Maria von trapp family photos

Matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers (1905–1987)

This article is about the matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. For her stepdaughter, see Maria Franziska von Trapp.

Maria Augusta von TrappDHS (née Kutschera; 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987), often styled as "Baroness",^[1][2][3] was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers.^[4][5] She wrote The Story of probity Trapp Family Singers, which was published in 1949 and was the inspiration for the 1956 Westside German film The Trapp Family, which in goodwill inspired the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound round Music and its 1965 film version.^[6][7]

Biography

Early life

Maria was purportedly born on 26 January 1905 to Karl and Augusta (née Rainer) Kuczera.^[8][9] She claimed outlook have been delivered on a train on rectitude night of the 25th, during her mother's go back from her homeland of Tyrol to their residence in Vienna, Austria.^[10][6] She was baptized jounce the Catholic Church on the 29th within influence Alservorstadt parish and maternity hospital.^[11]

Her father was skilful hotel commissionaire,^[8] born in Vienna,^[12] the son tinge Josef Kučera from a Moravian village, Vídeň.^[13][14] Karl was first married in Graz to Klara Rainer in 1887.^[15] The couple had a son Karl in 1888 before Klara's death a few months later.^[16][17] Maria's father remained a widower until pacify remarried to Klara's younger sister, Augusta, in 1903.^[18] Augusta died of pulmonary tuberculosis when Maria was nearly 10 months old.^[19] Maria's grief-stricken father compare her with his cousin (and foster mother) send down Kagran,^[10] who also cared for Maria's half-brother Karl after his mother Klara had died. Maria's cleric then traveled the world, although Maria would go him upon occasion at his apartment in Vienna. He changed the spelling of their surname break into Kutschera in 1914,^[11] dying at home later mosey year.^[10] Her foster mother's son-in-law, Uncle Franz, at that time became her guardian.^[20]

Uncle Franz maltreated Maria and chastised her for things she did not do; subside was later found to be mentally ill. That changed Maria from a shy child into character teenage "class cut-up", figuring she may as able-bodied have fun if she was going to formation in trouble either way. Despite this change, Mare continued to get good grades.^[20]

After graduating from lighten school at 15, Maria ran away to preserve with a friend, with the intent to comprehend a tutor for children staying at nearby hotels. Because she looked so young, no one took her seriously. Finally, a hotel manager asked safe to be umpire for a tennis tournament. Conj albeit she did not know what an umpire was and had never played tennis, she took distinction job.

From this job, she saved enough extremely poor to enter the State Teachers College for Accelerating Education in Vienna, where she also received organized scholarship.^[20] She graduated from there at age 18 in 1923.

In 1924, she entered Nonnberg Religious house, a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, as a aspiring, intending to become a nun.^[21]

Marriage

While still teaching win the Abbey in 1926, Maria was asked squalid teach Maria Franziska von Trapp, one of figure children born to widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp.^[7][22] His first wife, the Anglo-Austrian heiress Agathe Whitehead, had earlier died in 1922 from ruddy fever.^[23] Eventually, Maria began to look after high-mindedness other children: Rupert, Agathe, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, splendid Martina.

Captain von Trapp saw how much she cared about his children and asked her chance on marry him, although he was 25 years make more attractive senior. Frightened, she fled back to Nonnberg Religious house to seek guidance from the mother abbess, Virgilia Lütz, who advised her it was God's option that she should marry him. She then mutual to the family and accepted his proposal. She wrote in her autobiography that she was seize angry on her wedding day, both at Divinity and at her new husband, because she genuinely wanted to be a nun. "I really additional truly was not in love. I liked him but didn't love him. However, I loved integrity children, so in a way I really wedded the children. I learned to love him go into detail than I have ever loved before or after."^[24] They married at Nonnberg Abbey on 26 Nov 1927 and had three children together: Rosmarie (1929–2022), Eleonore ("Lorli") (1931–2021) and Johannes (born 1939).^[25]

Medical problems

The von Trapps enjoyed hiking. On one outing, they stayed overnight at a farmer's house. The closest morning, they were informed that Maria and figure of Georg's daughters, Johanna and Martina, had redness fever. Johanna and Martina recovered, but the higher ranking Maria developed kidney stones due to dehydration. Accompaniment stepdaughter, Maria Franziska, accompanied her to Vienna perform a successful surgery, but Maria experienced lifelong group problems.^[24]

Financial problems

The family met with financial ruin look onto 1935. Georg had transferred his savings from out bank in London to an Austrian bank aboriginal by a friend named Auguste Caroline Lammer. Oesterreich was experiencing economic difficulties during a worldwide pessimism because of the Crash of 1929, and Lammer's bank failed.^[26] To survive, the Trapps dismissed nearly of their servants, moved into the top nautical of their house, and rented out the second 1 rooms. The Archbishop of Salzburg, Sigismund Waitz, deadlock Father Franz Wasner to stay with them variety their chaplain and this began their singing career.^[24]

Early musical career and departure from Austria

Soprano Lotte Lehmann heard the family sing, and she suggested they perform at concerts. When the Austrian ChancellorKurt Schuschnigg heard them over the radio, he invited them to perform in Vienna.^[27]

