Maria Von Trapp

I remember going to the cinema to see The Sound of Music as an eight year old boy. Like many others, I was entranced by the many memorable songs such as 'My Favorite Things,' and 'Edelweiss'. I was thrilled by the breathtaking Austrian mountain scenery. I found out the other day in The End of an Era that ended long ago: Maria Von Trapp that the last of the Von Trapp Family Singers, the last of the children—the real ones—died in February. She was 99 years old. 

I also learnt that in reality, little Maria was part of a group of Christian singers known as the Trapp Family Singers. This Christian aspect is unfortunately not emphasized in the movie. The musical was never meant to be a documentary of the Von Trapp family.

 Maria Augusta Trapp, the governess in the movie who became Maria's stepmother, wrote a book about the singing group in 1949 called 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'. The book describes her marriage to the Captain, Georg Von Trapp, in these terms “I greeted it with a heart full of happiness and readiness to serve God where He needed me most—wholeheartedly and cheerfully.” She was evidently a devoted Christian mother.

If you want to find out the real story of the Trapp Family Singers and not the Hollywood version check out the Trapp Family website. You can even holiday at the Trapp Family Lodge!

The Real Von Trapp Family