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WWII and The Sound of Music: Why it Matters
“The hills are alive with the sound of music.”
The Sound of Music became one of my favorite movies from the moment I first saw Julie Andrews (as Maria) running through the alps in the iconic opening shot of the film. Her carefree run across the picturesque peaks mirrored my own constant desire to escape into the mountains every chance I could (a desire that has never lessened with age).
When I was younger, The Sound of Music was a movie with great music and even better scenery. To be honest, any connection to WWII was completely lost on me. I always interpreted it as an epic love story with a few Nazis thrown in for dramatic effect. As I’ve grown older and delved deeper into my passion for this period in history, I have realized just how wrong I was.
The love story was not between a Captain and his governess, it was between a family and the only home they had ever known. It was a story experienced by millions across the world as they too were forced to flee their homeland in hopes of finding safety. As an adult, watching Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp) sing the final notes of “Edelweiss” as he bids farewell to his homeland I now have a better understanding of why this film matters.
Films such as The Sound of Music play an important role in bringing the stories of WWII to an entirely new audience. Many people have no desire to watch a historical drama or war film, but are more than happy to watch a handful of charming children sing goodnight to a dinner party. While the film may have more singing than gunfire, the war is always looming large for both the family and the viewer. It is an ever-present menace that threatens the very lives of the characters we have grown to love. It is a small window into one family’s escape from persecution and a reminder that most families were not as lucky.
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The Real von Trapp Family
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”
Georg, Maria and the Children
Georg von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) was born in Austria-Hungary in 1880. He served as a successful submarine commander in WWI, sinking 11 Allied merchant ships. His first wife, Agathe Whitehead, died in 1922 from scarlet fever, leaving behind seven children (Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna and Martina).
Maria Augusta Kutschera (played by Julie Andrews) was born in 1905 in Austria-Hungary. She entered into the Nonnberg Abbey in 1924 with the intention of becoming a nun.
Following the death of his wife, Georg hired Maria as a tutor for one of his daughters. The couple fell in love and married in 1927. They remained married until Georg’s death in 1947. Together, Georg and Maria had three children (Rosmarie, Eleonore and Johannes), bringing the total number of kids to 10.
If you are looking for more WWII sites in Austria and Germany, check out my posts on Sites in Nuremberg and Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp.
The Trapp Family Singers
After falling on hard times during the Great Depression, the family turned to music to improve their fortunes. Music had always been a big part of the household, even prior to Maria’s arrival, but it wasn’t until 1935 that the family formed an official musical group.
The group originally went by the name the von Trapp Family before becoming the Trapp Family Singers following their immigration to the United States. The family found early success in Europe after winning a song competition in Salzburg in 1936. They eventually toured around the continent and became a very well-known act, even catching the attention of Adolf Hitler who requested the group perform at his birthday. The family’s denial of this request was one of the reasons they were forced to leave Austria (more on that below).
Fleeing the Nazis
Following the annexation of Austria by the Nazis in 1938, Georg made no secret of his dislike of the new regime. He repeatedly went against requests made by the Nazis, putting his family in a precarious position. The first time this happened was when he refused to fly a Nazi flag outside of his home during a celebration parade for the party. Next, he refused a naval command despite his past service and performance. Finally, the family denied a request to perform for Hitler’s birthday party. Following this third event, the family knew it was time to leave Austria. They had run out of opportunities to turn the Nazis down.
In the summer of 1938, the von Trapp family began their departure from Austria. Contrary to what is shown in the film, the family did not leave the country by crossing the Alps on foot. In fact, if the family really would have taken the path over the mountains as shown in the movie, they would have eventually ended up in Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s retreat in the Alps. Needless to say, this would not have been a wise path to take. In real life, the von Trapps boarded a train bound for Italy.
While the true story of the family’s escape may appear to be mundane, it was far from it. While under control of the Nazis, Austria had become increasingly difficult to get in or out of. Additionally, the von Trapp family was well-known and easily recognized. As a result, they could not simply leave the country without arousing suspicions. When it came time to leave, the family donned their traditional hiking attire (it was well-known that the family enjoyed taking hikes together) and headed to the train station. Despite strict border controls, the family was able to travel to Italy because of where Georg was born. Although he was born in Austria-Hungary, the city of his birth now lay within Italy, a fact that allowed the family to obtain visas to the country.
From Italy, the family traveled to London and then New York. In the early 1940s, the family settled in Stowe, Vermont, a location they chose due to its resemblance to their native Austria.
If you are interested in a more detailed travel planning tool, check out my travel guides. Each guide includes information about sites, lodging, transportation, sample itineraries and much more. Click here to get your travel guide.
The Sound of Music: Fact vs. Fiction
“High on a hill was a lonely goatherd.”
While I can say without hesitation that The Sound of Music is a fantastic film, it is clear that it took some dramatic liberty when retelling the story of the von Trapp family. I have pointed out a few of the most interesting cases of fact vs. fiction between the film and the true story.
- In real life, Maria and Georg were married in 1927. The family singing group was formed in 1935. Both of these events took place well before the Germans annexed Austria (the point at which the film begins).
- Maria was hired as a tutor for one of the von Trapp children, not as a governess for the entire family.
- Georg was not the hard, unloving father he was depicted to be in the film. In fact, this is the one part of the movie that the real von Trapp children have often spoken out against.
- The names and ages of the original von Trapp children were changed in the film, with Liesl replacing Rupert as the oldest child.
- The three youngest von Trapp children, those who were born to Maria and Georg, were omitted from the story completely. This is the case despite the fact that two of their children were born while the family still lived in Austria, and the third shortly after they left.
Visiting the Sound of Music Sites in Austria
“Bless my homeland forever.”
