![SMU-5 Trapp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/SMU-5_Trapp.jpg)
Georg Ludwig
Ritter
Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr" (Baron). As with most titles an ...
von Trapp
(4 April 1880 – 30 May 1947) was an officer in the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...
who later became the patriarch of the
Trapp Family Singers
The Trapp Family (also known as the von Trapp Family) were a singing group formed from the family of former Austrian naval commander Georg von Trapp. The family achieved fame in their original singing career in their native Austria during the in ...
. Trapp was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, sinking 11 Allied merchant ships totaling 47,653
GRT and two Allied warships
displacing a total of 12,641 tons.
His first wife
Agathe Whitehead
Agathe Gobertina von Trapp (née Whitehead; 14 June 1891 – 3 September 1922) was a British-Austrian heiress and aristocrat. She was the first wife of Georg von Trapp, Georg Ritter von Trapp and the mother of seven children of the Trapp Family, ...
died of scarlet fever in 1922, leaving behind seven children. Trapp hired
Maria Augusta Kutschera to tutor one of his daughters and married Maria in 1927. When he lost most of his wealth in the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, the family turned to singing as a way of earning a livelihood. Trapp declined a commission in the
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
after the
Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
and settled in the United States.
Trapp's accomplishments during World War I earned him numerous decorations, including the
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa (german: Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden; hu, Katonai Mária Terézia-rend; cs, Vojenský řád Marie Terezie; pl, Wojskowy Order Marii Teresy; sl, Vojaški red Marije Terezije; hr, Vojni Red Marije Te ...
. After his death in 1947, the family home in Stowe, Vermont, became a
ski lodge
A ski lodge or day lodge is a building located in a ski area that provides amenities such as food, beverages, seating area, restrooms, and locker rooms for skiers and snowboarders. Larger resorts have a day lodge at each base area and also at mid- ...
, the
Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Lodge is a resort located in Stowe, Vermont. It is managed by Sam von Trapp, son of Johannes von Trapp of the Austrian musical family, the Trapps. It was formerly known as Cor Unum (Latin for ''One Heart'').
History
The Trapp ...
. Maria von Trapp's 1949 memoir ''
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'' is a 1949 memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was later fictionalized in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical ''The Sound of Music'' in 1959.
Background
Maria never intended to ...
'' was adapted into the West German film ''
The Trapp Family
''The Trapp Family'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie, links=no) is a 1956 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical family of that name directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Maria Holst. Ba ...
'' (1956), which served as the basis for the
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...
musical ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' (1959) and the
film adaptation directed by Robert Wise (1965).
Early life
Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp was born in
Zara,
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, then a Crown Land of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
(present-day
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
). His father,
''Fregattenkapitän'' August Johann Trapp, was a naval officer who had been elevated to the
Austrian nobility
The Austrian nobility (german: österreichischer Adel) is a status group that was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of Austria-Hungary. The nobles are still part of Austrian society today, but they no longer retain any specific privil ...
as ''
Ritter
Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr" (Baron). As with most titles an ...
von
The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''.
Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de Go ...
Trapp'' when he was awarded the
Order of the Iron Crown
The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy.
The order took its name ...
Third Class. Both his sons inherited this hereditary title of ''Ritter'' (Knight). August Ritter von Trapp died in 1884, when Georg was four.
[
Trapp's mother was Hedwig Wepler. His older sister was the Austrian artist ]Hede von Trapp
Hede von Trapp (18 November 1877 – 29 December 1947) was an Austrian poet, painter and graphic designer of the Art Nouveau movement.
Biography
von Trapp was born in Pula, Austria-Hungary, on 18 November 1877. She was the daughter of the Au ...
, and his brother Werner died in 1915 during World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.[
]
Naval career
In 1894, aged fourteen, Trapp followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Imperial and Royal
The phrase Imperial and Royal (German: ''kaiserlich und königlich'', ), typically abbreviated as ''k. u. k.'', ''k. und k.'', ''k. & k.'' in German (the "und" is always spoken unabbreviated), ''cs. és k. (császári és királyi)'' in Hungari ...
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...
, entering the naval academy at Fiume
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
(now Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
). As part of their required education, all naval cadets were taught to play a musical instrument; Georg von Trapp selected the violin. He graduated four years later and completed two years of follow-on training voyages, including one to Australia, as a cadet aboard the sail training corvette ''SMS Saida II''. On the voyage home he visited the Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
where he met a Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
friar who took him on a tour of all the Biblical sites he wanted to see. Among other things, Trapp bought seven bottles of water from the Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
which were later used to baptize
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation and Adoption ...
his first seven children.[
In 1900, he was assigned to the ]protected cruiser
Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...
and was decorated for his performance during the Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
, in which he participated in the assault on the Taku Forts
The Taku Forts or Dagu Forts, also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River (Peiho River) estuary in the Binhai New Area, Tianjin, in northeastern China. They are located southeast of the Tianjin urban center.
