1 - The Original Sound of Music with English Subtitles (Die Trapp Familie - German)

Die Familie Trapp (1956) with English Youtube Subtitles (click “CC“ box above). See an excerpt from Maria Von Trapp’s autobiographical book... chapter 8, entitled ’The Third Reich’: “Salzburg lies on the very edge of Austria, only a few miles from the German border. But we were such homebodies that we only heard the distant thunder-like noise that was going on across the border - how Hitler had taken over the government, how he was giving more and more daring speeches - but it all seemed so far away and so unreal. The one great hardship which befell us was the bankruptcy of the bank where my husband had invested the family fortune. The bank had failed after Hitler has closed the border, not allowing any Germans to cross over in Austria. Since Austria depended almost entirely on the tourist trade, two consecutive years with no tourists was the downfall of many people and eventually the bank. We were not as hard hit as many others because we still had our big estate and many precious objects of art and a little money. Then it happened. We were all sitting in our library listening to the voice of Chancellor Schuschnigg bidding farewell to Austria which was giving way to force. The very next thing was the German anthem and the tremendous roar of “Heil Hitler!“ It was the night of the 12th to 13th of March, 1938, a date we shall never forget. Austria was wiped off the map and incorporated into the “Third Reich.“ The door of the library opened and our butler came in, went over to my husband, and said, “Captain, I have been an illegal member of the party for several years,“ and he showed us his swastika. This was all so overpowering and so overwhelming that it left one numb. The very next day going into town - what a change. From every house hung a swastika flag. People on the street greeted each other with outstretched right arm, “Heil Hitler!“ and one felt absolutely like one was in a foreign country. At first we waited for the storm to blow over. My husband did not allow the swastika around the house or the new greeting or the new anthem to ever be heard. The pressure mounted and our lives were threatened by the Nazis. So half a year passed, and then came the moment when my husband called the family together and said, “Now we have to find out what is the will of God. Do we want to keep our material goods, our house, our estate, our friends - or do we want to keep our spiritual goods, our faith and honor? We cannot have both any longer.“ Then he looked at his children and said, Listen, you can have money today and lose it tomorrow. The very same day you can start all over again, and that can happen more than once to you in your lifetime. But once you have lost your honour or your faith, then you are lost.“ There was no real question what God wanted. As a family it was decided that we wanted to keep HIM. We understood that this meant was had to get out. “ CAPS = italics (Historical Note: Maria’s two oldest sons, Rupert and Werner, were drafted into the U.S. military in WWII. They chose the mountain ski troops. Both boys came home safe and sound.)