A Horrifying Yet Inspiring Story: Hitler’s Seven Dwarfs and the Angel of Death in Auschwitz

Ever heard of a real-life story that’s crazier than any horror movie? Let me tell you about the Ovitz family members, seven siblings who were little people and known as the “Lilliput Troupe.”

They were like a circus act, super famous in Europe before World War II. But their fate changed drastically when the Nazis came to power, and they met one of the most terrifying figures in history: Dr. Josef Mengele, the “Angel of Death” from Auschwitz.

Their incredible survival story has since been the subject of numerous documentaries about the dwarfs of Auschwitz and books, capturing international attention.

If you’re wondering where to watch or find more about The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz Netflix or other platforms, further research on the documentaries about them would be a good starting point.

Imagine this: it’s 1944, and these seven Jewish dwarfs and their family arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

A place that was already hell on earth for ordinary people, let alone for those who were “different” from the Nazi “standard.”

When they got off the train, even the SS guards were stunned. Five beautiful, made-up women, no taller than a five-year-old girl.

The men even had the nerve to hand out autographed cards to the guards! They thought, well, they’re performers, just being safe. They had no idea they’d just arrived at the most notorious extermination camp.

And that’s where Josef Mengele comes in. This SS doctor had a bizarre hobby: collecting people he considered “freaks” or who had genetic abnormalities.

When he heard that seven dwarf family members had arrived, he was ecstatic, like he’d found a new toy. He claimed he was “researching” genetics, but really, it was just to torture and observe their peculiarities.

The Mad Experiments Began…

The Ovitz family members were “privileged” by Mengele. Not because he was kind, but because they were such rare “research material” for him.

They weren’t immediately herded to the gas chambers like the thousands of other Jews who arrived with them. But this “privilege” was more like entering a hungry tiger’s cage.

Every day, they were used as guinea pigs for Mengele’s insane experiments:

• Blood Drained Every Week: They had their blood drawn over and over again, until they were weak and often fainted. Mengele didn’t care; as soon as they came to, he continued!
• X-rayed Like Objects: Their bodies were X-rayed repeatedly for no clear medical reason. It was like he was checking the quality of merchandise.
• Forced Brain Tests: Nazi psychiatrists came to test their “intelligence” with strange questions. Of course, they were stressed!
• Ear Torture: This was the most horrifying. Boiling water was poured into their ears, immediately followed by freezing water. Can you imagine the pain?! Perla Ovitz, one of the seven siblings, said they almost went crazy from the agony.
• Healthy Teeth Pulled, Eyelashes Plucked: The purpose of this was also unclear. Mengele seemed to be casually destroying their bodies piece by piece.
• Dora, the Normal-Sized Wife, Interrogated Obscenely: The wife of one of the Ovitz brothers, who was normal-sized, also didn’t escape psychological torture. Mengele asked her about her sex life with disgusting questions.

Worse Than Boiled and Acid-Soaked Corpses

The Ovitz family lived in extreme fear. They heard stories about two other dwarfs (a hunchback and his son) who arrived a few months after them.

Mengele had a “brilliant” idea to turn their skeletons into a museum collection in Berlin!

How?

Their bodies were boiled over a fire until the flesh separated from the bones. Pleased with the result, he ordered his staff to kill another dwarf, this time soaking the body in an acid bath!

Can you imagine the Ovitz family thinking they might be next?

Miraculously, They Survived!

How did they survive such hell? It truly was a miracle. Mengele seemed to have a special “fascination” with them as his research subjects.

So, when it was time for everyone in their section of the camp to be gassed, Mengele “saved” them again by moving them to a different section.

They were also smart about pleasing Mengele. They always greeted him politely (“Your Excellency”), and even once sang him his favorite song!

Mengele also relatively “kind” to them, often complimenting their appearance and even bringing sweets and toys (belonging to other children he had killed) for the toddler son of one of their normal-sized siblings, Shimshon Ovitz. Strange, right?

Perla Ovitz herself said Mengele had a charm like a movie star. Handsome, but behind that handsome face hid a cruel devil.

But, oddly, if Mengele was in a bad mood, as soon as he entered their barracks, he would immediately calm down.

Naked “Demonstration” in Front of Nazi Officials

There was one incident that deeply traumatized the Ovitz family. Mengele said he was taking them on a “special journey” to a beautiful place and told them to dress up nicely.

They were given powder, bright red lipstick, cologne, and vivid turquoise and green eyeshadows. They were happy, thinking they were finally leaving the camp for a bit.

It turned out they were taken to a new building in the SS residential compound. They were served a hearty meal on fine china with silver cutlery.

Then, they were led onto a stage inside an auditorium packed with high-ranking SS officers. Mengele stood at the front of the stage. As they looked at him for a cue, Mengele suddenly turned and barked, “Undress!”

Horrified, with trembling hands, they fumbled with their buttons. Once every stitch of their finery was removed, they stooped, trying to hide their breasts and genitals. But Mengele grew angrier, “Straighten up!”

It turned out Mengele was “showcasing” his genetic “research.” He gave a long lecture on anthropological and hereditary biology in the concentration camp.

To illustrate his points, he poked the trembling naked Ovitz family members with a billiard cue, pointing out the location of their internal organs!

His clear intention: to show that the Jewish race had “degenerated” into a people of dwarfs and cripples. But, of course, he had no scientific evidence whatsoever.

After that “performance,” the SS officers swarmed onto the stage to prod the naked troupe. The dwarfs were too devastated to accept any refreshments afterward.

A Relieving End (For Them)

Fortunately, the nightmare finally ended. When word spread in January 1945 that the Russian army was approaching, Mengele fled, taking his “research” notes with him.

Seven months later, the Ovitz family members finally made it home, finding their gold and jewelry still buried under their car. But their village had changed irrevocably; only a few Jews had survived.

In 1949, they immigrated to Israel and continued their stage careers for several years before finally retiring due to ill health. Perla Ovitz became the key witness to tell this horrifying story to the world.

Mengele himself managed to escape to South America and drowned in 1979. Perla Ovitz said she doubted Mengele would have apologized for what he did.

But if she had been asked by the judges if he should be hanged, her answer would have been to let him go. She said she was saved by the “grace of the devil,” and God himself would eventually deal with Mengele.

Perla Ovitz passed away peacefully at the age of 80. Her family’s story remains a powerful reminder of Nazi atrocities and the miracle of human resilience in the face of unimaginable horror.

It’s not just a historical account, but also a lesson for all of us about the importance of valuing differences and fighting all forms of discrimination and hatred.