Reference to the Goldener Adler

1958 Maria Augusta von Trapp was a guest at the hotel Goldener Adler

Life and facts

Maria Augusta von Trapp was an Austrian singer and writer who emigrated to the United States after Austria’s connection (“Anschluss”) to the “Third Reich” and applied for American citizenship in 1944.

She was born Maria Augusta Kutschera in humble circumstances in Vienna.

The family came from the Zillertal valley in Tyrol. Her mother died a few days after her birth, and she lost her father three years later. After that she grew up with her grandmother and with a guardian.

She became a teacher and worked as an educator at the convent school of Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg and wanted to enter the order as a postulant.

In 1925, the abbess sent her as a tutor to the convalescent Maria, daughter of the famous Austrian corvette captain Georg Ludwig von Trapp. On November 26, 1927, she became the second wife of the widower Trapp, to whom she bore daughters Rosemarie and Eleonore in 1929 and 1931.

The children from his first marriage addressed her as “Mother” to distinguish her from their biological Mamá (emphasis on the second syllable).

Since the family lost all its assets in 1935, she and her husband’s children (five daughters, two sons) formed a family choir.

Franz Wasner, the house chaplain of the Trapp family, took over the musical direction. Already in 1937, the choir won the first prize of the folk singing competition of the Salzburg Festival.

As a monarchist-minded officer, Georg Ludwig von Trapp expected the greatest difficulties as a result of the connection of Austria to the “Third Reich” in 1938.

After renting their property in Aigen to a religious order, the family emigrated to the USA in the same year, where Franz Wasner accompanied them.

There their son Johannes was born in 1939. The family settled in Stowe, Vermont, where they built a house called Cor Unum.

The family also made concert tours in the USA, performing mostly under the name Trapp Family Singers.

They organized a relief effort after the end of World War II under the name Trapp Family Austrian Relief Inc. and collected clothing and food for Austria.

After the death of Georg Ludwig von Trapp in 1947, Johanna left the family choir, and later Werner († 2007) left. Martina died early, Eleonore started her own family, and Rosemarie was no longer available for tours due to stage fright.

The choir went on several tours, including South America and Australia. In 1950 Maria Augusta von Trapp performed with her choir at the Salzburg Festival. In 1956 the choir, which had given about 2000 concerts all over the world, was disbanded.

The surviving “children” still live in America on the ranch.

Maria Augusta von Trapp wrote down her memoirs in 1952 under the title “From Convent to World Success”. The book was filmed in 1956 under the title The Trapp Family and in 1958 The Trapp Family in America with very great success.

In 1959, the story was brought to the stage – somewhat embellished – in the musical “The Sound of Music” and enjoyed astounding success in North America for many years.

At the age of 82, Maria Augusta von Trapp died in Morrisville on March 28, 1987. She left behind two daughters and a son.

Sources

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Augusta_von_Trapp

Websiten Stand 08.11.2021 16:42