The stonemason Franz Nemec, together with his accomplice Gruber, works as grave robbers at the Vienna Central Cemetery. He receives the order from the antique dealer Kronhauser to get Beethoven's head out of his crypt. Nemec carries out the order and is found beaten to death a short time later. Inspector Moser takes over the case and discovers how Nemec made his money. In order to get to the perpetrators, Moser lets it be known in the press that Beethoven's head has long since crumbled to dust. His trick seems to work: Kronhauser's client, a certain Strasser, demands his money back from the antique dealer. He suspects that Kronhauser cheated on him and sold him a false head...