Strange Case of Adam Rainer - the only person in history to be both a dwarf and a giant

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When 18-year-old Adam Rainer went to enlist in the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1917, he intended to contribute his services—and possibly his life—fighting in World War I. But army officials blanched at Rainer’s stature. He was no more than 4 feet, 6 inches tall, which fit the clinical threshold for dwarfism. Rainer was turned away.

Had those same military personnel seen him just a few years later, they would have probably failed to recognize him. Incredibly, Rainer grew to be over 7 feet tall, a feat of physiology that later led Guinness World Records to give him the title of the man with the “most variable stature” in history.

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The most striking and particularly unusual thing about Rainer’s dwarfism, compared to others, was the size of his hands and feet — they were far too large for his overall size. Despite his short height, he wore a size 10 shoe

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This disorder of the pituitary gland, often caused by an otherwise benign tumor, can cause a sharp increase in growth hormone secretion, leading to outsized features (hands, feet, or face) as well as stature. It’s the same condition that André Roussimoff, better known as André the Giant, had; he used his 7 foot, 1 inch frame to great success in the world of professional wrestling.

Rainer didn’t have such opportunities, because his early life bore no indication he would grow to be such an imposing presence. Born in 1899 in Graz, Austria, Rainer was below average height well into adulthood, with accounts placing him anywhere between 3 feet, 5 inches and 4 feet, 6 inches by the time he attempted to join the army.

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