Agathe von Trapp
Encyclopedia
Agathe Johanna Erwina Gobertina von Trapp (12 March 1913 – 28 December 2010) was the eldest daughter of Georg von Trapp and Agathe Whitehead. She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and film The Sound of Music
. In the film, she was portrayed as the character "Liesl".
and after, near Zell am See
, Austria
. After the war, Agathe moved with her family to a house called the Martinschlossl, in Klosterneuburg
, a half hour train ride from Vienna, near the Danube. She and her family finally settled near Salzburg
, in the town of Aigen
in 1925. Agathe was tutored by a governess at home until age 11, when she started attending a local school. Agathe was surrounded by music at an early age, and her father began teaching her guitar
when she was in her early teens. Agathe’s mother died of scarlet fever
in 1922, when Agathe was 10 years old. Her father remarried five years later to Maria Augusta Kutschera in November 1927.
, Agathe tutored briefly, and then pursued her loves of painting, languages, and sewing. In the evenings Agathe sang with her family. Agathe sang first soprano
with her sister Johanna von Trapp
. While they did this just for enjoyment at first, their hobby turned into a career for the von Trapps after much of their money was lost in the global depression that followed the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Those who had heard them sing encouraged them to do more concerts. After winning a competition for folksingers at the 1936 Salzburg Festival
, the von Trapps were asked to sing a half hour radio program, which resulted in singing before Austria’s chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg. In 1937, after singing in Vienna twice, and singing at the 1937 Salzburg Festival, Agathe toured Europe going to France
, Belgium
, Holland, Denmark
, Sweden
, England
, and Norway
with her family calling themselves the Salzburg Chamber Choir Trapp, or Chamber Choir Trapp. Early in 1938 the family toured Italy
.
On the eve of Agathe’s 25th birthday, March 11, 1938, Austria was invaded by Germany
. Her family had never liked Hitler, his ideas, ideals, and the way the Nazi party worked. They were also devoted to Austria. Agathe sewed black aprons for her family, and the whole family wore the clothes of morning for Austria. While they stayed a little while longer, they did not care for what the new government was doing. Agathe’s father decided not to accept the offer of a place in the German Navy
. The whole family refused the request to sing at the birthday party of Adolf Hitler
, and Agathe's older brother, Rupert von Trapp
, a doctor, declined the offer to work in Nazi hospitals.
Their house also flew no Nazi flags from the windows, except in windows of rooms that were leased to boarders. There was no danger in these refusals, as border rearrangements that had been made after World War I made Agathe and her family Italian citizens and
Germans
could not arrest Italians at that time. The von Trapps decided to sign a singing contract with Charles Wagner in the United States
, leave Austria for Italy, and from there head to the United States through London England. The family merely rented out their house and walked to the train station behind their property. Agathe arrived in the U.S.A. in October 1938.
After touring the United States singing as the von Trapp family Choir, Agathe returned to Europe
when her and her family’s visas were expired. They did a Scandinavian tour there and received standing ovations and glowing reports. Agathe returned to the United States in October 1939,
and received the unwanted publicity of being detained on Ellis Island
with her family for a few days. Concert tours resumed after this incident. In 1940 the von Trapps signed on with Columbia Concerts, Inc., with Freddy Schang as their manager. At his request, the family changed their stage name to The Trapp Family Singers. In 1942 Agathe settled down with her family on a farm in Vermont
, and continued to perform throughout the country. Agathe applied for citizenship
in 1944 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1948.
Agathe made two long tours of the United States each year, singing in every state but Alaska
. She also toured Canada
, South America
, Australia
, Austria
, New Zealand
, the Fiji Islands, Hawaii
, and Europe. On one European tour, The Trapp Family Singers sang before Pope Pius XII
in a general audience in the Vatican
. Unlike some of her siblings, Agathe sang with the von Trapp Family Singers until they sang their last concert on 26 January 1956. Agathe was 43 years old.
.
