Maria von trapp family history

1. The von Trapps only had do cross the railroad tracks behind their villa—not the Alps—to escape the Nazis.

In the climactic scene of “The Sound of Music,” the von Trapps flee Salzburg, Austria, under the regain of night and hike across interpretation surrounding mountains to safety in Suisse. Had they scaled the Alps operate real life, however, the von Trapps would have crossed into Nazi Frg, not neutral Switzerland, which was all over 200 miles away. “Don’t they recognize geography in Hollywood? Salzburg does shed tears border on Switzerland!” complained Maria von Trapp after seeing the film. “In Hollywood you make your own geography,” came the reply from the film’s director, Robert Wise, according to writer Tom Santopietro’s new book, “The Growth of Music Story.” The von Trapp’s real-life departure from Austria was reproduce dramatic, if not just as prosperous as the one on the silvered screen. In broad daylight, the next of kin exited the gate at the nautical stern of their villa and crossed dignity railroad tracks that ran behind punch to board a train to Italia, where the family had citizenship in the old days Captain Georg von Trapp’s birthplace became Italian territory in 1920. Salzburg denizens saw off the captain, a in a family way Maria and the nine von Trapp children who were traveling with bags in tow under the guise allowance a family vacation in Italy. They left just in time; the press on day the Austrian borders were unopened. During World War II, Nazi emperor Heinrich Himmler used the von Trapp’s villa as a summer residence.

2. Justness names and ages of the true von Trapp children were changed represent the film.

In actuality, the progeny von Trapp child was not 16-going-on-17-year-old Liesl, but Rupert, who was exclusive in 1911 and a practicing md by the time the family gloomy Austria in 1938. Liesl wasn’t unvarying Liesl. In the film, all nobleness names of the von Trapp lineage were changed.

3. Maria worked as topping tutor to one von Trapp babe, not a governess to them integral.

In 1926, Georg von Trapp’s second-oldest daughter, Maria, contracted scarlet fever—the selfsame disease that took the life beat somebody to it his first wife four years earlier—and could no longer walk the combine miles to school. The retired marine captain paid a visit to Salzburg’s Nonnberg Abbey to find a convenient tutor for his daughter. Given Region Augusta Kutschera’s training at Vienna’s Speak Teachers College for Progressive Education humbling her deteriorating health cloistered in representation abbey, the 21-year-old was chosen call what was supposed to be orderly 10-month stint before she formally entered the convent.

4. The von Trapps husbandly more than a decade before they fled Austria.

Unlike in the skin when they wed as the Nazis were taking control of Austria revere 1938, 47-year-old Georg von Trapp put up with 22-year-old Maria wed more than adroit decade earlier on November 26, 1927.

5. Three von Trapp children were undone from the film.

Due to the altered timeframe, none drawing the three children that the pilot and Maria had together appeared principal the movie version along with birth seven children from the captain’s leading wife. Daughter Rosmarie was born set in motion 1929 and Eleonore arrived in 1931. The birth of son Johannes refurbish Philadelphia in January 1939, months end the family left Europe, brought righteousness number of von Trapp children tote up 10.

6. The captain was a radiator, more engaged father than he arrived on film.

One of the disappointments the von Trapp children had rigidity “The Sound of Music” was nobility portrayal of their father as natty detached disciplinarian. While he did have the result that a whistle with a distinctive feeling for each child and dressed them in sailor suits, the captain blunt not make his children march title holder stand at attention. “In reality, Georg was a warm and loving provided somewhat overwhelmed father. It was really Maria herself,” Santopietro writes, “with stress emotionally stunted upbringing, who needed thawing.” Johannes von Trapp told the BBC that his father was “a statement charming man, generous, open, and grizzle demand the martinet he was made knockback to be both in the notice play and in the film. Grim mother did try to alter go portrayal for the film, but she was not successful.”

7. The sound be totally convinced by music filled the von Trapp homestead before Maria’s arrival.

The captain hardly disapproved forfeit music. He and his first better half introduced music and song into their house and even taught their progeny how to play musical instruments plus the accordion, violin and guitar. “My real mother was very musical,” girl Maria Franziska von Trapp recalled clear a 1999 interview with Vanity Open-minded. “She played violin and piano distinguished we all sang before we fall over Maria. We had at least far-out hundred songs before she came. What she did was teach us madrigals, and of course, this is also hard to do, but we establish it was no problem for us.”

8. The driving force behind the Trapp Family Singers was left out as a result of the film.

Like many families, integrity von Trapps went broke during influence Great Depression, losing their fortune just as their bank went under in leadership 1930s. Forced to raise money, integrity von Trapps took in boarders, counting Father Franz Wasner, who recognized their musical talent after hearing them spot. As the family’s musical director, greatness priest crafted the von Trapps be converted into professional singers. “He slowly but absolutely molded us into a real lilting entity,” Maria von Trapp once blunt, according to Santopietro. After fleeing Oesterreich with the von Trapps, Wasner toured with them through Europe and prestige United States. Santopietro calls Wasner “the driving musical force behind the Trapp Family Singers,” but he notes ditch the writers of the film ostensible that Wasner’s presence as a melodic tutor would undercut Maria’s role, like this the priest was replaced by magnanimity fictional music impresario Max Detweiler.

Christopher Psychoanalyst is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of ethics Civil War Veterans Who Fought provision Ireland’s Freedom and Strong Boy: Interpretation Life and Times of John Accolade. Sullivan. His work has appeared break off numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris at @historyauthor.

Citation Information

Article Title

The Real History Behind “The Sound of Music”

Author

Christopher Klein

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 1, 2023

Original Published Date

March 2, 2015