Talk:Werner von Trapp

Only Maria and Johannes are still (2007) alive

`The homepage oft the trapp family singers is not right. i talked with stefan herzl (manager oft the sound of music tours) in February of this year and he says, that only maria and johannes are still alive

Andrea (known as Andrea1984 from the German Version of the Wikipedia)

A call would violate Wikipedia:No original research, but even if it did not, apparentely calling them does confirm that they are all alive. Canadian Paul 16:57, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

I know, that Werner had died on the 11th October 2007. But I don't know the reason. For example heart attack.

Does somebody know anything ?

According to the article, he was just under 92 when he died. That might have something to do with his death! John Paul Parks (talk) 14:13, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Andrea (known as Andrea1984 from the German Version of the Wikipedia)- 14. October 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.121.87.21 (talk) 14:17, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

Reasons for Leaving Austria

According to the article, the von Trapp family "fled" Austria "fearing reprisals resulting from declining to sing at Hitler's birthday party and Georg von Trapp's refusal to accept a commission in the German Navy." In my view, this asssertion does not withstand close analysis.

As Maria's 1972 book, "Maria" makes clear, the family did not "flee." They merely boarded the train, at the train station near their home, and left for Italy. Further, they told several of their friends of their decision to leave. This is not the conduct of someone who is "fleeing" and who wishes to avoid "reprisals." Reviewing Maria's 1949 book, I find that, after arriving in New York in 1938, they sent photographs and other information back home to their friends in Austria. Included among the correspondence was a picture of the von Trapps standing in front of billboard advertising Ford automobiles and a letter advising them they lived on the 19th floor of the Hotel Wellington. This is not the conduct of someone who "escaped" from a country for fear of "reprisals."

Secondly, the alleged reasons are suspect. Captain von Trapp was born in 1880. Thus, in 1938, he was 58-years old. He had not been inside a submarine since 1918, the year that the First World War ended, and many improvements had been made in that time period. It seems highly unlikely that the Germans would have gone to any special trouble to secure his services, and they were not so desparate, in 1938, as to require the services of a 58-year old man who lost his fortune in a foolish business deal (his money was safely invested in London, but he withdrew it, and, to help a friend, deposited it into an Austrian bank that failed).

In Maria's 1949 book, she mentions that they were in Munich when he pulled the letter out of his pocket. If the letter was mailed to him, it was probably sent to his residence in Salzburg, so if it was in his pocket while he was in Munich, then he probably had it for days or weeks before responding to it.

Thirdly, Hitler's 50th birthday was celebrated in April, 1939, and it was a nationwide event. I have seen the newsreels about it. There were probably lots of local observances, and that may have been what the family was invited to. One singing group more or less was not going to be a national calamity. A group that refused probably was looked at strangely (why would they miss the chance for the free publicity?), but beyond that, there was probably no thought of "reprisal."

In the 1949 book, Rupert, a newly-minted M.D., is described as turning down an offer to work in a hospital, citing the questionable ethical practices of the German government. That too does not make sense. The "experiments" were conducted at concentration camps, not respectable hospitals. Further, if such experiments were being performed, Rupert, as a medical student, would have known about them, and he would have been participating in them, or else he would not have received his degree. So, again, Maria is telling us a story that does not stand up to logical analysis.

I think the family's decision to leave Austria, and eventually travel to the United States, was motivated by a desire for economic improvement and had nothing to do with political matters. Further, as an article published in the July 18, 1949, issue of TIME magazine clearly states, the family left Austria just before the time of Hitler's invasion. See http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794845,00.html#ixzz0uzMskNvx In keeping with the standards of scholarship and verification associated with Wikipedia, it is high time to quit perpetuating the Trapp mythology. They, and Maria in particular, are prevaricating frauds who attempt to portray themselves as victims of Hitler's Germany when they were not. To permit them to do so dishonors the memories and sufferings of the millions of people who died during the calamity that was the Second World War.

Maria's 1949 book and her 1972 book contradict each other, and as a result, her credibility is very poor. For example, in the 1949 book, she tells a story about the captain introducing the children and using his whistle. In the 1972 book, she states that the captain was not at home, and that the housekeeper introduced the children to her.

John Paul Parks (talk) 01:09, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Reasons for Ceasing to Perform

The article states that "Georg Ritter von Trapp died in 1947 and the family eventually ceased performing" as if one event had something to do with the other, but that is not true. The Captain never performed with the family. As a recent History Channel program indicates, performances ceased in 1956, but there was trouble within the family prior to that. Rupert and Werner, having been gone during the war, did not return to the singing group. Several of the girls got married in order to "escape," and it finally became obvious, even to Maria, that the singing group could not continue. The older children were in their 40's by this time, and even the younger ones were in their 20's. They wanted, and needed, lives of their own.

John Paul Parks (talk) 04:29, 4 August 2008 (UTC)