Extremely low water levels in the Danube River in Budapest have exposed several World War II-era artifacts and human remains. The river has reached record-low levels following a prolonged drought in the region.
Staff from the Institute and Museum of Military History of Hungary recovered a DKW NZ 350-1 military motorcycle from the riverbed near Batthyány Square. The motorcycle, which was produced for the Wehrmacht and known for being robust and reliable, weighed over 200 kilograms due to being saturated with mud and water.
During the recovery, two sets of human remains belonging to German Wehrmacht soldiers were exhumed from beneath the motorcycle.
The soldiers' identity discs were found to be intact, with both halves still together. The presence of gas oil in the mud near Batthyány Square created conditions that preserved both the remains and the discs.
The German War Graves Commission was involved in the exhumation of the remains with the assistance of Hungarian colleagues. The soldiers' remains are scheduled to be reburied at the Budaörs war cemetery on the outskirts of Budapest, a site that contains more than 16,000 German war dead.
Military artifacts and debris
The recovery included ten German Tellermine 35 (TMi-35) anti-tank mines. Other items found included remnants of hand grenades, artillery shells, and both German and Soviet infantry ammunition.
A petrol can and a military decoration were also among the recovered items.
The Hungarian Military History Institute suspects the location may have been used as a 'Kriegsschuttgrube,' or war debris dump, for military and civilian waste following the Battle of Budapest.
The motorcycle was transported via a rescue boat to the Pest side of the Danube before being moved to a storage hall at the Military History Museum.
Environmental and regional impact
The drought has impacted regional infrastructure. In Hungary, the Paks nuclear power plant, which relies on the Danube for cooling, has had three of its four turbines shut down. According to reports, at the time of reporting, the plant was operating at slightly more than ten percent of its normal capacity.
According to reports, temperatures in Hungary reached between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius on the day of reporting. As part of energy conservation efforts, decorative lighting on major landmarks, including the Parliament, parts of Buda Castle, and the Chain Bridge, has been turned off at night.
According to reports, in Serbia, German warships from the Black Sea fleet that were sunk by German troops in 1944 are emerging from the Danube near Prahovo. These wrecks contain munitions and explosives that may pose hazards to navigation when water levels are low.
