He was born in December 1890 near Grójec. He was given a first name, but it was later changed to Stefan so that foreign audiences would have no problem pronouncing it. Even as a child, he shocked with his peculiar appearance. His entire body, except for the inner parts of his feet and hands, was covered in sand-colored hair. In fact, he was suffering from a condition that was associated with werewolves in those days.
He was born with 2.5 cm of body hair. Mother gave her son to a German showman
When he was 4 years old, he was noticed by the German showman Sedelmayer, who offered his mother a mill and a piece of field in exchange for giving the boy back. After giving birth to her son, the woman faced social ostracism. People said she had brought a monster into the world because Stefan was born with hair on his body and face. The house was pelted with stones, so when the opportunity arose, the woman got rid of the child.
Sedelmayer called him Lionel and treated him like his own son, looked after and cared for him, and provided him with an education. Lionel was very intelligent and easily learned five languages. When he was 12, Sedelmayer signed a contract with an American circus group, joined by his adoptive son. And although it was said that Lionel dreamed of becoming a , he did not complain about his fate. Despite his short stature – only 134 cm tall and original appearance, he enjoyed great interest of the opposite sex. He was eloquent, traveled a lot, and had a good income.
They said he was a werewolf. In fact, he was suffering from a rare disease
Lionel worked at the Barnum & Bailey circus for 19 years. He suffered from hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome, which is why his entire body was covered with hair. In those days, people suffering from this condition were excluded from society and referred to as werewolves. In fact, however, Lionel was a very helpful and gallant man. His calm and composed voice belied his dangerous appearance, which is why he easily won over people and gained immense popularity. In 1920, Lionel ended his cooperation with the circus and decided to organize shows on his own in Coney Island. Eventually, however, he returned to Europe, where he died of a heart attack at the age of 41.
Source: Gazeta
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