Macabrepedia: A Marriage of True Crime and the Truly Bizarre

Carl Tanzler and His Corpse Bride

October 04, 2021 Matthew & Marissa Season 1 Episode 9
Macabrepedia: A Marriage of True Crime and the Truly Bizarre
Carl Tanzler and His Corpse Bride
Show Notes Transcript

We talk about Carl Tanzler, a man who fell in love with a woman who then died from tuberculosis. But Carl Tanzler was consumed with grief and didn't want to let her go... so he didn't. In this shorter episode, we discuss this guy and his twisted arts and crafts project that used to be named Elena. 

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Matthew:

macabrepedia deals with dark subject matter that may not be suitable for all audiences listener discretion is advised. Funerals are expensive and take time to plan for many the need for a funeral comes unexpectedly for the Trojan people of Indonesia getting a funeral, right? Just right is a lifelong endeavor, and sometimes even beyond. When one of their number dies, they may not do so at a time where the proper offerings and festivities can be provided. So the family treats them as though they hadn't died at all, that they instead are just kind of asleep. They dress them they offer them food and drink, talk to them and visit them in their bedrooms. Funerals no small affair, not providing the proper send off to a relatively a terrible disrespect. Some funerals do not take place for years after the death of the person. And during that time they continue to live with those who love them most in life. Saying goodbye is difficult. Some want to make the end just right just perfect. Not sparing any expense and some just can't ever let go. Join us as we add another entry into this our macabrepedia

Marissa:

Hello and welcome to macabrepedia a marriage of true crime and the truly bizarre. We're your hosts Marissa and Matthew and Matthew what are we talking about today?

Matthew:

Today we are exploring the bizarre cob. It's a story of Karl Tassler or possibly count Karl von Kossel as he had a few aliases George Karl tandler, Count Karl tanzer von casole, but for this entry, we will be using Karl Tassler and I can use the count and we can call them the count if you prefer but it's fine. I'm gonna call them tanzer. tanzer was born in Dresden, Germany on February 8 1877. The earliest years of his life are not well documented, but it is reported that he travelled from Germany to India and then to Australia where he bought property and took on a love for engineering in the 19 teens while in Australia, he began work on building a transcontinental flyer with seeming aspirations of using it which transcontinental flight at this time was a huge feat. But before he got very far into it, the Great War, World War One started, and it wasn't a good time to be a German in British held territories. tanzer and others were held by authorities in a prison camp during the war. Apparently there are accounts of him trying to build a boat to escape from the island prison where he was being held. The man is handy and crafty and creative and driven for sure.

Marissa:

Usually good qualities. Yeah, always. Yeah. Well,

Matthew:

it's it's it's a story. Eventually he was released to Holland for like this prisoner exchange kind of thing. And from there, went back to Germany and to his mother, where he stayed for an additional three years before, under her advice, heading to the US where his sister had already emigrated to well in Germany, he does marry and he has two children, one of which is Colorista. And she eventually dies from diphtheria at the age of 10 which is a bacterial infection that causes a number of issues, one of which is a terrible cough, and some breathing problems and swelling. Kind of comes into play a little bit later. In 1926, tandler and his wife and his children, settle in Florida near Chancellor sister, in 1927. tanzer takes a job as a radiologist in Key West Florida at the US Marine Hospital under the name Carl von Kossel. Not count just Carl von Kossel. Like German names, the Vaughn Yeah, like the von Karl castle. I mean, it's just the Vonda mix of German Qs it's a cool bond. Sure, yeah. I mean, it flows well. So Key West is hours away from where his family was. And I believe that he left his family and was living alone in Key West at this point. I don't know exactly the details as to what happened there. But I believe that his wife and children stay in. It's called Zephyrhills. Florida. At this time, I believe his both of his kids are still alive at this time too. But now Chancellor seems to have had a number of adventures by this point. This is 1927 1928 So he's been in a internment camp in Australia. He's been all over the world to from Germany to India to Australia to Holland now the US but And you know he's he's notably eccentric in his hobbies and aspirations and he has been traveling across the world. He started building a transcontinental airplane and was put into that internment camp to try to build a boat to escape. I mean the guy, the guy has aspiration, but one of the most influential moments in his life came from his childhood. While visiting Italy, young count George Vaughn Carl von casole tandler or whatever we're using for his name, it was visited by the spirit of his ancestor count tests and Constantia von Kossel, who revealed to him the face of his one true love. The woman he was destined to love beyond all others. She was an exotic, dark haired woman from afar off land. Alright, they

Marissa:

always

Matthew:

know he's already. I mean, what's far from? I mean, she's dark haired. I don't know, he's in Italy at this point. I don't know. But

Marissa:

I mean, it sounds like he's been all around the world. So where's this?