The von Trapp family is synonymous with the city of Salzburg, particularly for fans of The Sound of Music. Maria’s abbey, the von Trapp family home and the site where the Trapp Family Singers first performed can all be found within Salzburg. When it came time to create the movie, filmmakers chose to use the same city that served as the backdrop for the lives of the real von Trapp family as the backdrop for the film. Many key scenes were filmed in this picturesque Austrian town and several sites from the movie can be visited today.
I have provided a brief introduction to the top sites below. Please feel free to use this interactive map if you are planning to take a self-guided tour of these Sound of Music sites.
Mirabell Gardens -The children and Maria can be seen frolicking through these ornate gardens as they sing “Do-Re-Mi.”
Schloss Leopoldskron – This lakeside mansion was used for exterior shots of the von Trapp family home, including the scene in which the children fall into the lake. The property is now a hotel and makes for a perfect retreat for any Sound of Music fan.
Schloss Frohnburg and Gazebo – The mansion was used for exterior shots of the front of the von Trapp family home. In the courtyard rests the original gazebo from the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” While you cannot enter the gazebo, you can recreate an iconic Liesl and Rolf moment with your own partner as you dance around the outside of the structure.
Residenz Square – This square was shown in the film adorned with large Nazi flags. As filming took place less than two decades after the end of the war, many people in Salzburg remembered the time of occupation all too well. Understandably, the residents did not wish to see their town once again taken over by Nazi symbols. As a compromise, the filmmakers decided to use archival footage of the square taken from the time of the Nazis. Ultimately, the town agreed they would rather have prop flags displayed in town than have the actual footage from that dark period shown in the movie.
Residenz Fountain – This ornate fountain was built in the 17th century. Maria splashes her hand in the water of the fountain while singing “I Have Confidence in Me.”
Nonnberg Abbey – This is where the real Maria planned to become a nun. It was not used in the movie but remains a functioning abbey to this day.
Saint Michael’s Cathedral – The wedding between Georg and Maria took place in this cathedral in The Sound of Music. However, this was a moment of dramatic license for the film. In reality, the couple were married in Nonnberg Abbey.
The real von Trapp family home – Two separate Salzburg mansions were used for the exterior of the family home in the film, but the real von Trapp family home still exists in Salzburg. After the family fled the country, the estate was taken over by one of the most infamous Nazis of them all, Heinrich Himmler, who was most well-known as the main architect of the Holocaust.
Rock Riding School (Felsenreitschule) – This is where the von Trapp family performed their final farewell to Austria at the Salzburg Festival as Nazi guards stood waiting to take the captain away.
St. Peter’s Cemetery and Catacombs – This cemetery provided the inspiration for the scene at the end of The Sound of Music when the family is hiding from the Nazis. The scene was actually filmed on a soundstage, but the cemetery is well worth a visit.
Best Sound of Music Tour (Salzburg)
While Salzburg’s Sound of Music sites can be visited on a self-guided tour, I highly recommend considering a guided tour if time and budget permit. A professional tour guide will be able to provide more in-depth facts, fun anecdotes and great photo opportunities at all of the top sites.
There are several tours in Salzburg dedicated to The Sound of Music, but I would not recommend most of them. The vast majority of these tours take place on large buses. These buses will make a quick stop at a site, let their hoard of tourists off to snap a few photos and then whisk them off to the next destination. These tours feel rushed, overcrowded and impersonal.
In my opinion, there is only one Sound of Music tour to consider during your time in Salzburg, Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours. This company allows you to explore the city by bike while seeing all of the best sites from both the film and the real von Trapp family. As an added touch of whimsy, each bike bears the name of a character from the film. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable, but also incredibly fun! They will take you on a thrilling tour of the Sound of Music sites while also sharing tidbits about Salzburg’s long history (did you know Red Bull was named after a siege of Salzburg?)
If you are ready to book your bike tour, click here.
***Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours did not pay me to say any of this. I booked their tour on my own and genuinely loved every moment of it.
Check out more tour options in Salzburg.
Bonus Sound of Music Site: Von Trapp Family Lodge
“I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad.”
Following their arrival in the United States, the Trapp family (the von was dropped from their name in the U.S.) decided to settle down in the ski town of Stowe, Vermont. They loved the mountainous setting as it reminded them of their homeland. What started as a small family farm continued to expand until the family had constructed a 27-room alpine lodge to accommodate visitors. Unfortunately, the original structure burned to the ground in 1980 following a fire, but a larger lodge was rebuilt on the land.
Today, visitors can stay in one of the 96 guestrooms at the lodge. The resort also boasts 2,600 acres which is used for hiking, cross-country skiing and all sorts of outdoor recreation. The lodge is still owned by surviving members of the Trapp family. Many of the original members (including Maria and Georg) are buried in a private cemetery on the resort’s grounds.
A visit to the von Trapp Family Lodge is a must for any Sound of Music fan. The lodge offers historic tours of the property that may just include an appearance by a member of the family. The emphasis on tradition and family runs deep throughout the property and is best summed up by the resort’s motto, “Come for our story. Leave with your own.”
Book your stay at the Von Trapp Family Lodge here.
Final Thoughts: Where Hollywood Meets History
“So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.”
The Sound of Music is a dramatized version of a real family who escaped the real horrors of the Nazi regime. For better or worse, certain aspects of the true story were altered to better fit the narrative of the film. However, this does not lessen the importance of this film as it has helped bring the story of WWII to a new audience.
This was a real family. They uprooted their lives in order to find freedom in a distant land. They were the lucky ones. Many others didn’t have the means or prior knowledge to escape in time. Keep this in mind the next time you are belting out “How do you solve a problem like Maria.” Belt it you should, but never forget what the von Trapps and their story represents, a time when the world was cleaved apart and simply continuing to live was not a guarantee.
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