The man died in 2007 in Vorarlberg province and left his estate to his son and daughter. However, a Dutchman has been trying to prove for several years that he is in fact the man’s biological son, and should share in the inheritance.

In June Dornbirn District Court ruled that the man’s body could be exhumed, in order to carry out a DNA test.

ORF Radio Vorarlberg reported that the exhumation was carried out in private.

The man who believes he was cheated of his inheritance was born in Vorarlberg in 1970, but grew up in Holland where he was adopted.

In 2008 he attempted to track down his biological father, and his research led him to Dornbirn. The two children of the deceased man deny there is any possibility that they may have a sibling and have refused to provide saliva for a DNA test.

The 37-year-old legitimate son from Dornbirn was arrested after allegedly threatening to kill the Dutchman if he succeeded in getting approval to exhume his father’s grave –  but has since been released without charge as there were no witnesses.

A forensics team from Innsbruck will do a DNA analysis of the dead man and a result should be available in a few weeks.