The Ovitz family, a unique Hungarian Jewish family of entertainers from what is now Romania, survived the unimaginable horrors of Auschwitz during World War II. Known as the largest family of dwarfs ever recorded, they ranged in age from a 15-month-old baby to a 58-year-old woman when they were imprisoned by the Nazis.
The family originally hailed from Maramureș County, Romania, and was descended from Shimson Eizik Ovitz, a rabbi and dwarf who fathered ten children, seven of whom inherited his dwarfism.
In the 1930s and '40s, the Ovitzes formed a performance group known as the Lilliput Troupe, where they sang in multiple languages, played instruments, and toured throughout Eastern Europe. Despite racial laws banning Jewish performances for non-Jewish audiences, they managed to continue performing until 1944.
When they were eventually deported to Auschwitz, they attracted the attention of Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi physician who conducted cruel experiments. Fascinated by the family’s genetic diversity, Mengele subjected the Ovitzes to numerous, often excruciating tests, which included painful medical procedures meant to study hereditary conditions.
Unlike many, the Ovitz family received relatively better treatment to keep them healthy for Mengele’s experiments. Remarkably, they survived Auschwitz’s liberation by the Soviet Red Army on January 27, 1945. Following their release, they endured a seven-month journey on foot to reach their home village, only to find it looted. They relocated to Belgium and eventually to Israel, where they continued to perform until their retirement in 1955.
In Israel, they lived a peaceful life, with Rozika, the eldest, passing away in 1984 at 98 years old, and Perla, the last adult dwarf, dying in 2001.