Matthew:

That's I'm saying my how far off is this, but this is this is a childhood vision, maybe that's part of why he decides to travel all over the place. But we're gonna fast forward back up to 1930 April 22. Actually, the 53 year old Carl tandler is working in the US Marine Hospital in Key West Florida, where he meets the 20 year old Elaina Milagro. De Hoyos, or Helen, Helen or Elena was a young, beautiful dark haired Cuban American Girl and tansor through meeting her in the flesh for the first time realized he had known her from his visions given to him by his ancestor, so many years ago. Now, Elena had been brought to the hospital by her mother on the account of a persistent cough. She was living with her parents after having a recent miscarriage and separation from her husband, Lewis mesa. Elena continued to visit the hospital and tandler continued to get closer to her both her and her parents, tansor gain their trust and when Elena was diagnosed with tuberculosis, he stepped in and offered to help tuberculosis at this time, the 1930s was a very fatal disease. Still, the doctors didn't have a lot of answers for the family, but tandler not a doctor, a radiologist, aka the guy who runs the X rays machine said that he wanted to do some, some treatments on her that he he wanted to help in any way he could. And he had some ideas.

Marissa:

Did he have some antibiotics?

Matthew:

I don't, I don't know exactly. I imagine that. He he hit her with a few X rays, hoping to burn it out or something. But the oil is obviously they wanted to give their daughter every chance that they could to help her recover. So of course, the family accepted his offer to help. tandler procured medical equipment, including the X ray machine, electronic devices, various medicines, and brought this to the residents and set it up and was at the house pretty constantly throughout the time giving his treatments to Elena. Also, I imagine he has a German accent which, you know, if somebody in a lab coat and a German accent comes and tells you that he has some treatments for you. And if you see a picture of, of Chancellor, he, he looks the part of the the mad scientist

Marissa:

is in the 30s though, right? So this is before all that, you know profiling of World War Two.

Matthew:

Yeah, this is still this Yeah, this isn't like Yeah, but he doesn't come across as like the, you know, like the crazy Nazi doctor but he's still he still has an accent that gives authority like most accents is pre

Marissa:

that, you know, profiling German doctors, I guess

Matthew:

I was just talking that he had a he probably had a trustworthy accent because he saw anyways, so tandler acted as her specialist, but he would also bring her gifts like jewelry, clothing, little trinkets, just things to show that he cared and tanzer spent many hours with Elena comforting her and doing what he believed was the best effort to save her. But no matter what he tried, it didn't work. And on October 25 1931, Elena Milagro de Hoyos, probably destroying her name by the way full name. No, Elena is just Yeah, Elena is really good. And I was calling her Helen nice wishes to Elena. But Elena on October 25 1931. She died from complications due to tuberculosis. The family was obviously devastated. Now. I know what you're thinking. But, but his ancestor gave him a vision that he was destined to to love her. And you didn't provide any evidence that they were in love. Where is the love story? I know I hear you. I hear you. Well, no evidence shows that they had any romantic connection, or that Elena ever responded to his gifts with any level of affection. But don't let that fool you. We will get into the love story. After we see what we can dig up from our sponsors. Oh no. This week's sponsor is the memory of lost loved ones. losing loved ones is the most emotionally painful thing a person can go through in life. Regardless of your beliefs, it is never very easy to deal with loss. So we thank all those lost loved ones who whose presence helped make us who we are now, and who we will be in the future. You are physically gone but your memories live on in those that remain. Of course, also check out the show notes where you can find links to our affiliates, one of which is our podcast host Buzzsprout. If you use that link and sign up for a paid plan, it helps out macabrepedia as well as gets you a $20 amazon gift card. But sprout is a great hosting platform with tons of time saving and easy to use features that can help you tighten up the sound learn how to reach your audience and provides you with easy ways to get sponsors like you know, real sponsors, not like the one I just gave you there but the kind that make you money, you know, so if you're thinking about starting a podcast, check out bus Pro and use the affiliate link. And now back to our McCobb story. After Elena's death, tanzer was distraught and paid

Marissa:

for the funeral, not only one good thing came from it.