History
The f ...
. In 1902, he passed the final officer's examination, and was commissioned a ''Fregattenleutnant
''Fregattenleutnant'' ( hu, Fregatthadnagy; ) was an officer rank in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. It was equivalent to Oberleutnant of the Austro-Hungarian Army, as well to Oberleutnant zur See of the Imperial German Navy. Pertaining to the moder ...
'' (frigate lieutenant, equivalent to sub-lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces.
In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...
) in May 1903. He was fascinated by submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s, and in 1908 seized the opportunity to transfer to the navy's newly formed submarine arm, or ''U-boot-Waffe'', receiving promotion to ''Linienschiffsleutnant
is a German language variant of the naval officer rank ship-of-the-line lieutenant. The rank is used by the Belgian Navy and formerly the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
Austro-Hungary
(; hu, Sorhajóhadnagy) was an officer rank in the Austro-Hu ...
'' (ship-of-the-line lieutenant, or lieutenant) that November. In 1910 he was given command of the newly constructed . He commanded ''U-6'' until 1913.
World War I
On 17 April 1915, Trapp took command of . He conducted nine combat patrols in ''U-5'', and sank two enemy warships. One was the French armored cruiser , sunk at on 27 April 1915, south of Cape Santa Maria di Leuca. In hunting and sinking ''Gambetta'', Trapp achieved a notable success as commander of the first-ever underwater nighttime (and only the second) submarine attack on a vessel in the Adriatic. Just over three months later, he sank the Italian submarine at on 5 August 1915, off Pelagosa (Palagruža) Island. He also captured the Greek steamer ''Cefalonia'' off Durazzo on 29 August 1915. Some sources incorrectly credit Trapp with sinking the Italian troop transport , which resulted in the greatest loss of life in any submarine attack in World War I, but the ship was actually sunk by U-5 under another commander, Friedrich Schlosser (1885–1959).
Trapp was transferred to the , the former French submarine ''Curie'', which had been sunk and salvaged by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He conducted ten more war patrols in the much larger submarine, attacking merchant ships instead of warships. Between April 1917 and October 1917, U-14 sank 11 Allied merchant ships under Trapp's command.
In May 1918, he was promoted to ''Korvettenkapitän'' (equal to Lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
) and given command of the submarine base at Cattaro
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
in the Gulf of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the h ...
. However, Austria-Hungary's defeat in World War I also led to the Empire's collapse. The territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was divided among seven countries, with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
keeping most of the seacoast. The Republic of German-Austria
The Republic of German-Austria (german: Republik Deutschösterreich or ) was an unrecognised state that was created following World War I as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population wi ...
was landlocked and no longer had a navy, putting an end to Trapp's naval career.[
]
War record
Trapp's patrols in U-5 and U-14 made him the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of World War I, sinking 11 Allied merchant ships totaling 47,653 GRT and 2 Allied warships displacing a total of 12,641 tons.
Orders, decorations and medals
* Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa (german: Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden; hu, Katonai Mária Terézia-rend; cs, Vojenský řád Marie Terezie; pl, Wojskowy Order Marii Teresy; sl, Vojaški red Marije Terezije; hr, Vojni Red Marije Te ...
(1924)
* Knight's Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold
* Knight 2nd Class of the Order of the Iron Crown
The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy.
The order took its name ...
(1917)
* Bronze Military Merit Medal ("Signum Laudis")
* Military Merit Cross
* 1898 Jubilee Medal
* 1908 Jubilee Cross
* War Medal 1914–1918 with swords
* Long Service Cross (18 years)
* Iron Cross 1st and 2rd Class (German Empire)
First marriage and inherited wealth
Trapp married Agathe Gobertina Whitehead,[Georg & Agathe FOUNDATION Honoring the von Trapp and Whitehead Heritage](_blank)
/ref> the first daughter and third child of Countess Agathe Gobertina von Breunner-Enckevoirth (1856–1945), Austro-Hungarian nobility, and Cavaliere
The Italian honours system is a means to reward achievements or service to the Italian Republic, formerly the Kingdom of Italy including the Italian Social Republic.
Orders of chivalry
Italian Republic
There are five orders of knighthood ...
(Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
) John Whitehead (1854–1902), son of Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead (3 January 1823 – 14 November 1905) was an English engineer who was most famous for developing the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo.
Early life
He was born in Bolton, England, the son of James Whitehead, ...
(1823–1905) who invented the modern torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
and a partner at the family's Fiume
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
Whitehead Torpedo Factory (not, as frequently stated, a niece of the British Government minister St. John Brodrick). The British government rejected Whitehead's invention, but Austrian Emperor Franz Josef
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
invited him to open a torpedo factory in Fiume
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
. Trapp's first command was the U-boat ''U-6'' which was launched by Agathe.[
Agathe's inherited wealth sustained the couple and permitted them to start a family, and they had two sons and five daughters over the next ten years. Their first child was Rupert,][Social Security Death Index as "Rupert Vontrapp" 1 November 1911 – 22 February 1992; 05672 (Stowe, Lamoille, VT); 127-14-1082; Social Security issued in New York] born on 1 November 1911 at Pula
Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...
while the couple were living at Pina Budicina 11.[The Villa Trapp is at Pina Budicina 11 at ] Their other children were: Agathe, also born in Pula; Maria Franziska, Werner; Hedwig Hedwig may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Hedwig (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Grzegorz Hedwig (born 1988), Polish slalom canoeist
* Johann Hedwig, (1730–1799), German botanist
* Romanus Adol ...
, and Johanna
Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek /h/ cou ...
, all born at the family home the Erlhof in Zell am See
Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See District in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. Located in the Kitzbühel Alps, the town is an important tourist destination due to its Ski resort, ski resorts and shorel ...
;[The Erlhof is at ] and Martina, born at the Martinsschlössel at Klosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg (; frequently abbreviated as Kloburg by locals) is a town in Tulln District in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It has a population of about 27,500. The Klosterneuburg Monastery, which was established in 1114 and soon after give ...
, for which she was named.[The Martinsschlössel is at ]
On 3 September 1922, Agathe von Trapp died of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...
contracted from her daughter Agathe.[ Trapp then acquired Villa Trapp in Aigen, a suburb of Salzburg, and moved his family there in 1924.][The family villa in Aigen is at ] During this period, he delivered several lectures and conducted interviews on his naval career.
Second marriage
About 1926, Maria Franziska was recovering from an illness and was unable to go to school, so Trapp hired Maria Augusta Kutschera, a novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession
A profession is a field of work that has ...
from the nearby Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey (german: Stift Nonnberg) is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria. Founded by Saint Rupert of Salzburg, it is the oldest continuously existing nunnery in the German-speaking world. The monastery complex is today a protected m ...
as a tutor. They were married on 26 November 1927 when he was 47 and she was 22.[ Petition for Naturalization, Retrieved 5 January 2009] They had three children: Rosmarie, born on 8 February 1929,[ Eleonore (called Lorli), born 14 May 1931, and ]Johannes
Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, ''Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Yeh ...
, born 17 January 1939 in Pennsylvania.
Turning to music
In 1935, Trapp's money, inherited from his English first wife, was invested in a bank in England. Austria was under economic pressure from a hostile Germany, and Austrian banks were in a precarious position. Trapp sought to help a friend in the banking business, Auguste Caroline Lammer (1885–1937), so he withdrew most of his money from London and deposited it in an Austrian bank. The bank failed, wiping out most of the family's substantial fortune.[
At about that time, a Catholic priest, ]Franz Wasner
Franz Mathias Wasner (December 28, 1905 – June 21, 1992) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, the director and conductor of the Trapp Family Singers, and a missionary. In the quasi-fictionalized stage and screen musical ''The Sound of Music'' ...
, instructed the children in music. Around 1936, Lotte Lehmann
Charlotte "Lotte" Lehmann (February 27, 1888 – August 26, 1976) was a German soprano who was especially associated with German repertory. She gave memorable performances in the operas of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Ludwig van Beethoven, ...
heard the family sing, and she suggested they perform paid concerts. When the Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg
Kurt Alois Josef Johann von Schuschnigg (; 14 December 1897 – 18 November 1977) was an Austrian Fatherland Front politician who was the Chancellor of the Federal State of Austria from the 1934 assassination of his predecessor Engelbert Dollfu ...
heard them on the radio, he invited them to perform in Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. Father Wasner became the group's musical director.
Departure from Austria
According to Maria von Trapp's memoirs, Georg von Trapp found himself in a vexing situation after the German takeover of Austria in 1938. He was offered a commission in the German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
, a tempting proposition, but decided to decline the offer, being opposed to Nazi ideology. He also refused a request for the family to perform at an event for Hitler's birthday.[ The family decided to leave Austria.
