Dwarf experiments: The Ovitz family
What tests did Mengele perform on the Ovitz family?
Mengele had a curiosity for heredity and people who were born unlike others. Once a strange family showed up to Auschwitz, he could not help but take the opportunity of experimenting on the Ovitz family, a clan of dwarves. Though his experiments fed his twisted curiosities, the Ovitz family went through many painful procedures. Immediately after the discovery of the rare dwarf family, Mengele ordered special quarters to be built for them. Josef Mengele was greatly concerned about preserving the dwarfs and maintaining their health. Unlike the living conditions for average prisoners in Auschwitz, the dwarfs were able to live in clean facilities. The Ovitz family was also privileged with their own bed clothes and better meals.
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The dwarfs were even allowed to keep their own clothing. The family thought they were being treated such a way because of their fame, but their luxurious stay at Auschwitz soon came to an end. Many tests were performed on the Ovitzes. Some tests included extracting bone marrow, teeth, and hair. They were also blinded with chemical drops, and cold and hot water was poured down their ears. During that time, taller members of the Ovitz family had a baby, and Mengele performed experiments on the baby too. Josef Mengele’s experiments on the Ovitz family were harsh and fatal, but they lived to survive the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp.
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