Matthew:

And also with the permission of the family. He had an aboveground mausoleum built in the Key West cemetery. Wow. The model ito the mausoleum had a locked door that only Chancellor had a key to Oh, no, he could be found there in the mausoleum almost every evening. He would be singing Elena's favorite Spanish songs and talking to her as if she was still alive and sweet.

Marissa:

But maybe her parents should have a key. Well, yeah, well, you know, why

Matthew:

don't you just leave a leave a mausoleum locked? You know? I don't really do not. I mean, he's not in Indonesia. This is Key West Florida. I mean, you know, Florida listeners. I mean, you're known as weird. You're known as weird, but yeah, I don't know. They love you. But it's weird. Yeah, sitting in a mausoleum singing songs is I mean, it's touching. It's sweet. He's not I mean, it is what it is. Well, that is until one night in April 1933 when Taylor went into that mausoleum with a toy wagon.

Marissa:

Okay, I knew something was coming, but I wasn't expecting a wagon. Yeah, like a

Matthew:

little red like Radio Flyer, kind of red wagon that you had as a kid. He went in and he retrieved Elena's body. He brought the body back to his home where he then began to the preserve the body as best he could. He cut her open and filled her torso with rags to keep her form. He took piano wire and fastened the fasten it through her joints and bones to keep her limbs from falling off. He wrapped her form in scented linens, wax and plaster of Paris. He replaced her eyes with glass beads that obviously looked similar dyes, and the finishing touch. Well, a wig he had made from lots of Elena's actual hair that he had gotten from her mother. He did everything he could to make her appear alive. He dressed her and perfumed her took every step he could to halt her decomposition and preserve his body.

Marissa:

I'm assuming she died with hair tuberculous doesn't typically make your hair fall out. So why did she Okay, so did they shave her head? Why did her mother have her? I don't understand what's going on here.

Matthew:

That's not the part. That's weird bed. shaped. Her being bald is not the weird part of that.

Marissa:

That is weird. I have to admit it's one little tiny part of rare weird

Matthew:

Glasner with radiation and stuff falling off. Yeah, but it doesn't fall out. Okay, whatever it was. I don't know what medicines he gave her. I do know that he took her corpse well just keep throwing it together on a piano wire. So

Marissa:

she's she's got away Gotcha. Go ahead. Doesn't awake isn't the weird part. Let's keep going.

Matthew:

Continuing with the story if you thought the Whig part was weird. Now the sources differ on this exact detail as to what what got Elena sister involved. But in October of 1940 after supposedly hearing that a local boy had peeked through tanglers parlor window and saw tandler and Elena dancing together. Elena sister went to Tanzania and confronted him. Needless to say, the authorities came to search the home and found the body of Elena. Some reports say that he had kept her in in or had a workshop that was in the fuselage of a broken down airplane. I don't know you You know that he liked airplanes or whatever because he built that and back. eccentric. He's a little eccentric. Yeah. But regardless, they found the body. They detained tandler and had him arrested and psychiatrically evaluated. He was found competent to stand trial for the wanton and malicious destruction of a grave and removing a body without authorization. The charges were dropped. tanzer was released and the public seem to sympathize with tanzer as some sort of eccentric romantic

Marissa:

clearly did not see Elena's corpse. Well,

Matthew:

actually they did. The body was put on display and 1000s of visitors like 6000 people came to see it. Eventually it was returned to Key West cemetery and buried in an unmarked grave to prevent tampering. Oh, yeah, you can you can see her body. It There's pictures of I've seen

Marissa:

I've seen pictures. I think of this. Yeah. So like waxy Logan.

Matthew:

Was he had he eventually made like a death mask ever. Go back to our first. But yeah, he had made that well. And which comes into play pretty quickly, too. Here. In 1944. Taylor had moved closer to his family in Zephyrhills, Florida. His wife, Doris, who was still his wife throughout this, I guess, but I'm fairly certain that they were separated since the 1930s. But he moved back up closer to the rest of his family. And they help support him in his later years. Being separated from Elena was not easy for Chancellor. So, so strong was his obsession that he had created a life sized effigy. Which is like a doll of her. Yeah, well, I guess more appropriately, Elena. He had used a death mask and he sculpted her new face and, you know, built built built as close to her initial body as he could. A an effigy of her. At the age of 75. Carl tanzer died in his home. His body was found three weeks after the time of death. Some reports say that he was collapsed behind a piano. Some and obviously this one is the better one. Some reports have him laying on his floor in the middle of a room wrapped in the arms of Elena. Rumors in tabloid state that tanzer had found the grave site and swapped the body and the effigy so that it was actually the real Elena that was found in his home at the time of his death.

