Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys,
I have spent a great deal of time and money on this research. Research involves travel and many expenses.
Some research "things to do" are not done for years, because I do not have the money to do them.
Please Donate Here to support the ongoing research and to keep this website free.
Baron Georg von Trapp (see Wikipedia and German Wikipedia), born 1880,
mar 1stly, 10 Jan 1911, to Agathe Whitehead
[born 14 June 1891, dau of
by his wife Countess Agathe Breuner].
John Whitehead was son of Robert Whitehead, inventor of the torpedo (see family in Danish Wikipedia).
See extract (from here) from [Agathe von Trapp, 2010].
Agathe Whitehead was NOT dau of John Whitehead's brother Sir James Whitehead, whose wife Marian Cecilia Brodrick had a Royal Descent.
The Whitehead family were wealthy arms manufacturers of torpedoes and submarines on the continent. They had a factory at Fiume. Georg visited 1908 and met Agathe.
Agathe christened Georg's U-boat in 1909.
They lived Pula, Croatia
(then in Austro-Hungarian Empire).
Family moved to Zell am See, Austria, when WWI started 1914.
He was Austria's leading U-boat submarine ace in WWI 1914-18.
He sank many ships during the war, including the French ship Léon Gambetta in 1915 (when he killed 700).
Austria lost the war 1918, and lost its entire sea coast and navy.
They moved to Klosterneuburg, Austria, 1921.
Agathe died 3 Sept 1922, age 31 yrs.
Georg had issue by 1st wife:
Georg moved with the children to what is now known as the "Villa Trapp" or "Villa von Trapp", Salzburg, Austria, 1924.
Note their house was NOT Schloss Leopoldskron.
He mar 2ndly, 26 Nov 1927 [him age 47, her age 22] to Maria Kutschera [born 1905, his daughter's tutor].
They became a famous singing family, from 1935 onwards, performed across Europe.
They fled Austria when the Nazis came in 1938.
They went to US 1938.
Their house in Salzburg, the Villa Trapp, was taken for a headquarters in 1939 by the Nazi leader Himmler, one of the architects of the Holocaust. He used the house until 1945.
The family settled in Stowe, Vermont, 1942,
Trapp Family Lodge
Georg died 1947, age 67 yrs.
He was bur in the cemetery at the Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont.
Maria wrote about their story in 1949.
Their story inspired a series of productions:
Trailer for the movie The Sound of Music (1965).
This trailer is for the 45th Anniversary release (2010).