Schlitzie: The Sideshow ‘Pinhead’ With Microcephaly Who Audiences Called ‘Cretin’ And ‘Moron’ (423 hits)
By William DeLong | Edited By Kaleena Fraga Published December 14, 2025 Updated December 15, 2025
Made famous in the 1932 film Freaks, Schlitzie performed in most of the major circuses of the early 20th century after being sold into the business when he was just a child
Very little is know about Schlitzie’s early life, but it’s believed that he was born around 1901, possibly in the Bronx, New York, and possibly as Simon Metz. However, other sources claim that Schlitzie was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and that the name “Metz” came from one of his early caretakers. It was also long believed that Schlitzie was born in Mexico, but this rumor is likely linked to his sideshow “persona” as the “Last of the Aztecs.”