Marissa:

So was it

Matthew:

rumors and tabloids?

Marissa:

Well, okay, okay. I'm assuming then that is not true. And they didn't do any test on it. And it was just, definitely all.

Matthew:

Well, I mean, you kind of think this is from this is a 20 year old corpse at this point to like, it's kind of it's it would be more more doll than than person at this point anyways, I mean, yeah, I mean, I guess they could have I don't I don't think that they ever did. I don't I don't think that it was there's ever a question on that. But it could have been, and I prefer to think that that was I mean, he does seem like the type of guy who would have just poked holes in the ground with like, there's multiple slides. Yeah, digging around, seeing he he could find her her location. Further rumors and spec speculations and possibly just people trying to make it seem like it's more sinister than it may have actually been, such as on HBOs autopsy. There was it which is a TV show. Yeah. This is where I first heard the whole story. They claimed that upon later autopsy of Elena, not the doll version, but the actual Elena, they revealed that tanzer had inserted a cylinder into her abdomen to allow for intercourse. But it doesn't seem to be from any, like notable sources and incredible sources of I mean, I'm sure HBO does their does their their their homework when they put something on like that. But who knows. Also, I had seen reports that that that didn't come out until years after everything and like nobody who had actually claimed that that had happened was actually somebody who actually participated in the autopsy. So

Unknown:

let's give let's give let's give a count. Carl

Matthew:

von Kossel tandler a break and assume that it was just a rumor Yeah, that he didn't actually do something like that. He may have been who knows? If we are only so lucky to be loved so deeply Am I right? But I don't know. I don't know how I'd feel about about having my body taken like that. I mean, I don't really feel much of an attachment to a body after after death. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like it's mostly young. It's just, I mean, I feel like it's mostly just vehicle for who I really am. You know, I mean, like, not necessarily even getting into like that soul and go into heaven or hell or whatever, anything like that, that I just, I mean, I feel like we're we're pretty we're more than just the meat, you know. So

Marissa:

yeah, I mean, I know people feel differently, but I've been in a room with a dead body and once that person died, it was like, they're gone. So I'm just gonna go cuz

Matthew:

they're gone. You can almost feel it. Yeah,

Marissa:

I mean, if you tell it's just, it's just empty now. Yeah,

Matthew:

you can you can kind of feel that I mean why but I've I mean, yes, no, I guess I mean, the situations that we have in that regard. I mean, there's definitely I mean, if you've ever this is more towards the listeners, I know that you have, but I mean, if you've ever like Ben to walked into a room and or into a funeral hall, and you see somebody in the casket like sometimes it really is like, oh, that they're sleeping, you know, yeah, they have a tendency to look that way. But if you're there at the time of death, it is. It does feel like there's a sudden vacuum suddenly in that room for sure.

Marissa:

I mean, I won't get too deep into it on this one. But like, for this particular instance, what happened to me, I mean, I was trying to feel like a moment, and I didn't, but it was, once I stopped paying conscious attention to it, it was like, Okay, well, they're there now. But then later, when they were gone, it was like, Okay, why I don't feel the need to stay here with this body anymore. Because this is not the person. Sure. I mean, some people feel differently. But yeah, I'm

Matthew:

sure a lot of people do. I mean, it's just I mean, I don't know I guess it's having having some kind of physical reminder of the person, you know, whether it's a great site ashes, an effigy, the actual corpse strung together with piano wire. I mean, some people deal with it differently. But I'm just not that I'm just not really that that person to, to really connect it to a body like that. I feel like,

Marissa:

I mean, it's nice, but I'm the same way. You know, I have a necklace with ashes in it, but I like it. And I had I carry it with me, but at the same time, I'm like, it doesn't make me feel any particular connection. Yeah,

Matthew:

yeah, I have my mom's ashes and stuff, too. And I mean, I don't I mean, I think of it more like, I don't know, that's, I mean, that's macabre. But yes, I guess I can say you guys know what you're in for him. This is this is this is the this is the people that I can say this stuff, dude, stop tuning in, if you if you don't like McCobb stuff, but I mean, like, I think it's cool to have my mom's ashes. But mostly because they're there. They're cremated ashes. You know what I mean? Like, if it was anybody's ashes, not even like somebody's particularly close to me, but if I just had a pile of somebodies ashes, I'd be like, Oh, that's cool. I have some of these ashes. The fact that it's my mom. I mean, it didn't mean it's not my mom. You know what I mean?

