In 1820 Haydns mortal remains were tranferred to the vault of the Hill Church in Eisenstadt. On opening Haydns coffin, Prince Nicolaus II noticed that Haydns head was missing. It had been stolen immediately after the funeral by followers of Franz Joseph Galls theory.
They believed that all qualities of the human mind were based in the cortex and would show in imprints inside the skull.
From 1895-1953 Haydns skull was in the Museum of the Society of Music Friends in Vienna.