The remnants of an unenlightened area, Salzburg’s Dwarf Garden was created by Prince Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach in 1715. Some of the models for the garden lived in Harrach’s court and worked as entertainers.
This man has achondroplasia – the same genetic disorder affecting the dwarves in Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. Characteristic markers of achondroplasia include a large skull with a prominent forehead, shortened limbs, spinal curvature, and knee deformities.
In the 19th century, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria tried to have the statues destroyed. He feared that his pregnant wife might miscarry their unborn child. Instead, the dwarves were auctioned off. They returned to the Mirabell Gardens in 1921.