Georg von Trapp served as a captain in the Austrian navy, where he was a commander on submarines during World War I. His service was commendable and at the end of the war, he was given the title, "Ritter," which was similar to baron.
Georg married Agathe Whitehead in 1912 and they had seven children. When Agathe died of scarlet fever in 1922, the family moved from their home in Pola to Salzburg.
Maria Augusta Kutschera first came to know the von Trapp family when she was hired on as a tutor in 1926. She was orphaned as a child and raised as an atheist, but attended a Christian service as a young woman and decided to become a nun. Her health was not good, however, so when Georg von Trapp came to the Abbey to find a tutor for his children, it was decided that Maria would benefit from the fresh air.
Maria was immediately taken with the children and began teaching them to sing. She exercised outdoors with them and her own health began to improve. Georg, meantime, had fallen in love with Maria and asked her to marry him. Though she later stated in her autobiography that she was not in love with him, she was very attached to the children, so she agreed. Georg and Maria had three children together.
During the Great Depression, the von Trapp family lost most of its money and began to take in boarders. Maria encouraged the children to sing professionally. In 1936, they won first place at the Salzburg Music Festival and found success and fame. They began to book singing tours across Europe.
The von Trapp family was in great danger after Austria was annexed by the Nazis in 1938. Georg turned down a request to serve as a naval officer. He was invited to sing at a party for Hitler, but refused. Finally, after increased worry about the Nazi party and the danger for their family, Georg and Maria decided to leave the country.
The von Trapp family embarked on a world singing tour in 1938, first stopping in Italy, then going on to London and from there, New York. They did not return to Austria.
The family moved to Vermont. Maria and the children became U.S. citizens and they opened the Trapp Family Lodge in 1950. The family stopped singing publicly in 1955, but the lodge remains open to guests.
Georg died in 1947. The children, for the most part, found success. The oldest son, Rupert, became a doctor. His brother, Werner, was a farmer. Half-brother Johannes acted as manager at the lodge. The sisters married or became teachers. Agathe taught kindergarten, Maria worked as a missionary in New Guinea and Hedwig taught music. Johanna, Martina, Rosemary and Eleonore all married; Martina died in childbirth.
Maria von Trapp died in 1987 and was buried next to Georg and Martina in the family cemetery at the lodge.
The musical and movie, "The Sound of Music," was based on Maria's book, "The Trapp Family Singers," which was published in 1950.