BUDAPEST — Record low water levels on the Danube in Budapest have revealed the remains of two German Wehrmacht soldiers and a World War II-era motorcycle. The German War Graves Commission confirmed the exhumation of the soldiers' remains from the riverbed.
An anti-tank mine, identified as a German-made Tellermine 35, was also discovered. Its presence prompted the deployment of an explosive ordnance disposal unit to the site.
The motorcycle, believed to be a DKW NZ 350-1, was recovered by staff from the Institute and Museum of Military History. A military decoration and a petrol can were also found alongside the other relics.
The items had been submerged for approximately 80 years. Harbor mud at Batthyány Square, mixed with gas oil, created conditions that preserved the wrecks and human remains.
The soldiers' identity discs were exceptionally well-preserved, with letters and numbers still clearly legible. The discs served as a soldier's identification, carried in duplicate, with one half typically sent to the Wehrmacht information office in the event of death.
Both halves of the identity discs remained together — indicating that no report of their deaths ever reached the information office in Berlin.
A reburial specialist from the German War Graves Commission, working with Hungarian colleagues, conducted the exhumation. After examination, the soldiers are scheduled for burial at the Budaörs war cemetery on the outskirts of Budapest.
The critically low water levels, a consequence of heat and drought, have brought river cruise ship traffic on the Budapest stretch of the Danube to a standstill.
The German War Graves Commission said more war dead may be recoverable from shipwrecks currently emerging from the river. Hungary holds initial responsibility for such discoveries, with the Commission becoming involved if evidence of German war dead appears.