Marissa:

Like, I know, I feel the same way. I mean, it's, it's kind of cool to have and I do have some type of respect for it. But I don't have like an emotional need to be around it. You know? Yeah. I don't know. I know some people feel differently, but that's just how I feel about it.

Matthew:

I always assume that I'm the emotional minority when it comes to death and stuff like that.

Marissa:

I definitely am. I've learned that

Matthew:

yes, but I am yeah, originally with in regards to my mom's remains this this this podcast is slightly gone off to more more topic about well, it's about remains and you know, letting go. That was the subject we'll have a whole episode on. Yeah, but, um, but I had originally had my mom's ashes because one she she had cancer and was very concerned with the like, the cancer outliving her in a way you know, like continuing to survive on her remains and weirdness like that, but um, but I was originally going to take her ashes and and put it into a tattoo. But then I kind of remember that, pretty sure my mom hates tattoos. So I was like, maybe not. I still think she probably would have thought it was cool. But you know, you never you never know my mom. She changed her opinion sometimes very strongly without my without letting me know about how she felt thought about things like that. But anyways, that's gonna do it for today's entry into macabrepedia. This one and the next one are going to be a little bit shorter than they normally are. A lot of time constraints in regards to this.

Marissa:

Talk about that maybe a little bit once you know things get back to normal.

Matthew:

Yeah. But yeah, there's there's a couple of time. A couple of time restrictions that we have this week. But other than that, that's about it. i We appreciate you coming and joining us and of course as always reach out to us on social media, you can reach us on Facebook and Twitter at macabrepedia

Marissa:

and we're also on Instagram of course macabrepediapod. We're mostly active on Twitter though right now, to be honest. But we also have

Matthew:

which is still somewhat limited.

Marissa:

It's very limited But we,

Matthew:

you know, it's really putting out a little bit on you guys. Reach out to me you want to start a conversation. I ain't trying to blow you up by letting you know that the podcast is out. Like, you know, I'll throw it out there like share, you know, whatever get get try to get some traction. I mean, we I appreciate you guys, you know, listening and we can't spread the word without without a little help from you. So you know if you know anybody who wants to hear about me tattooing myself with my mom's ashes do it. I might still do it.

Marissa:

Or disconnect from our mother's earthly remains. Yeah. Or you

Matthew:

know, whatever. You know, your friends ain't gonna judge you let them judge us.

Marissa:

Yeah, that's why we did a podcast

Matthew:

but um, but anyways, yes, Gmail.

Marissa:

Yeah, we're macabrepediapod@gmail.com on show notes.

Matthew:

And we have a YouTube channel not not a lot of views on any of those I mean, most of our audiences is here on podcast form. But if you if you want to go to macabrepediapod I think for YouTube there's also a macabrepedia. That's to no there is no there's no yeah, there's Matt that's what I was trying to get to shut up. The Magnus macabrepedia which we didn't steal the name but when we put it in and we found that it was already there. We were kind of like oh man, but then we're kind of like, yeah, what did she ever make that movie she's talking about? Because I want to see that. Yo Magnum. If you're one of our listeners, hit us up.

Marissa:

We're gonna be sending people over there. So we already are actually got one

Matthew:

video and it's a good idea. I mean, not the name and we're not I came

Marissa:

up with the name on my own. And then I went and I searched and found it. But yeah, you know, everybody has the same good ideas, I suppose.

Matthew:

Yeah, but if you know Magda Sen this because I mean, this is probably the kind of stuff that she she and her friends are into. They are gonna make a movie about stuff like this. But anyways, reach out say hi, we'd like that. And as always, thank you and join us next week as we add another entry into this our macabrepedia normally there's a whisper but now there's not so that's good.

Marissa:

It was intentional.