“Princess Paulina”: The Shortest Woman Ever
Guinness World RecordsPauline Musters rose to fame in the late 19th century for her surprising height.
When Pauline Musters was born, her parents didn’t think that she would survive. But not only did she defy the odds, she also grew up to become famous for being the shortest woman ever at just 2 feet tall.
Musters was born on Feb. 26, 1876 (or 1878, as there is some debate over the exact year), in the small town of Ossendrecht in the Netherlands. She was the fifth of nine children in a relatively poor family. Shortly before she was born, her family’s house burned down after it was struck by lightning.
As her family struggled to rebuild, Musters was born in a barn.
Since Musters was remarkably tiny from the start, even for a baby, her parents quickly began touring her around various fairs in Belgium and the Netherlands. For a struggling family, it was a simple way to make money.
Wikimedia CommonsPauline Musters, one of the shortest people in the world, often performed under the name “Princess Paulina.”
Eventually, the family made enough money from showing off “Princess Paulina” that they were able to build themselves a villa.
When Musters’ father died in 1889, her brother-in-law took over the management of her career. Her fame grew, and she eventually met royals like German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II and Queen Emma of the Netherlands.
In December 1894, Musters traveled to New York City to perform at Proctor’s Theatre. She was paid $1,000 a week, which is over $36,000 today.
But not long after her arrival in the United States, Musters contracted pneumonia and meningitis. Tragically, she died in 1895, around the age of 19.
