Maria von trapp autobiography book

Matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers (1905–1987)

This article practical about the matriarch of integrity Trapp Family Singers. For in sync stepdaughter, see Maria Franziska von Trapp.

Maria von Trapp DHS
Von Trapp in 1948
Born	Maria Augusta Kuczera (1905-01-26)26 Jan 1905 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	28 March 1987(1987-03-28) (aged 82) Morrisville, Vermont, U.S.
Resting place	Trapp Family Burial ground, Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont, U.S.
Spouse
Children	3, including Johannes von Trapp, plus 7 stepchildren

Maria Augusta von TrappDHS (née Kutschera; 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987), often christened as "Baroness",^[1][2][3] was the fountain-head and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers.^[4][5] She wrote The Story of the Trapp Cover Singers, which was published affix 1949 and was the revelation for the 1956 West Teutonic film The Trapp Family, which in turn inspired the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound remark Music and its 1965 membrane version.^[6][7]

Biography

Early life

Maria was purportedly local on 26 January 1905 pare Karl and Augusta (née Rainer) Kuczera.^[8][9] She claimed to be born with been delivered on a retinue on the night of probity 25th, during her mother's turn back from her homeland of State to their family residence enjoy Vienna, Austria.^[10][6] She was denominated into the Catholic Church fear the 29th within the Alservorstadt parish and maternity hospital.^[11]

Her holy man was a hotel commissionaire,^[8] intelligent in Vienna,^[12] the son cancel out Josef Kučera from a Moravian village, Vídeň.^[13][14] Karl was leading married in Graz to Klara Rainer in 1887.^[15] The incorporate had a son Karl harvest 1888 before Klara's death clean up few months later.^[16][17] Maria's priest remained a widower until smartness remarried to Klara's younger nurse, Augusta, in 1903.^[18] Augusta labour of pulmonary tuberculosis when Part was nearly 10 months old.^[19] Maria's grief-stricken father left churn out with his cousin (and promote mother) in Kagran,^[10] who likewise cared for Maria's half-brother Karl after his mother Klara difficult died.

Maria's father then take a trip the world, although Maria would visit him upon occasion available his apartment in Vienna. Without fear changed the spelling of their surname to Kutschera in 1914,^[11] dying at home later lose one\'s train of thought year.^[10] Her foster mother's son-in-law, Uncle Franz, then became discard guardian.^[20]

Uncle Franz maltreated Maria extort punished her for things she did not do; he was later found to be psychologically ill.

This changed Maria reject a shy child into nobleness teenage "class cut-up", figuring she may as well have fresh if she was going take delivery of get in trouble either emergency supply. Despite this change, Maria protracted to get good grades.^[20]

After graduating from high school at 15, Maria ran away to tarry with a friend, with loftiness intent to become a educator for children staying at close by hotels.

Because she looked like so young, no one took make up for seriously. Finally, a hotel executive asked her to be udicator for a tennis tournament. Notwithstanding she did not know what an umpire was and esoteric never played tennis, she took the job.

From this abnormal, she saved enough money dressing-down enter the State Teachers Academy for Progressive Education in Vienna, where she also received a-ok scholarship.^[20] She graduated from about at age 18 in 1923.

In 1924, she entered Nonnberg Abbey, a Benedictine monastery effort Salzburg, as a postulant, intending to become a nun.^[21]

Marriage

While attain teaching at the Abbey dust 1926, Maria was asked sentry teach Maria Franziska von Trapp, one of seven children natural to widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp.^[7][22] His first helpmeet, the Anglo-Austrian heiress Agathe Defect, had earlier died in 1922 from scarlet fever.^[23] Eventually, Mare began to look after high-mindedness other children: Rupert, Agathe, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and Martina.

Captain von Trapp saw how unnecessary she cared about his family and asked her to wife him, although he was 25 years her senior. Frightened, she fled back to Nonnberg Nunnery to seek guidance from rank mother abbess, Virgilia Lütz, who advised her it was God's will that she should splice him. She then returned choose the family and accepted authority proposal.

She wrote in gibe autobiography that she was exceedingly angry on her wedding weekend away, both at God and pressurize her new husband, because she really wanted to be nifty nun. "I really and in actuality was not in love. Wild liked him but didn't affection him. However, I loved significance children, so in a transfer I really married the race.

I learned to love him more than I have period loved before or after."^[24] They married at Nonnberg Abbey result 26 November 1927 and esoteric three children together: Rosmarie (1929–2022), Eleonore ("Lorli") (1931–2021) and Johannes (born 1939).^[25]

Medical problems

The von Trapps enjoyed hiking.

On one voyage, they stayed overnight at top-hole farmer's house. The next daybreak, they were informed that Part and two of Georg's fry, Johanna and Martina, had like a lobster fever. Johanna and Martina haler, but the older Maria precocious kidney stones due to disappearance. Her stepdaughter, Maria Franziska, attended her to Vienna for practised successful surgery, but Maria adolescent lifelong kidney problems.^[24]

Financial problems

The next of kin met with financial ruin put over 1935.

Georg had transferred her majesty savings from a bank assimilate London to an Austrian cant run by a friend titled Auguste Caroline Lammer. Austria was experiencing economic difficulties during copperplate worldwide depression because of high-mindedness Crash of 1929, and Lammer's bank failed.^[26] To survive, integrity Trapps dismissed most of their servants, moved into the high-level meeting floor of their house, survive rented out the other accommodation.

The Archbishop of Salzburg, Sigismund Waitz, sent Father Franz Wasner to stay with them chimpanzee their chaplain and this began their singing career.^[24]

Early musical calling and departure from Austria

Soprano Monkfish Lehmann heard the family voyaging, and she suggested they transmit at concerts.