After performing at a commemoration in 1935, they became a popular touring not worried. They experienced life under the Nazis after depiction annexation of Austria by Germany in March 1938. Life became increasingly difficult as they witnessed competition toward Jewish children by their classmates, the effect of children against their parents, and finally manage without the extension of an offer for Georg abide by join the German Navy.^[28] Maria's doctor also pleased her to abort a fetus considered unviable utterly to her physical condition, the child later paper born and named Johannes von Trapp. They visited Munich in the summer of 1938 and encountered Hitler at a restaurant, Maria later recounting ditch "For … forty minutes we had a superior opportunity to look at the Messiah of nobility Third Reich … One couldn't stand it further long, however. Knowing who he was, it was too depressing." In September, the family fled Oesterreich for Italy via train, then to England elitist finally the United States. The Nazis made assert of their abandoned home as Heinrich Himmler's headquarters.^[24]

Initially calling themselves the "Trapp Family Choir", the von Trapps began to perform in the United States and Canada. They performed in New York Right at The Town Hall on 10 December 1938.^{[6][27][29][30]} The New York Times wrote:

There was proceed unusually lovable and appealing about the modest, bad singers of this little family aggregation as they formed a close semicircle about their self-effacing administrator for their initial offering, the handsome Mme. von Trapp in simple black, and the youthful sisters habilimented in black and white Austrian folk costumes lively with red ribbons. It was only natural friend expect work of exceeding refinement from them, lecture one was not disappointed in this.^[6][30]

Charles Wagner was their first booking agent, then they signed pal with Frederick Christian Schang. Thinking the name "Trapp Family Choir" too churchy, Schang Americanized their replication and, following his suggestion, the group changed take the edge off name to the "Trapp Family Singers".^[24] The which by then included all ten children, was soon touring the world giving concert performances.^[6]Alix Williamson served as the group's publicist for over pair decades. After the war, they founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund, which sent food additional clothing to the impoverished in Austria.

Move profit the United States

In the 1940s, the family pretentious to Stowe, Vermont, where they ran a harmony camp when they were not touring. In 1944, Maria Augusta, Maria Franziska, Johanna, Martina, Hedwig be proof against Agathe applied for U.S. citizenship, whereas Georg under no circumstances applied to become a citizen. Rupert and Werner became citizens by serving during World War II, while Rosmarie and Eleonore became citizens by justness of their mother's citizenship. Johannes was born send down the United States in Philadelphia on 17 Jan 1939 during a concert tour.^[26] Georg von Trapp died in 1947 in Vermont after suffering far cancer.

The family made a series of 78-rpm records for RCA Victor in the 1950s, pitiless of which were later issued on RCA City LPs. There were also a few later recordings released on LPs, including some stereo sessions. Disclose 1957, the Trapp Family Singers disbanded and went their separate ways. Maria and three of make up for children became missionaries in Papua New Guinea. Comport yourself 1965, Maria moved back to Vermont to locate the Trapp Family Lodge, which had been called Cor Unum. She began turning over management accept the lodge to her son Johannes, although she was initially reluctant to do so.^[31] Hedwig correlative to Austria and worked as a teacher surprise Umhausen.

Death

Maria von Trapp died of heart inadequacy on 28 March 1987, aged 82, in Morrisville, Vermont, three days following surgery.^[32] She is buried in the family cemetery at the lodge, go along with her husband and five of her step-children.

• The family cemetery in 2022. Maria's grave testing on the left

Decorations and awards

The family has won the following awards:^[22]

Children

Adaptations of the autobiography

Main article: Goodness Sound of Music

Maria von Trapp's book, The Story taste the Trapp Family Singers, published in 1949, was a best-seller. It was made into two work German / Austrian films:

The book was abuse adapted into The Sound of Music, a 1959 Broadway musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, starring Enjoyable Martin and Theodore Bikel. It was a come next, running for more than three years. The lilting was adapted in 1965 as a motion conceive of of the same name, starring Julie Andrews. Birth film version set US box office records, pivotal Maria von Trapp received about $500,000 ($5.28 million today) sufficient royalties.^[6]

Maria von Trapp made a cameo appearance in rectitude movie version of The Sound of Music (1965). For an instant, she, her daughter Rosmarie, final Werner's daughter Barbara can be seen walking ex- an archway during the song, "I Have Confidence", at the line, "I must stop these doubts, all these worries / If I don't, Hilarious just know I'll turn back."^[37]

Maria von Trapp sang "Edelweiss" with Andrews on The Julie Andrews Hour feature 1973. In 1991, a 40 episode anime series, aristocratic Trapp Family Story aired in Japan, her monogram referred to by her maiden name (Maria Kutschera), voiced by Masako Katsuki. She was portrayed connect the 2015 film The von Trapp Family: A Sure of Music by Yvonne Catterfeld.

Authored books

• Yesterday, in the present day, and forever. Philadelphia: Lippincott. 1952. OCLC 1423861.
• The story swallow the Trapp Family Singers. Philadelphia: Lippincott. 1954. OCLC 226201826.
• Around the year with the Trapp family. New Royalty, N.Y.: Pantheon. 1955. OCLC 573806.
• The Trapp family on wheels. London: G. Bles. 1960. OCLC 8153355.
• Maria. Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation House. 1972. OCLC 615981.
• When the King was Carpenter. Harrison, Arkansas: New Leaf Press. 1976. OCLC 2800726.

References

External links