Experience the Trapp Family Lodge Charm

Maria von Trapp The Real Maria

Born on a train en route to Vienna on January 26, 1905, Maria Augusta Kutschera’s anxious entrance into the world set in motion a life full of remarkable and challenging events that would be immortalized on stage and screen. Maria’s mother died when she was only two years old and her father left her with an elderly cousin, where she experienced a lonely and strict upbringing.

Surprisingly, Maria grew up as a socialist and atheist who was cynical of all religions, until a chance meeting with a Jesuit priest at her college changed her beliefs and the course of her life. Maria dedicated her life to the convent, but was taken away from the outdoor activities she loved so much. As a result of her lack of fresh air and exercise, her doctor became concerned for her health and the decision was made to send her to the home of retired naval captain, George von Trapp. Her position was not governess to all the children, as the movie portrayed, but specifically to the captain's daughter who was bedridden with rheumatic fever.

The rest is truly history. Maria never returned to the convent and married the Captain on November 26, 1927. This is the story that has been made immortalized by The Sound of Music. Maria von Trapp passed away on March 28, 1987, and is interred in the family cemetery at Trapp Family Lodge.

Captain von Trapp Memories of Our Father

The South Seas — I remember Father's dream of taking the entire family to the Marquesas Islands, in the South Seas, where he had visited as a young Naval Cadet. That dream never materialized. Instead we went to America.

The Whistle — As a U-boat commander, he needed a Bosun's Whistle to give commands, especially in the howling winds and roaring sea where a voice could be drowned out. In Salzburg, we had a large house and large gardens, so he used that whistle to call us instead of his voice, which we might not have heard. Each one of us had a special call, and one call for when he wanted all of us. When we heard this, we stormed to him, but we never had to march or stand at attention.

A Few of Our Favorite Things — In our garden, Father built a big, open hut with three walls and a roof. It was large enough to hang hammocks inside and we each got our own. Then he demonstrated how to sleep in them without falling out. He also bought folding, rubber canoes with canvas sails and showed us how to use them. On our little outings, Father taught us how to make fires without matches and how to roast potatoes and apples in the hot cinders. When we lost our money, because the bank failed during the Depression, he started a chicken farm. We learned how to take care of the chicks and how to sift out the ones that did not lay eggs. Agathe's book, Memories Before and After The Sound of Music, contains other wonderful stories about Father.

The von Trapp Children Spanning from 1911 to today

The von Trapp children, made famous by the musical "The Sound of Music," were part of the von Trapp Family Singers, whose real-life story inspired the film and play. However, it's important to note that "The Sound of Music" took artistic liberties with the number and names of the children. In reality, Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead, had seven children, and he had three more with his second wife, Maria Augusta Kutschera. Here are brief bios for each:

Rupert (1911-1992): The eldest child, Rupert von Trapp, was a medical doctor who served as an orderly in the 10th Mountain Division of United States Army during World War II. He was a medical doctor in Austria but then attended medical school at the University of Vermont after the war to obtain his U.S. MD License. He married Henriette Lejoie and raised 6 children in Adamsville, Rhode Island. He was portrayed as Fredrich in "The Sound of Music".

Agathe (1913-2010): Agathe von Trapp was known for her artistic talents; she wrote "Memories: Before and After the Sound of Music" which was also made into a full-length German film, The von Trapp Family: A Life of Music. She was a school music teacher and lived in Glyndon, Maryland, until her death in 2010. She was portrayed as Leisl in "The Sound of Music". 

Maria Franziska (1914-2014): Maria Franziska was the last surviving member of the original von Trapp children and worked to maintain the accuracy of her family's history. She worked for over 30 years in Papua, New Guinea, as a missionary, and adopted a young boy by the name of Kikuli Mwanukuzi. She was known as Mitzi to the family members but known as Louisa in "The Sound of Music". 

Werner (1915-2007): Werner von Trapp was portrayed as Kurt in "The Sound of Music". He was in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy during WWII. After returning to Vermont, he married Erika Klambauer and had 6 children, raising them on a farm in Waitsfield, Vermont. His family continues to farm and produce von Trapp Farmstead Cheese.

Hedwig (1917-1972): Hedwig von Trapp had chronic asthma throughout her life. After the family stopped touring, she worked and lived in Oahu, Hawaii, teaching music at St Anthony's School. She later moved to Zell am See, Austria, to teach music where she passed away at the early age of 55. She was portrayed as Brigitta in "The Sound of Music". 

Johanna (1919-1994): Johanna was an artistic soul whose works may be seen at the Trapp Family Lodge. She was married to Ernst Winter, and moved back to Austria where she raised her 7 children.  She is portrayed as Marta in "The Sound of Music".

Martina (1921-1951): Martina was portrayed as Gretel in "The Sound of Music" and was the 7th child of the captain and his first wife Agathe. She married Jean Dupiere in 1949. While the family was on tour in 1951, she stayed behind to give birth to her first child, a daughter, Nortburga, who was still born. Martina sadly passed shortly thereafter from complications. 

The three children born to Georg and Maria von Trapp, not depicted in "The Sound of Music", are:

Rosmarie (1929-2022): Rosmarie von Trapp was a missionary in Papua New Guinea. Once she returned to Stowe, she worked at the lodge and indulged as a naturalist. She enjoyed hours of hiking and crafting as well as musically entertaining guests.

Eleonore (1931-2021): Eleonore "Lorli" von Trapp added a new dimension to the family's performances, participating in their tours and musical events. She married Hugh Campbell in 1954 and raised her 7 daughters on an adjoining farm to that of Werner's in Waitsfield, Vermont. Her daughter Elizabeth Campbell translated the Captain's memoires "To The Last Salute" from German to English. 

Johannes (1939-): The sole surviving and youngest von Trapp, Johannes, was involved in the family's music but later focused on managing the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. After graduating high school, Johannes served as a missionary in Papua, New Guinea, and upon his return, attended Dartmouth College, finishing up at Yale with a Master's in Forestry. In 1963 he introduced the first herd of Scotch Highland Coos. In 1964 he enlisted in the VT National Guard. Johannes designed and introduced the first commercial cross-country ski center in the United States with Per Sorli in 1968. He took over the reins from Maria in 1969 and married Lynne Peterson. They have 2 children, Kristina and Sam, who help run the lodge today.

As Johannes was purchasing land to grow the business it was discovered that there were aquafers of spring water throughout the property. This gave Johannes an idea given his love of crisp Austrian lagers, to build a brewery in 2010. This was so successful, it lead to the building of our new, state of the art, 20,000 sq foot brewery on property, which opened in 2016. It is also home of our famous von Trapp Brewing Bierhall. 

The Sound of Music Movie

Before The Sound of Music, the von Trapp story was told by the Germans in two films, Die Trapp Familie (The Trapp Family) in 1956 and Die Trapp Familie in Amerika in 1958, both of which were written by Herbert Reinecker and directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner. In 1959, the play, The Sound of Music, opened on Broadway and because of its popularity, Hollywood made it into a film in 1965. The film starred Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Baron von Trapp. It received an Academy Award for “Best Picture of the Year.” The film is a worldwide favorite, and the family even received medals of honor from the Salzburg government in 1998 because of the increase in tourism caused by the movie.

Even though it is loved by many, the von Trapps insist that the film is not a documentary of their life. Rodgers and Hammerstein were inspired to write it after reading their mother's book, The Story of The Trapp Family. However, because the family sold the rights to their story to the German film company, they had no control over the content of The Sound of Music. As a result, there are some differences, especially in the way their father was represented and the way they escaped Austria.