Danube: Wehrmacht soldiers and WWII motorbike recovered after 80 years

Historic Discoveries Emerge from Budapest’s Danube After Eight Decades

Poinews.com – Danube – Low water levels in the Danube have revealed remarkable wartime relics resting on the riverbed near Budapest. Among the findings are two Wehrmacht soldiers, a vintage motorbike, and several anti-tank mines—each preserved for approximately 80 years beneath the muddy waters.

Exceptional Preservation Conditions

The harbor area at Batthyány Square typically hosts moored vessels, but this time it has yielded treasures from another era. The harbor mud contains a mixture of gas oil, creating an environment ideal for preserving both human remains and mechanical artifacts. This petroleum-rich sediment has kept identity discs remarkably clear, with letters and numbers still easily readable after eight decades.

It was thanks to this petroleum product that the mud had also preserved the identity discs exceptionally well, so that letters and numbers are still clearly legible.

Soldiers and Their Belongings

According to the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, a reburial specialist traveled to Budapest and conducted the exhumation alongside Hungarian colleagues. The soldiers’ remains were found alongside numerous Tellermine 35 anti-tank mines, which served as defensive weapons against armored vehicles during the Second World War.

Each soldier carried duplicate identity discs that functioned as personal identification. When a soldier died, one half of the disc was sent to the Wehrmacht information office to notify family members. In this case, both halves remain together, indicating that the death reports never reached Berlin. Following examination, the soldiers will receive proper burial at the Budaörs war cemetery on Budapest’s outskirts.

Motorbike and Additional Finds

Staff from the Institute and Museum of Military History retrieved the motorbike from the riverbed. They believe it is a DKW NZ 350-1 model, which was considered particularly robust and reliable during its service years. Alongside the motorcycle, a military decoration from the Second World War and a petrol can were also recovered.

Future Discoveries Expected

With water levels remaining extremely low, the Volksbund anticipates additional shipwrecks may surface, potentially revealing more war dead. Hungary holds primary responsibility for such discoveries, but if evidence suggests German war dead are present, the Volksbund will be notified and may participate in recovery efforts.