Beyond The Sound of Music – The Friendship Between the von Trapp and Habsburg Families

The Sound of Music remains one of America’s most beloved musical productions, both on stage and on screen. Yet the story of the von Trapp family reaches far beyond Hollywood romance: their lives were deeply intertwined with the turbulent history of twentieth-century Central Europe and with the Habsburg dynasty itself. Documents preserved in our collection shed new light on the remarkable layers of this relationship.

The Battle of the Strait of Otranto According to the Novara Ship’s Logbook

109 years ago, in May 1917, Miklós Horthy, commanding the light cruiser Novara, secured one of the Austro-Hungarian Navy’s greatest victories. Previously unknown details of this legendary naval engagement are revealed in the pages of the Novara’s ship’s logbook preserved in our collection. Richly illustrated, the document offers a deeper insight into the everyday life of the Imperial a