Musical Stirs Tourism Troubles

Posted on May 24th 2008 4:00PM by James Sullivan
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With a name like Manfred Schitter, it's no wonder he's cranky. "Nobody ever talked to us about all this," sniffed the Salzburg, Austria resident recently. He's one of many local party-poopers opposing plans to convert the famous von Trapp family villa into a hotel.

Salzburg tourism officials hope to capitalize on the booming business attracted by 'The Sound of Music,' with 300,000 visitors annually touring the sites made famous by the Best Picture Oscar winner of 1965. But residents like Schitter are determined to block the renovation.

"We will fight this with all means at our disposal," said Andreas Braunbruck, who is organizing the protest. "Buses and cars are constantly in the street in front of our homes as it is." In other words, 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' ... except the one in his backyard.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, featuring such enduring classics as 'My Favorite Things' and Julie Andrews' yodeling on 'The Lonely Goatherd,' told the true-ish story of the widower von Trapp, his seven children, and the governess with whom the patriarch eventually fell in love. The real family moved to Vermont after fleeing the Nazis in 1938.

SS chief Heinrich Himmler lived on their property until his suicide at the end of World War II. Surely the new lodgers will be at last marginally better neighbors.

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