The head of horror legend F.W. Murnau was stolen from his crypt
It's not the first time someone has broken into the crypt of Nosferatu director F.W. Murnau, but it is the first time someone has stolen his head.
Police say a head was removed from a crypt in the Stahnsdorf cemetery southwest of Berlin, and since wax drippings were found at the scene, the head will likely be used in an occult ceremony. While police would not say if it was Murnau's crypt, the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation confirmed that it is. "We have received this news with disbelief," Ernst Szebedits, managing director of the foundation, told NBC News. "It doesn't make sense."
Murnau died in 1931, and the crypt is also the final resting place of his brothers. A retelling of Dracula, Nosferatu is considered a horror masterpiece that has influenced numerous directors. Over the years, several occult ceremonies have taken place at Murnau's crypt, and people have damaged it, the cemetery's manager said. Police say they are not sure how long the head has been missing.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Pros and cons of oat milk
Pros and cons Oat has emerged as the king of Britain's plant-based milks, but how does it stack up against the alternatives?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What happens if TikTok is banned?
Today's Big Question Many are fearful that TikTok's demise could decimate the content creator community
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The unparalleled leader of the gentle parenting movement
In the Spotlight Dr. Becky became the face of a revolution in how we treat our children
By David Faris Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published