Schlitze(1901-1971)
- Actor
Schlitze's actual birth date and name remain unknown. Schlitze suffered
from the condition microcephaly and mental retardation, commonly
referred to as a "pinhead". It is also rumored that he had a sister,
who also was a microcephalic. He was exhibited by Barnum as Maggie, the
last of the Aztecs. Because the Mayans and other Meso-American cultures
bound the heads of their elite to give them a cone shape, it is easy to
see how Schlitze and the so-called Aztec children got their show names.
For most of his career, Schlitze was dressed and exhibited as a girl,
mainly because dresses simplified his bathroom needs.
Schlitze was placed in an institution after 30 years in the sideshow business, where his health began to decline sharply. Mr. Sam Alexander, a Canadian promoter, took Schlitze back on the road, where he remained on the sideshow circuit until he died at age 70 in 1971.
Schlitze was placed in an institution after 30 years in the sideshow business, where his health began to decline sharply. Mr. Sam Alexander, a Canadian promoter, took Schlitze back on the road, where he remained on the sideshow circuit until he died at age 70 in 1971.
