Teeth Thief Hits Graves of Great Composers

Dentures of two of the world's most famous composers have been stolen from their graves, allegedly by Ondrej Jajcaj, who boasts of his crimes on YouTube. (YouTube)

A couple of missing teeth can mess up your smile, or as in the case of a well known Viennese cemetery, it can signal a case of serial grave robbery.

Dentures of two of the world's most famous composers have been stolen from their neighboring graves by a Slovak man, Ondrej Jajcaj, who boasts of his crimes on YouTube, saying he intends to use the purlioned chewers to start a museum.

The self alleged thief says the teeth he extracted from the tombs of the famous 19th century composers, Johann Strauss and Johannes Brahms will be part of an exhibition of hundreds of objects plundered from more ordinary graves.

In 2008, cemetery officials reported that some graves had been meddled with. As a result, Jajcaj was apparently investigated by Vienna prosecutors for "disturbing the piece of the dead" but they dropped the case because the statute of limitations had run out.

Austrian police has again learned of the dastardly dental work when the grave robber released a video where he can be seen apparently pushing the cover off Strauss' tomb and pulling out a skull. He then removes the teeth with a pair of pliers.

The man was identified in Austrian media reports simply by his initials, O.J. ?But a quick research on the internet reveals a certain Ondrej Jajcaj, who calls himself the Freedom Undertaker, taking his internet viewers on a tour of "graves of honor" in the Viennese Central Cementary, saying that someone has opened the crypts, pointing out fresh dirt uncovered around the tombs.

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Dentures of two of the world's most famous... View Full Size

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Dentures of two of the world's most famous composers have been stolen from their graves, allegedly by Ondrej Jajcaj, who boasts of his crimes on YouTube.

The Federal Criminal Police Office, the Austrian equivalent of the FBI, is now checking othere graves in the cemetary, of such great Viennese composers as Ludwig von Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Arnold Schoenberg.

Austrian Police have started an investigation in May, and they found the claims on the video were true, the famous musicians teeth have been removed.

The thief could be facing from six months up to ten years of prison sentence claims Thomas Vecsey of the Vienna state prosecutor's office. "We hope we can charge him with burglary, disturbing the peace of the dead and other related crimes," he tells ABC News, "But the fact that he is not Austrian and does not reside in Austria, complicates things."

Johann Strauss II was known as "The Waltz King". His "Blue Danube" waltz has been used in varous stage productions, movies, tv shows, and cartoons. It is probably the world's most famous waltz tune. Although it was very different in style, Brahms' music is just as popular and esteemed. Every night his "Lullaby" is sung to millions of children at bedtime.

The two men were close friends. Strauss admired Brahms and dedicated his waltz -- "Seid Umschlugen, Millionen!"("Be Embraced, You Millions!"), Op. 443 to him.

And story that is told in biographies of both men tells how Strauss's wife Adele approached Brahms with a customary request, that he autograph her fan. It was usual for the composer to inscribe a few measures of his best-known music, and then sign his name. But Brahms, instead, inscribed a few measures from the "Blue Danube", and then wrote beneath it: "Unfortunately, NOT by Johannes Brahms."

The Central Viennese graveyard that is the scene of the crime is also legendary. The world famous composers, and other well-known figures are buried there and it is a tourist attraction. The 71 tram that goes there is so well known that, in Vienna, someone who has passed away is said to have "taken the number 71 tram." Very few people try to steal the tram, even fewer to put it into their museum. Here are Ondrej Jajcaj's signature pieces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqT6U_YRMBU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL09FE90CDA0B26A2A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEM_w7IWVE His Faxcebook page is full of evidence of his obsession with skulls. http://www.facebook.com/ondrej.jajcaj

Another of his websites is: http://flog.pravda.sk/slobodohrobarska-rakva.flog