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Tributes are paid to Maria von Trapp

Tributes are paid to Maria von Trapp

TRIBUTES have been paid to Maria von Trapp who was a member of the famous Austrian family whose story inspired the film The Sound of Music. She passed away at the age of 99.

Maria was the third child of Baron Georg von Trapp who was a decorated naval officer. After the death of Maria’s mother, the Baron employed Maria Augusta Kutschera — who had been training to be a nun — as a governess to his seven children. The family had been very musical and became well known in Austria for their choral concerts.

After being offered a commission in the German navy in 1938, Baron von Trapp, who was against the Nazis, decided take his family to the United States. While the movie version would have the von Trapps making their escape by night with Nazi troops hot on their heels, the reality was they had travelled  by train to Italy in broad daylight before sailing to the U.S.

The family continued to sing together in America with Maria and her siblings joining their father and stepmother (the former governess) to form The Trapp Family Singers. They toured together for years.

Maria played the accordion and when the family opened a ski lodge in Vermont she would perform regularly for guests as well as teaching Austrian dancing.

With her stepmother also known as Maria von Trapp, the confusion over the names was resolved by the film-makers by renaming the young Maria as Louisa — she was played in the film by Heather Menzies-Urich.

Maria, who had been the last surviving member of The Trapp Family Singers, passed away at her home in Vermont. She is survived by three half siblings Rosemarie, Eleonore  and Johannes.

To view an excerpt from a documentary about the von Trapp family, click here.

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To view an excerpt from a documentary about the von Trapp family, click here.