WEIRD ROMANCE

notes from an occasional series looking at human behaviour

Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos

Maria-Elena 'Helen' Hoyos

Carl Tanzler and Elena Hoyos

“In 1930, Carl Tanzler, also known as Count Carl von Cosel, met Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos whilst working in a hospital, and immediately fell in love with her, finding her to be the image of a woman he had dreamt of many years earlier.

Hoyos was married to someone else, although separated, and would not begin a relationship with Tanzler for her strict Catholicism. Shortly thereafter, Hoyos became ill with consumption, and Tanzler’s attempts to aid her recovery fell short, and she died in 1931.It was in 1933, however, almost two years after her death, Tanzler removed Hoyos’ body from its tomb, and then began to recreate her.He lived with the corpse at his home for seven years until its discovery by Hoyos’ relatives and authorities in 1940.The photo above (right) is her corpse preserved under layers and layers of wax over the years to keep the smell down and the features more human like. Tanzler attached the corpse’s bones together with wire and coat hangers. When her skin had began to rot, he replaced it with silk and plaster of Paris. And when her hair fell from her decomposing skin, he wove a wig with it. He even fitted the face of this poor girl with glass eyes.Tanzler filled the corpse’s abdominal and chest cavity with rags to keep the original form from decomposing, dressed Hoyos’ remains in stockings, jewelry, and gloves, covered her with perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask her state.
He shared a bed with his recreation for 9 years.“

De Hoyos 

—- Two physicians (Dr. DePoo and Dr. Foraker) who attended the 1940 autopsy of Hoyos’ remains recalled in 1972 that a paper tube had been inserted in the vaginal area of the corpse that allowed for intercourse

Tanzler in later life

with thanks to the wonderful website The Odd Side of Me run and written by the extraordinary hospice nurse Haley who posts items about oddities, history, taxidermy, medical oddities, all that is strange, and her fascination with death.