The sound of music story is one that got me captivated as a kid. Still fascinated by it all, even up to this moment. I can’t seem to get over Maria and the way she transformed the seemingly uninteresting and subfuscous home of captain Georg Von Trapp, into a vibrant, pleasant and zestful environment. Much to the delightful surprise of captain Von Trapp, who, having lost his first wife, didn’t see any reason for noise and fun with family anymore. Everything around the Von Trapps were all gloomy and sad…and along came Maria…
EARLY LIFE
Maria Augusta Von Trapp was born on the 26th of January,1905. Her parents were Augusta and Karl Kutchera. The interesting thing about Maria’s birth was that she was delivered in a train heading from her parents village in Tyrol to a hospital in Vienna.
Maria’s mother died when she was 2 years old and her dad left her with an elderly cousin. She was said to have experienced a “lonely and strict upbringing. Surprisingly, Maria was a socialist and an atheist, who was cynical to all religion. But for a fateful meeting with a Jesuit priest in her college years, she would have still continued in her unbelief. She became a committed christain, with the intention of becoming a nun.
In 1923, Maria graduated from the State Teachers College for progressive Education in Vienna at age 18. By 1924, she entered Nonnberg Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg as a postulant, pursuant to the actualization of her dream as a nun.
Life at the Abbey was not anything like the outdoor life she was used to. She missed this so much that she had bouts of illnesses. Her doctor feared for her health and asked that she be permitted to take walks under the sun to improve her health. This led to a teaching arrangement for her at the home of Captain Von Trapp.
CAREER/MARRIAGE
Georg Von Trapp, a naval officer had lost his English wife, Agatha to scarlet fever in 1922. This left him heart broken. He grappled and struggled with his seven children for 4 years before taking them all, except for the 5th and 3rd daughter Hedwig Von Trapp, portrayed as Brigitta in the movie, to a boarding school. Hedwig was down with some kind of hay fever(it was later found out to be asthma) and was allergic to certain things such as grass, dust, pollen etc, and was forbidden from being in the boarding school. So captain applied to the Abbey for a governess to have Hedwig home schooled. Maria was availed of the job. This was in 1926. Maria and Hedwig struck a loving chord which attracted the rest of Hedwig’s siblings!😀.
Seeing the way she loved and related with his children, Captain Von Trapp couldn’t help but be endeared to Fraüline Maria!. Without further a do,he proposed to her. Maria, at 22, 25 years his junior (he was 45 years)became frightened and fled back to Nonnberg Abbey to seek guidance from the Mother Abbess. Mother Abbess advised her to go ahead with the marriage as it was God’s will. Maria then returned to the family and accepted captain’s proposal. She later wrote in her autobiography that she was very angry on her wedding day, both at God and captain Von Trapp!…Why? All she truly wanted was to be a nun. In her words, she wrote, “I really and truly was not in love. I liked him but didn’t love him…but I loved the children. So in a way , I married the children. I learned to love him more than I have ever loved before or after”….amazing!😀
They were married on the 26th of November, 1927 and had 3 children , Rosemarie, Eleonore and johannes in addition to their previous 7 kids. Bringing the whole children of Captain Georg Von Trapp to 10 in all.
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND DEPARTURE FROM AUSTRIA.
Captain Von Trapp whose first wife, Agatha Whitehead was the grand daughter of Robert Whitehead. Robert Whitehead was an inventor of modern torpedo, mostly navigated by captain Von Trapp during wars and voyage conflicts. Agatha inherited a lot of wealth from her grand father as well as uncle, St John Broderick, Earl of Middleton, who took over from Robert Whitehead at his demise.
Agatha’s inherited wealth sustained the couple and enabled them live a good life. However, on the 3rd of september 1922, Agatha died from scarlet fever which she contracted from her first daughter Agathe, portrayed as Liesl in the movie.