On leaving Austria, the Trapps traveled by train to Italy (not over the mountains by foot to ]Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
as is depicted in ''The Sound of Music''). The family had a contract with an American booking agent when they left Austria. Once in Italy, they contacted the agent and requested fare to America,[.] first traveling to London, before sailing to the United States for their first concert tour.
In 1939 the family returned to Europe to tour Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, hoping to continue their concerts in cities beyond the reach of the Third Reich. During this time, they went back to Salzburg for a few months before returning to Sweden to finish the tour. From there, they traveled to Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
to begin the trip back to the United States in September 1939, just after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
broke out.[
After living for a short time in ]Merion, Pennsylvania
Merion Station, also known as Merion, is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It borders Philadelphia to its west and is one of the communities that make up the Philadelphia Main Line. Merion Station is part of Lower Me ...
, where their youngest child, Johannes, was born, the family settled in Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,223 at the 2020 census. The town lies on Vermont Routes 108 and 100. It is nicknamed "The Ski Capital of the East" and is home to Stowe Mountain Resort, a ski faci ...
, in 1941. They purchased a farm in 1942 and converted it into the Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Lodge is a resort located in Stowe, Vermont. It is managed by Sam von Trapp, son of Johannes von Trapp of the Austrian musical family, the Trapps. It was formerly known as Cor Unum (Latin for ''One Heart'').
History
The Trapp ...
. In January 1947, Major General Harry J. Collins
Major general (United States), Major General Harry John Collins (December 7, 1895 – March 8, 1963) was a decorated senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who commanded the 42nd Infantry Division (United States), 42nd "Rainbow ...
turned to the Trapp family in the US pleading for help for the Austrian people, having seen first-hand the suffering of the residents of Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
when he had arrived there with the 42nd Infantry Division after World War II. The Trapp Family founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief, Inc.; the priest Franz Wasner
Franz Mathias Wasner (December 28, 1905 – June 21, 1992) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, the director and conductor of the Trapp Family Singers, and a missionary. In the quasi-fictionalized stage and screen musical ''The Sound of Music'' ...
, their pre-war friend, became its treasurer.
Death
Trapp died of lung cancer on 30 May 1947 in Stowe, Vermont. In ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'' is a 1949 memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was later fictionalized in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical ''The Sound of Music'' in 1959.
Background
Maria never intended to ...
'' (1949), Maria von Trapp pointed out that there was a high incidence of lung cancer among World War I U-Boat crews, due to the diesel and gasoline fumes and poor ventilation, and that his death could be considered service-related. She also acknowledged in her book that, like most men of the period, he was a heavy smoker.
Children
Portrayals
Trapp has been portrayed in various adaptations of his family's life such as ''The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
,'' both the 1965 film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and the Broadway musical, as well as two German films, ''The Trapp Family
''The Trapp Family'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie, links=no) is a 1956 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical family of that name directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Maria Holst. Ba ...
'' (1956) and ''The Trapp Family in America
''The Trapp Family in America'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika) is a 1958 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical Trapp Family directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Josef Me ...
'' (1958). However, these adaptations often altered the portrayal of the Captain. In real life and in the memoir ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'', written by his second wife Maria Augusta Trapp, the Captain has been described as being a warm and loving father who was always around. However, the Captain was portrayed in a more negative light in many adaptations. For instance, in the 1965 film, Georg von Trapp was portrayed as a disciplinary man who always went away and did not care for his children or their feelings at the beginning of the film. BBC Radio presented a different account of the family in October, 2009, in a play by Annie Caulfield called ''The Von Trapps and Me'', focused on Princess Yvonne, "the woman Captain Von Trapp jilted in order to marry Maria."
Notes
References
Map locations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trapp, Georg Johannes Ludwig von
1880 births
1947 deaths
Austrian emigrants to the United States
Austrian knights
Austrian nobility
Austrian male musicians
Austrian Roman Catholics
Austrian anti-fascists
Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I
Austro-Hungarian Navy officers
Deaths from cancer in Vermont
Deaths from lung cancer
Musical theatre characters
Emigrants from Austria after the Anschluss
People from Zadar
Georg
Georg may refer to:
* Georg (film), ''Georg'' (film), 1997
*Georg (musical), Estonian musical
* Georg (given name)
* Georg (surname)
* , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker
See also
* George (disambiguation)
{{disambiguation ...
Knights Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
20th-century male musicians