An Evening with Kristina von Trapp, granddaughter of the real Maria von Trapp and the Captain

The Hudson Library welcomed Kirstina von Trapp, granddaughter of the real Maria von Trapp and the Captain. Kristina discussed her family’s history as the real-life inspiration for the “Sound of Music” and the founding of the Trapp Family Lodge, which she co-owns.

“The Sound of Music” is based on Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Even though it is loved by many, the von Trapps insist that the “Sound of Music” is not a documentary of their life. Many of the details were dramatized for the motion picture and there are some key differences, especially in the way their father was represented and the way they escaped Austria. In the early 1940s, the von Trapp family toured the United States as the Trapp Family Singers before eventually settling in Stowe, Vermont, on a farm with sweeping mountain vistas reminiscent of their beloved Austria. The family began welcoming guests to their property in the 1950s and have operated the Trapp Family Lodge ever since. Maria and Georg's grandchildren, Kristina and Sam, are co-owners and operators of the family business, along with Kristina’s husband, Walter Frame.