The movie adaptation, The Sound of Music was released on 2nd March 1965 and many people came to know about Con Trapp Family and classic songs like Sixteen Going on Seventh, Do-Re-Mi, and Climb Ev’ry Mountain.
The Sound of Music was adapted from Maria von Trap’s book The Story of Trapp Family Singers, which was published in 1949.
There were many differences between the actual story and the movie and even the Broadway adaptations.
The Von Trapp family did not passed Alps to escape from the Nazis
During the climax of the show, the family was fleeing to Salzburg, Austria by hiking in the mountains in reality this would’ve led the family into Nazi Germany, the very place they were trying to escape from.
The real-life escape was straightforward, and it happened in daylight.
The family left their home and crossed the railway tracks which were behind their home to get to the train and go to Italy under the plot of a family vacation.
They managed to leave in time because the next day the borders of Austria were sealed.
Real-life Maria had a different profession
The second older daughter of Georg Von Trapp, Maria, got scarlet fever in 1927 and couldn’t go to school. George thought to get a tutor for his sick daughter.
Maria Augusta Kutschera came to Abbey two years prior as a newbie.
She was an ideal candidate, as she was trained at Vienna’s State Teachers College for Progressive Education. Her time with Trapp was a 10-month assignment before she continued to go to school.
George and Maria were married before fleeing Austria
Both of them married on 26th November 1927, more than 10 years before they fled. Maria claimed that she liked children, she liked their father but didn’t love him, but as time passed she learned to live with George von Trapp.
Changed names of children
There were 10 von Trapp kids and not 7. The names, sexes, and ages of all the kids were changed. In real life, the oldest kid was Rupert Von Trapp who was born in 1911 and was a physician by the time Von Trapped fled Austria in 1938.
The family did not like the portrayal
The captain had a more humble father persona than he was made out to be. He carried a whistle that had a unique sound for each of his kids.
He also dressed his kids in sailor suits but did not make them stand at attention or march all the time. Out of both the parents, Maria had cool behavior. She was a loving and caring person, but in real life, Maria was prone to get angry.
The real story
In 1935 father Wasner entered their lives and gave a sophisticated hobby-music. The purity and rhythm in their voices led them to win a choral competition in 1935 during Salzburg Festival. In the depression, the family lost all their money, but now they were invited across Europe to perform.
In 1938, Hitler came to Austria and the family decided to save their spiritual wealth and left their large villa in Salzburg for the US. They hiked the mountains, took the train to cross the border, and finally took a boat to get to America.
In 1938, they reached America, they had nine kids and the tenth was on the way and was accompanied by father Wasner. The hobby was turned into a full-blown profession, and they were known as The Trapp Family Singers.
For the next eight months, the family traveled. After this period, the visa expired, and they had no choice but to leave the country. Because of their music, they managed to secure a visa for Scandinavian countries.
Later in 1939, World War 2 broke and their manager sent them tickets for the next thing, so they could complete their contracts.
After the end of World War 2, the family began a charity organization called as Trapp Family Austrian Relief Inc. Von Trapps sent countless packages of clothing and food to needy people in Austria.
