Royal dwarf Joseph Boruwlaski (5 photos)

Small spool but precious. The example of this man accurately reflects the truth of the proverb.





Joseph Boruwlaski was born in the vicinity of Chalez in November 1739. The family had six children, five sons and one daughter. All reached above average height with the exception of two who were unlucky enough to grow only to the height of a five-year-old child.



Towards the end of the 17th century, it became incredibly fashionable for aristocrats and royalty to have a dwarf or midget for entertainment. It was so fashionable that Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, tried to breed a couple of her court dwarfs like animals to produce offspring. There were many other attempts, the most notable of which was made by Peter the Great in 1701, when he arranged a grand wedding of two dwarfs - an event attended not only by his courtiers, but also by foreign ambassadors.





Therefore, one would expect that the lives of these little people would turn into complete misfortune. However, the memoirs and life story of Count Joseph Boruwlaski refute this assumption.

Josef lost his father at the age of nine. And the financial situation of the already poor family worsened even more. However, by a lucky coincidence, his mother turned out to be of a not very noble family and had a patron in the person of the wealthy noblewoman Staorina de Caorliz. She took a liking to the tiny boy and convinced Boruwlaski’s mother to send the young man to live with her and receive an education. The mother agreed, and young Joseph lived in luxury in his new home.

As a result, the little gentleman mastered the rules of behavior in secular society, and his artistry and musical talents would be the envy of any tall man.



Portrait by F. Reinagle

When Staorina got married, Josef became the protégé of another, even richer noblewoman, Countess Humetskaya, and from that moment on, Josef's life became even more interesting. The Countess loved to travel and took Joseph with her. He was able to decorate the courtyards of the most senior persons of the noble society. Maria Theresa - Her Imperial Majesty, Empress of all Austria and Hungary - was so pleased to meet him that she gave him one of her diamond rings. Prince Kaunitz of Munich granted Joseph a lifelong pension. He also met and entertained the exiled King Stanislaus of Poland and the Duke d'Orléans in Paris. When Stanislaus II ascended the Polish throne, he took Boruwlaski under his protection.



Image of the Count with his wife and daughter in an English engraving

As a result, Joseph left the countess and tried to arrange his personal life, falling desperately in love with the young actress. But the girl only laughed at her boyfriend, who was 90 centimeters tall. After grieving a little, Joseph began to court another beauty from a noble family.

She treated her boyfriend like a child. But as a result, courtesy, an excellent education, as well as a pension and title played their role. Izalina Borbuten agreed to the marriage. The couple had children of normal height. They settled in Britain, where the little man performed for the amusement of the public.

What is noteworthy is that Boruwlaski was proportionally built, although he resembled more a child than an adult man. He did not have any bone abnormalities, and growth, which in dwarfs ends at a maximum of 20 years, continued until about 30 years. As Joseph's notes show.

The last court dwarf of Europe, who proved that short stature is not a hindrance on the path to success, fame, wealth and a happy family life, died in Durham in 1837 at the venerable age of 98 years.