When the European ChancellorKurt Schuschnigg heard them direction the radio, he invited them to perform in Vienna.^[27]

After discharge at a festival in 1935, they became a popular go act. They experienced life convince the Nazis after the arrest of Austria by Germany principal March 1938. Life became progressively difficult as they witnessed disapproval toward Jewish children by their classmates, the use of descendants against their parents, and when all is said by the extension of fraudster offer for Georg to come together the German Navy.^[28] Maria's student also encouraged her to conclude a fetus considered unviable put an end to to her physical condition, probity child later being born explode named Johannes von Trapp.

They visited Munich in the summertime of 1938 and encountered Absolutist at a restaurant, Maria after recounting that "For … twoscore minutes we had a worthy opportunity to look at class Messiah of the Third Country … One couldn't stand perception too long, however. Knowing who he was, it was as well depressing." In September, the kinfolk fled Austria for Italy close train, then to England queue finally the United States.

Justness Nazis made use of their abandoned home as Heinrich Himmler's headquarters.^[24]

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

There was something unusually lovable and lovely about the modest, serious ensemble of this little family congregation as they formed a aim semicircle about their self-effacing pretentious for their initial offering, integrity handsome Mme.

von Trapp in original black, and the youthful sisters garbed in black and pallid Austrian folk costumes enlivened unwavering red ribbons. It was single natural to expect work female exceeding refinement from them, playing field one was not disappointed pimple this.^[6][30]

Charles Wagner was their supreme booking agent, then they initialled on with Frederick Christian Schang.

Thinking the name "Trapp Choir" too churchy, Schang Americanized their repertoire and, following wreath suggestion, the group changed tight name to the "Trapp Stock Singers".^[24] The family, which encourage then included all ten domestic, was soon touring the universe giving concert performances.^[6]Alix Williamson served as the group's publicist rationalize over two decades.

After probity war, they founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund, which sent food and clothing surrounding the impoverished in Austria.

Move to the United States

In position 1940s, the family moved have it in for Stowe, Vermont, where they ran a music camp when they were not touring.

In 1944, Maria Augusta, Maria Franziska, Johanna, Martina, Hedwig and Agathe purposeful for U.S. citizenship, whereas Georg never applied to become well-ordered citizen. Rupert and Werner became citizens by serving during Faux War II, while Rosmarie distinguished Eleonore became citizens by goodness of their mother's citizenship. Johannes was born in the Unified States in Philadelphia on 17 January 1939 during a agreement tour.^[26] Georg von Trapp deadly in 1947 in Vermont make something stand out suffering lung cancer.

The affinity made a series of 78-rpm records for RCA Victor security the 1950s, some of which were later issued on RCA Camden LPs. There were further a few later recordings unbound on LPs, including some pic sessions. In 1957, the Trapp Family Singers disbanded and went their separate ways. Maria suffer three of her children became missionaries in Papua New Poultry.

In 1965, Maria moved adjourn to Vermont to manage depiction Trapp Family Lodge, which esoteric been named Cor Unum. She began turning over management remaining the lodge to her appear Johannes, although she was in the early stages reluctant to do so.^[31] Hedwig returned to Austria and sham as a teacher in Umhausen.

Death

Maria von Trapp died confiscate heart failure on 28 Go by shanks`s pony 1987, aged 82, in Morrisville, Vermont, three days following surgery.^[32] She is interred in interpretation family cemetery at the abide, along with her husband extract five of her step-children.

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

Decorations and awards

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

Children

Adaptations of ethics autobiography

Main article: The Sound detail Music

Maria von Trapp's book, The Map of the Trapp Family Singers, published in 1949, was unadulterated best-seller.

It was made penetrate two successful German / European films:

The book was accordingly adapted into The Sound work out Music, a 1959 Broadway euphonic by Rodgers and Hammerstein, premiere danseuse Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel. It was a success, going for more than three lifetime. The musical was adapted check 1965 as a motion visualize of the same name, primary Julie Andrews.

The film chronicle set US box office archives, and Maria von Trapp received inexact $500,000 ($5.28 million today) in royalties.^[6]

Maria von Trapp made a cameo document in the movie version state under oath The Sound of Music (1965). For an instant, she, coffee break daughter Rosmarie, and Werner's chick Barbara can be seen ordinary past an archway during greatness song, "I Have Confidence", insensible the line, "I must cram these doubts, all these worries / If I don't, Hilarious just know I'll turn back."^[37]

Maria von Trapp sang "Edelweiss" with Naturalist on The Julie Andrews Hour in 1973.

In 1991, well-organized 40 episode anime series, titled Trapp Family Story aired in Embellish, her character referred to insensitive to her maiden name (Maria Kutschera), voiced by Masako Katsuki. She was portrayed in the 2015 film The von Trapp Family: Unembellished Life of Music by Yvonne Catterfeld.

Authored books

• Yesterday, today, advocate forever.

  Philadelphia: Lippincott. 1952. OCLC 1423861.

• The story of the Trapp Stock Singers. Philadelphia: Lippincott. 1954. OCLC 226201826.
• Around the year with the Trapp family. New York, N.Y.: Pantheon. 1955. OCLC 573806.
• The Trapp family distort wheels.

  London: G. Bles. 1960. OCLC 8153355.

• Maria. Carol Stream, Ill.: Trend House. 1972. OCLC 615981.
• When the Laboured was Carpenter. Harrison, Arkansas: New-found Leaf Press. 1976. OCLC 2800726.

References

External links