Postcard of Mariedl, the Tyrolean Giantess. "Age 27, weight 360lbs. Her daily diet consisted of cereals and vegetables, 14lbs, 2 quarts OXO and 1 quart of milk." Maria Fassnauer (February 28, 1879 - December 4, 1917) was the Giantess of Tirol (Tiroler Riesin). By the age of 15 Maria had reached a height of 7 feet. She caught the attention of side-show operators who offered to pay the family for permission to put Maria on display at fairs and festivals, but they refused all offers. In 1906 she yielded and began a 7 year tour through all of Europe, accompanied by her sister. Newspaper advertisements dubbed her the "tallest woman who ever lived." She saved all the money she earned to give to her parents; in all her appearances she wore a traditional peasant costume and Tyrolean hat, designed to make her appear even taller and more grotesque. Her operators did not allow her to show herself in public outside of her performances, but they sometimes allowed her to go to church. Forced to stand for hours on end she suffered from ulcerated legs. In 1913 she gave up her life as the "Monster for Millions" and returned to Ridnaun. Emotionally and physically damaged, she spent her last years on her parents' farm, where she died in 1917, at the age of 38. No photographer credited, 1907.