Train-Obsessed Killer? Just a Fetish or More? The Case of Szilveszter Matuska

The tale of Szilveszter Matuska, a man driven by a dark and dangerous obsession with trains, stands as one of the most bizarre and chilling stories in criminal history. Born in 1892 in the small Serbian village of Cantavir, Matuska’s life was marked by upheaval and political instability, reflecting the tumultuous state of Eastern Europe at the time. However, it was his inexplicable fixation on train crashes that would ultimately lead him to commit horrifying acts of terror.

Early Life and the Hypnotic Encounter

Szilveszter Matuska’s early life is shrouded in mystery, with little information available about his childhood. Growing up in an ethnically Hungarian village that became part of Yugoslavia in 1918, Matuska’s formative years were shaped by the shifting political landscape. The only notable event from his youth occurred at a carnival, where Matuska claimed he was hypnotized by a performer. According to Matuska, this experience introduced him to a spirit named Leo, who would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Despite his strange encounter, Matuska excelled academically, particularly in mathematics and mechanics. His aptitude for complex technical subjects led him to train as a mechanical engineer. However, his career was interrupted by World War I, where he served as a junior officer and explosives expert, a role that seemed to ignite a lifelong fascination with destruction.

The Descent into Obsession

After the war, Matuska worked in the mining industry, where he could continue working with explosives. He moved to Vienna, married, and had a daughter, appearing to lead a successful and stable life. However, the return of Leo, the spirit he claimed to have met during the hypnotic encounter, coincided with a profound change in Matuska’s behavior. He became increasingly obsessed with trains, specifically the idea of train crashes.

In 1930, Matuska’s obsession took a dark turn when he bought his daughter a toy train for Christmas. This seemingly innocent gift triggered an intense fixation on trains derailing and exploding. Matuska began experimenting with his daughter’s toy train, simulating crashes and derailments, but his fantasies soon demanded real-life execution.

The First Attempts

On Christmas night in 1930, Matuska made his first serious attempt to derail a train. He loosened bolts on a section of track and waited for a train to pass. However, his plan failed when the train safely crossed the tampered section. Undeterred, Matuska tried again in January 1931, placing a piece of spare track across the rails. This attempt also failed when the train conductor spotted the obstruction and stopped the train in time.

Matuska realized he needed a more effective method and decided to use explosives. Leveraging his expertise and permits from his mining work, he acquired a significant amount of explosives. His next target was the Berlin Express in Germany. Matuska managed to plant explosives on the train, which detonated and blew the train off the tracks. While there were many injuries, miraculously, no one died. This partial success only fueled his obsession further.

The Vienna Express Attack

Matuska’s most devastating attack occurred on September 13, 1931, targeting the Vienna Express near Budapest. He planted explosives on a bridge, causing the train’s engine and nine cars to plunge into the water below. This time, 22 people were killed, and 120 were injured. Matuska, hiding nearby, watched the carnage unfold. According to his own account, he experienced a sexual climax as he witnessed the destruction, a symptom of a rare condition known as symphorophilia, where individuals derive sexual arousal from disasters or catastrophes.

Investigation and Arrest

Following the Vienna Express attack, police found Matuska near the wreckage, euphoric and offering to give a statement as a survivor. However, his demeanor and lack of injuries raised suspicions. Investigators found semen-stained underwear near the scene, which they somehow linked to Matuska. Despite the era’s limited forensic capabilities, this evidence, along with his suspicious behavior, led to his arrest on October 10, 1931, in Vienna.

Matuska confessed to his crimes but claimed that Leo, the spirit, was the true culprit. His bizarre defense and the strange nature of his obsession confounded the courts. Nevertheless, he was convicted in Austria for his non-lethal attacks and served six years in prison before being extradited to Hungary for the Vienna Express attack. In Hungary, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mysterious Disappearance

In 1944, as World War II raged on, the Hungarian government, desperate for soldiers, offered prisoners the chance to serve in the military. Matuska, with his explosives expertise, joined the demolition squad. However, he soon disappeared, and his fate remains unknown. Theories about his disappearance range from joining the Russian army to assuming a new identity or dying in an explosion during the war.

Conclusion

Szilveszter Matuska’s story is a haunting example of how deep psychological disturbances can manifest in horrific ways. His fixation on train crashes and the sexual gratification he derived from them led to tragic loss of life and widespread fear. Matuska’s case highlights the complexities of human psychology and the devastating impact of unchecked obsessions.

While Matuska’s ultimate fate remains a mystery, his legacy serves as a grim reminder of the potential for darkness within the human mind. The story of Szilveszter Matuska, the train-obsessed killer, continues to intrigue and horrify, standing as a testament to the unpredictable and often dangerous nature of human obsession.