Maria's story

The story of the real Maria von Trapp

The life of Maria von Trapp is a fascinating story of triumph in the face of adversity. Maria Augusta Kutschera was born on January 26th, 1905,

aboard a train travelling to Vienna. Maria grew up a very lonely child, her mother Augusta dying of pneumonia when Maria was aged two. Her father then left her with her strict, elderly uncle and his family, so that he could travel across Europe. There were no other children living in the house, so

her childhood was rather isolated.

Maria's life of religion and seclusion was a far cry from her tomboy days of climbing mountains and getting into all sorts of mischief. Maria thrived on

being outdoors and being active.Therefore, the effects of her less active lifestyle at the abbey meant her health began to suffer: she was beginning

to have regular headaches, which the doctor diagnosed as being due to a

lack of fresh air and exercise. The Mother Abbess concluded to send Maria

to the Trapp villa in Aigen, Salzburg, in 1926, to a position as governess.

Maria, unlike her onscreen depiction as being deeply religious, was not

so in real life, as she was raised to be an athiest and socialist. However,

her indifference to religions was dramatically altered one day, when she

entered a busy church, believing that it was a Bach concert. Instead,

the crowds had formed to listen to Father Kronseder, a visiting Jesuit

priest, whose preaching and wise words captivated Maria. She began to believe in a religion she had once cynically disregarded. Maria said: "I had heard from my uncle that all of the Bible stories were inventions and old legends, and that there wasn't a word of truth in them. But the way this

man talked just swept me off my feet. I was completely overwhelmed by

it". Maria met with the priest a few days later, deciding to tell him what

was wrong with his beliefs, but his confidence in his beliefs greatly

impressed her. Maria's religious beliefs became stronger, and after she had graduated from college with a degree in education, she became a postulant

in Salzburg, at Nonnberg Abbey, in 1924.

Captain Georg von Trapp married Agathe Whitehead after they fell in

"love at first sight", at their first meeting at a ball in 1910. Both the

Captain and Agathe came from privileged family backgrounds, Agathe's

father having invented the modern torpedo, and the Captain achieving

his own prominence through his career in the Navy. Together, the loving couple had seven children. However, the happiness was soured when the Austro-Hungarian Empire disbanded after the First World War. This meant

that Austria no longer had an ocean, and in turn needed no Navy, so the Captain had lost his profession. This devastated the Captain, a man who thrived on his naval career. Further tragedy came in 1922, when Agathe

died. Heartbroken, the Captain enlisted a long line of governesses to care

for his children. He would hire a governess for the older children, one for

the younger children, and one to run the household. However, none would stay in their position very long, as the children wanted one governess to

care for them, not several.

Maria, however, did not come to the von Trapp home to care for all

seven children. Instead, she was sent to care for one of the Captain's youngest daughters, who was also called Maria. The child was bedridden

with rheumatic fever. Despite the Mother Abbess promising Maria that

she would return to the abbey after nine months in the job of governess, Maria never did return. Instead, she fell in love with Captain von Trapp,

and they were married on November 26th, 1927. They had three children together. Prior to Maria's arrival at the von Trapp home, the children

already had an appreciation of music. They loved to sing, and their father would often accompany their songs on the guitar, violin, and mandolin.

Maria encouraged their passion for music, and with the help of local priest Father Wasner (who was the inspiration for Max Detweiller in the movie),

she made their voices smoother and more sophisticated. When the Captain suddenly lost his fortune (due to the closure of the Austrian National Bank), the family hit hard times. It was then that the children, now self-reliant,

took to the stage and sung, for which they were paid.