In 1958 they moved to Maryland
and started another kindergarten there, at the Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, MD. Agathe and Mary Louise Kane worked together for 37 years. In 1993 they both retired. However, Agathe continued to be busy in retirement. She still painted, and one of her paintings is displayed at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Throughout her life she made many water color paintings and crayon etchings, most of which she sold. Her artwork illustrates a cookbook of family recipes and “The Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs” written by Father Franz Wasner. She decorated wooden bowls and was also good at carpentry
, making some of her own furniture for her house. Agathe also wrote Agathe von Trapp: Memories Before and After The Sound of Music, which chronicles the true story behind the film and includes dozens of her hand-drawn maps, portraits, and other illustrations. It also recounts her personal memories of her parents and their lives. She started writing the book in the 1980s by traveling to Europe to research family history, sketch maps, and collect photographs. She self-published the book with Publish America, LLLP in 2004 at the age of 91. The book was republished in 2010 by Harper Paperback. Agathe still played guitar and also piano
in her retirement. She sang around the house until she was about 94 years old. She died on 28 December 2010 at the age of 97 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson, Maryland
after suffering congestive heart failure in November.
Of the Trapp Family Singers siblings featured in The Sound of Music, only Maria Franziska
(born 1914) survives. Rosemarie von Trapp (born 1929), Eleonore von Trapp (born 1931), and Johannes von Trapp
(born 1939) are also alive, but they are half-siblings and were not depicted in the Sound of Music.
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
. In the film, she was portrayed as the character "Liesl".
Childhood
Agathe was born on 12 March 1913 in Pola, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Pula, Croatia. She was the eldest daughter and the second of ten children born to Georg von Trapp. The first seven of these were born to his first wife, Agathe Whitehead, while the youngest three were born to Georg's second wife, Maria Augusta Kutschera. Agathe von Trapp spent her early years, throughout World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and after, near Zell am See
Zell am See
Zell am See is the capital city of the Zell am See district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The city has about 10,000 inhabitants.Zell am See is a tourist destination and a transportation hub for the region...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. After the war, Agathe moved with her family to a house called the Martinschlossl, in Klosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg is an attractive small town in Lower Austria, Austria with a population of 24,442.It is located on the Danube, immediately north of Vienna, from which it is separated by the Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg hills...
, a half hour train ride from Vienna, near the Danube. She and her family finally settled near Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, in the town of Aigen
Aigen
Aigen is a district in the city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria and is known as one of the most expensive residential areas of the provincial capital.It is one of the 24 districts in which Salzburg is organized...
in 1925. Agathe was tutored by a governess at home until age 11, when she started attending a local school. Agathe was surrounded by music at an early age, and her father began teaching her guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
when she was in her early teens. Agathe’s mother died of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
in 1922, when Agathe was 10 years old. Her father remarried five years later to Maria Augusta Kutschera in November 1927.
Middle History and Singing Career
After graduating from High SchoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Agathe tutored briefly, and then pursued her loves of painting, languages, and sewing. In the evenings Agathe sang with her family. Agathe sang first soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
with her sister Johanna von Trapp
Johanna von Trapp
Johanna Karolina von Trapp was the sixth child of Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his first wife Agathe Whitehead . She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and film The Sound of Music. She was portrayed as the character "Marta".-Early life:Johanna was...
. While they did this just for enjoyment at first, their hobby turned into a career for the von Trapps after much of their money was lost in the global depression that followed the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Those who had heard them sing encouraged them to do more concerts. After winning a competition for folksingers at the 1936 Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, the von Trapps were asked to sing a half hour radio program, which resulted in singing before Austria’s chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg. In 1937, after singing in Vienna twice, and singing at the 1937 Salzburg Festival, Agathe toured Europe going to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Holland, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with her family calling themselves the Salzburg Chamber Choir Trapp, or Chamber Choir Trapp. Early in 1938 the family toured Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
On the eve of Agathe’s 25th birthday, March 11, 1938, Austria was invaded by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Her family had never liked Hitler, his ideas, ideals, and the way the Nazi party worked. They were also devoted to Austria. Agathe sewed black aprons for her family, and the whole family wore the clothes of morning for Austria. While they stayed a little while longer, they did not care for what the new government was doing. Agathe’s father decided not to accept the offer of a place in the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
. The whole family refused the request to sing at the birthday party of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, and Agathe's older brother, Rupert von Trapp
Rupert von Trapp
Rupert Georg von Trapp was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and film The Sound of Music. He was portrayed as the character "Friedrich".-Biography:...
