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The Orvitz Troupe Preformed From 1939 To 1944
War broke out in 1939, but the troupe of
traveling musicians (seven
dwarfs and their two full-sized sisters)
continued performing for the next four years, using documents that
omitted the fact that they were Jews.
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In 1944 Hitler Unleashes The Panzers On Hungary
They were on tour when in March 1944, when Hitler invaded
Hungary. They returned immediately to their hometown.
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The
Nazis Take A Liking To Them
In 1944 the Jewish Dwarfs return to the town of
Signet, where they see Nazi's
clubbing Jews. Luckily the Germans were mesmerized by them, and help
them on their train to home.
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Discovered To Be Jews, But Kept As Pets
Nazis gave us a comfortable flat with a hidden back entrance, so that
the German officers could sneak through. Every night we had to play,
sing and entertain them. "Who could be merry at a time like this,
knowing our people were being murdered?" she says. "But we had no
choice. They brought crates of beer and liquor. They used to leave,
staggeringly drunk, in the early hours of the morning, leaving us
exhausted."
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One Brother Captured
One brother, Leon, who was not a dwarf, was executed. Soon after his
wife, and baby daughter, were gassed in Auschwitz.
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Shipped To Auschwitz
On May 15, 1944, all the twelve members were
taken by
a horse and carriage to the train, and off to
Auschwitz. They must have been valuable because they were
behind[ovitz_capture.jpg - MISSING]
the
Russian front lines.
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Mengele Is Ecstatic Over Dwarfs
An intrigued Mengele greets
the dwarf family among the milling crowds at the entrance ramp to
Auschwitz.
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Accidentally Thrown In The Gas Chambers
But in the chaos, they were
dragged straight to the gas chamber. 'We were standing naked, men and
women; when the heavy metal door slammed behind us and we started
smelling the gas pouring in, Perla recalled.
'Suddenly, through the fog,
we heard shouts. "The dwarfs! Where are the dwarfs?" 'Vomiting from
the gas, they were freed.
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But there was more
horror to come.
Mengele wanted to decipher
the secrets of human growth and he conducted his vile tests on them.
Blood was taken from their veins, bone marrow drawn from their spine,
hairs plucked, molars extracted, drops sprinkled into their eyes, hot
and cold water pumped into their ears, needles inserted into various
nerve centers, electrodes attached to their heads. Large quantities of
various unknown liquids were injected into the wombs of those sisters
who were married.
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Baby Samson
Even though Mengele grew attached to one year-old 'Baby Samson', he
still experimented on the child.
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Mengele Sang
The Disney Song To Them
She described how, chillingly,
Mengele used to chant a little rhyme he made up for her family: 'Over
the hills and seven mountains, there my seven dwarfs do dwell.'
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Had To Perform Nude For Special Guests
Mengele brought them to a auditorium packed with hundreds of senior
officers. He had them line in the middle of the stage, when suddenly Mengele shouted, "Take off your clothes!"
They stood there, seven nude
dwarfs, as the Nazis ogled at their little bodies.
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They Preformed For Hitler
He even made a film of them
which was sent to Hitler for his amusement at his mountain retreat.
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Mengele Boiled Two Dwarfs Alive
The Ovitzes also witnessed two newcomer dwarfs being
boiled to bones to be exhibited
in a museum.
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They
Finally Moved To Haifa
In 1955, sick through the
experiments they endured, they performed for the last time. With the
money they had gained they moved to a large flat and bought two
cinemas and a café.
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