Georg Von Trapp in turn, inherited most of the late wife’s money,which was safely put in a Bank in England. Due to the famous crash of 1929, there was world wide depression and Austria was not exempted from the hardship. The economic pressure from Germany under Hitler, rendered a lot of Austrian Banks distressed and apprehensive. In the bid to help his good friend, Auguste Caroline Lammer(1885-1937),who owned a bank, Georg withdrew most of the inherited wealth from London to his friend’s bank in Austria. Unfortunately, the bank failed,wiping out most of the family’s substantial fortune. To survive the hardship,They discharged all their servants, moved into the top floor of their home and rented out all the rooms downstairs. Maria started training the kids to perform at events as a way of earning a living.
The archbishop of their diocese heard about their predicament and sent the Rev Father Franz Wasner to stay with them as their own chaplain. This started the family’s singing career.
One day at their home, a lady named Lotte Lehman, a soprano singer, heard the family sing. She got so captivated that she suggested they go public by performing at concerts. They obliged her. Their popularity started growing little by little till the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschinig heard them on radio and invited them to perform at a big concert in Vienna.
By 1938, Germans had taken over Austria and this left Captain Von Trapp very upset and distraught. He was offered a commission in the new German navy, but being an ardent and practicing Catholic, Georg was opposed to most Nazi ideologies so he declined the offer. His opposition was a known fact that at some meeting with Hitler in a restaurant, landed Georg Von Trapp an invitation to sing with his family in a birthday party organised for Hitler. He refused to honour the invitation.
Fearing reprisal attacks and possible arrests for his opposing stance, Georg together with his family, fled Austria. They took a train to Italy, London then sailed to the United States. Of one thing to note here, is the fact that they didn’t escape as portrayed in the movie. All their friends were aware of this plan. Again their destination wasn’t Switzerland, rather, Italy. Their first concert tour began in the USA. Charles Wagner became their first booking agent while Frederick Christian Schang, who changed their name from ‘Chorusers’ to ‘singers’, signed them on. The family later increased to 10(with Maria’s 3 biological kids) and toured the world, giving concert performances.
They made a series of 78 rpm records for RCA Victor in the 1950s. There were also a few recordings released on LPs.
The Von Trapps, except for their dad and brothers, applied and received American citizenship. They settled in Vermont, Stowe. But they never forgot their beloved Austria. They kept in touch and also set up a charity for needy Austrians during and after the war.
Georg Von Trapp died in 1947 from lung cancer and was buried in his lodge at Vermont.
Maria and 3 of her biological children became missionaries in Guinea Papua, years later when the family disbanded. In 1965, she retired and went back to Vermont, USA, where she managed the family lodge.
Maria won several awards which includes:
-1949- The Benemerenti medal ( by Pope Pius Xii) in recognition for the benefits of the “Trapp Austrian Relief for the needy”
-1952-Dame of the order of the Holy Sepuchre (vatican-Pope Pius Xii)
-1956- Catholic Mother of the year in the USA.
-1962- Decoration of Honour in Gold for services to the republic of Austria.
-1962- Siena Medal. The highest award the Theta Phi Alpha women’s fraternity bestows upon a non member. This ward is named after Saint Catherine of Siena.
-1967- The 1st class Austrian Cross of Honour for science and Art.
-2007- The Egon Ranshofen Wertheimer Prize.
-2012- Naming of the Maria Trapp -Plata in Donaustadt, Vienna.
Maria died on the 28th of March, 1987, following a heart surgery which was performed 3 days earlier. She was 82 years old. Maria was buried in the family cemetery at the Trapp lodge, alongside her husband and step children. Her biological children, Rosmarie, Eleonore and Johannes are very much alive. Johannes, Maria’s first son and the last of the 10 children of Captain Von Trapp manages the Trapp lodge.
The Trapp lodge which used to be a 27-room mansion, on an enchanted farm sweeping mountain Vista is located in Stowe, Vermont. It is reminiscent of their beloved home in Austria. After a devastating fire in 1980 which razed down the house, the original structure was replaced by a striking 96-room alpine ski resort situated on a 2,500 acres of land. This lodge offers a magnificent indoor and outdoor activities. It was initially opened to guest in the summer of 1950 and still does till date.
