A veil of mystery enshrouds Kaatje van Dyk, leaving us to question whether that is her actual name or if she goes by Katja van Dijk, Kaatje van Dyck, Annie Haase, Anneliese Haase, Hilda van Droysen, Elsa van Droysen, Charlotte van Droysen, Anna van Droysen, or Sofia. These are the various names she adopted or were ascribed to her during her touring days. The ambiguity extends to her birthplace — some sources claim Roosendaal in the Netherlands in 1904, while others contend Berlin, Germany, in 1906 under the name Annie Haase. The uncertainty even extends to her date of death, with some asserting August 1, 1968, and others suggesting 1980.
Early Career of Kaatje van Dyk Her foray into the spotlight began in connection with another Dutch giant, Albert Johan Kramer. Although they were never romantically involved, Kramer had already married several years before Kaatje embarked on her touring endeavors.
The zenith of her success coincided with her tours as Elsa van Droysen, alongside the German giantess Dora Helms (or perhaps Dora Herms) posing as Hilda van Droysen. Dora Helms, previously known as Brunhilde, collaborated with Werner Syre (or Werner von Syre, or Anton Syre) before marrying him. Subsequently, Werner assumed the name William van Droysen. Thus, beyond the van Droysen sisters, there emerged a van Droysen couple.
Kaatje van Dyk continued to hold the distinction of the world’s tallest woman, as indicated in the 1968 edition of the Guinness Book of Records.