, a doctor, declined the offer to work in Nazi hospitals.
Their house also flew no Nazi flags from the windows, except in windows of rooms that were leased to boarders. There was no danger in these refusals, as border rearrangements that had been made after World War I made Agathe and her family Italian citizens and
Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
could not arrest Italians at that time. The von Trapps decided to sign a singing contract with Charles Wagner in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, leave Austria for Italy, and from there head to the United States through London England. The family merely rented out their house and walked to the train station behind their property. Agathe arrived in the U.S.A. in October 1938.
After touring the United States singing as the von Trapp family Choir, Agathe returned to Europe
when her and her family’s visas were expired. They did a Scandinavian tour there and received standing ovations and glowing reports. Agathe returned to the United States in October 1939,
and received the unwanted publicity of being detained on Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
with her family for a few days. Concert tours resumed after this incident. In 1940 the von Trapps signed on with Columbia Concerts, Inc., with Freddy Schang as their manager. At his request, the family changed their stage name to The Trapp Family Singers. In 1942 Agathe settled down with her family on a farm in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and continued to perform throughout the country. Agathe applied for citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
in 1944 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1948.
Agathe made two long tours of the United States each year, singing in every state but Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. She also toured Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Fiji Islands, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and Europe. On one European tour, The Trapp Family Singers sang before Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in a general audience in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
. Unlike some of her siblings, Agathe sang with the von Trapp Family Singers until they sang their last concert on 26 January 1956. Agathe was 43 years old.
Solo Career and Retirement
In 1956 Agathe left home to pursue a career with a friend, Mary Louise Kane, starting a Kindergarten in Stowe, VermontStowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
.
In 1958 they moved to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and started another kindergarten there, at the Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, MD. Agathe and Mary Louise Kane worked together for 37 years. In 1993 they both retired. However, Agathe continued to be busy in retirement. She still painted, and one of her paintings is displayed at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Throughout her life she made many water color paintings and crayon etchings, most of which she sold. Her artwork illustrates a cookbook of family recipes and “The Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs” written by Father Franz Wasner. She decorated wooden bowls and was also good at carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, making some of her own furniture for her house. Agathe also wrote Agathe von Trapp: Memories Before and After The Sound of Music, which chronicles the true story behind the film and includes dozens of her hand-drawn maps, portraits, and other illustrations. It also recounts her personal memories of her parents and their lives. She started writing the book in the 1980s by traveling to Europe to research family history, sketch maps, and collect photographs. She self-published the book with Publish America, LLLP in 2004 at the age of 91. The book was republished in 2010 by Harper Paperback. Agathe still played guitar and also piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
in her retirement. She sang around the house until she was about 94 years old. She died on 28 December 2010 at the age of 97 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
after suffering congestive heart failure in November.
Of the Trapp Family Singers siblings featured in The Sound of Music, only Maria Franziska
Maria F. von Trapp
Maria Agatha Franziska Gobertina von Trapp is the second-oldest daughter of Georg Ludwig von Trapp and Agatha Whitehead von Trapp. She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the musical play The Sound of Music...
(born 1914) survives. Rosemarie von Trapp (born 1929), Eleonore von Trapp (born 1931), and Johannes von Trapp
Johannes von Trapp
Johannes von Trapp is a former member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music...
(born 1939) are also alive, but they are half-siblings and were not depicted in the Sound of Music.
Recordings of the Trapp Family Singers
- One Voice (July 17, 2007)
- Original Trapp Family Singers (August 4, 2009)
- Christmas with the Trapp Family Singers (October 12, 2004)
- At Home with the Trapp Family Singers: An Evening of Folksongs (September 13, 2005)
- Christmas with the Trapp Family Singers LP Decca (1955)