need in Austria.
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Frequently asked questions
The von Trapps went to Italy, as Georg von Trapp was born in Zadar, now in Croatia, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. This made him eligible for Italian citizenship.
The von Trapps took a train to Italy, contrary to the portrayal in "The Sound of Music" where they are shown walking over the mountains to Switzerland.
The von Trapps went to London and then to the United States, where they stayed until their visas expired.
Yes, after touring Scandinavia, the von Trapps returned to the United States on September 7, 1939, and applied for immigrant status. They eventually settled in Stowe, Vermont, in the early 1940s and bought a farm there.
