Slovenac steamship wreckage revealed by low Sava River water levels

Record low water levels in the Sava River have revealed the wreckage of the historical steamship ‘Slovenac’, which has rested on the riverbed for 81 years. Located between Sremska Mitrovica and Šapac, the vessel is often referred to by locals as the ‘Titanic of the Sava’.

Built in 1913 at a shipyard in Budapest within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the ship was originally named ‘Vag’. Following World War I, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes as war reparations and was renamed ‘Slovenac’. During World War II, the vessel served under German occupation before being taken over by the Yugoslav National Liberation Army.

Historian and Director of the Museum of Srem, Andrija Popović, noted that the ship was used to transport war materials and wounded soldiers during the final stages of the war. Although the ship survived two previous sinkings in 1944, it ultimately sank for the third and final time on April 25, 1945. The current low water levels have made the wreck highly visible, with local residents noting it has created a small island area used by locals during the summer.