Danube low water reveals WWII motorcycle and soldiers in Budapest

Record low water levels in the Danube have revealed significant World War II artifacts near Budapest, Hungary. Experts from the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund) and the Hungarian Institute and Museum of Military History have recovered a nearly intact DKW NZ 350-1 military motorcycle, a model specifically developed for wartime use.

Alongside the motorcycle, investigators found the remains of two German soldiers, several Tellermine 35 anti-tank mines, hand grenades, artillery shells, and a fuel canister. The river's muddy bottom, mixed with petroleum derivatives, helped preserve the items, including highly legible identification plates. Because these plates remained intact, the soldiers' deaths were never officially recorded by the Wehrmacht's information bureau, meaning their families were never notified.

One soldier was found with a ‘Kuban Shield’ (Armelschild Kuban) decoration, awarded for combat in the Caucasus. The recovered remains and artifacts are being processed by specialists, and the soldiers will be buried at the Budaörs military cemetery. Due to the extreme drought, officials warn that further low water levels may expose additional shipwrecks and wartime debris along the riverbed.