Carolyn Walsh 's Reviews > Giants: The Dwarfs of Auschwitz

This is the remarkable and fascinating story of the Ovitz family. They were a Romanian Jewish family, which included what was called the Lilliput Group. This was comprised of 7 dwarf musicians and actors who became very popular touring Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary with their vaudeville-style act. They were the largest family of dwarfs ever recorded and the largest family to survive the unspeakable horrors of Auschwitz death camp intact.

The group were the children of a man who was himself a dwarf. He was educated in the Talmud and other aspects of Orthodox Judaism and became prosperous as an entertainer and religious scholar. He married twice to women of normal size. He fathered 10 children over 35 years. Seven were dwarfs (5 girls and 2 boys) and 2 daughters and 1 son of normal height.

The Lilliput entertainers continued touring until May 1944. When not touring 12 family members were living in one house which included the dwarf brothers and sisters, their average sized sisters and a couple of other close family members. The normal sized family members helped the little people around the house while touring and backstage. Also, a man, Simon Slomowitz, who acted as their handyman and chauffeur, was essential for their wellbeing. He often lifted and carried the little people. A normal sized brother was living elsewhere and was not with the family group when they were rounded up and transported to Auschwitz, but being a Jew he was executed.

Almost 90% of the people transported to Nazi death camps were sent directly to the gas chambers. Some of the youngest and fittest were selected for slave labour but rarely survived the mistreatment, disease, and starvation. When no longer able to work they were executed Rarely did one family member emerge from the camps, and even rarer for two to survive. All the deported Ovitz family members emerged from the death camp after the war ended, along with Smolowitz and family, as he was permitted to help them during their imprisonment. Included with the group in the extermination camp were a couple of cousins and ‘pretend cousins’.

The Ovitz dwarfs were doubly doomed when they arrived at Auschwitz, being considered unworthy of living due to the Nazi policy of racial purity, being both Jewish and physically handicapped. However, the unique group was sighted by the notorious Dr. Mengele. He selected them for his horrible medical experiments which yielded nothing of scientific value. He was intrigued that the family not only included the 7 dwarfs but also normal sized people. He wanted to discover the cause which is today referred to as Grebe Syndrome. It is the type of dwarfism where the head and upper body is normal sized, but the arms and legs are shortened. Ironically the cause was not found until 1995 by a Jewish scientist.

They endured many blood tests, countless measurements, having a liquid poured in their eyes which temporarily blinded them, hot water in their ears, humiliating gynecological examinations on the women. They dreaded each time they were summoned by Dr. Mengele, but more frightened when he was absent from camp. They knew their fate was tied to the experiments and if they ended they would be exterminated. Before Dr. Mengele started his futile eugenic experiments with twins and dwarfs they were immediately sent to the gas chambers.

The Ovitz group of entertainers realized that despite the painful and embarrassing medical tests, they were among the more privileged. They had been permitted to bring their fine clothes, cosmetics and musical instruments into camp and were not forced to have their heads shaved. Instead, they kept their elaborate coiffures. One day they were told to dress in their best costumes and carefully apply makeup to go on stage. They thought they would be performing their act in front of the elite camp officers. Although they hated the audience, they were overjoyed at the thought of performing again, a task they loved. Instead, once on stage they were ordered to strip naked for the amusement of the audience. This humiliation remained a hurtful memory for the rest of their lives.

At the end of the war, the camp was liberated by the Russian army. Mengele escaped to South America. The Ovitz family ended up in Russia, then Belgium. Most finally settled in Israel. The youngest Ovitz dwarf, Perla, survived into her 90’s and interviews with her gave a description of her experiences and feelings many years later. The authors also interviewed other survivors and diligently researched books and existing documents. The book also focuses on what happened to more victims of Dr. Mengele’s experiments, other dwarfs and twins. In addition, we read stories about other categories of prisoners which adds to the horror of the story.
I wished with so many names of historical victims that there had been a reference list of the characters. I was pleased that they included many relevant photographs.