Where exactly were the remains of the German soldiers found?

The remains were found on the bank of the Danube at Batthyány Square in Budapest, directly opposite the Hungarian Parliament building.

What else was discovered alongside the human remains?

Alongside the remains, a nearly perfectly preserved German military motorcycle model DKW NZ 350-1, a military decoration, and numerous unexploded ordnance such as TMi-35 anti-tank mines were found.

Why is it believed that the families of the deceased were never notified of their deaths?

Intact identification tags were found with the bodies. According to the procedure at the time, in the event of death, the tag would be broken in half and one half sent to the relevant office. Since both tags remained intact, the soldiers were likely never officially registered as killed in action.

Where will the soldiers be buried?

After the identification process is completed, the remains will be buried at the German military cemetery in Budaörs near Budapest.

World

Danube Recedes, Revealing Eerie Scene Hidden for 80 Years

A.A. · Prije 1h | 3 min

Record-low water levels in Budapest have exposed the remains of two German soldiers and a nearly intact motorcycle from World War II.

Summary

Due to record-low water levels of the Danube in Budapest, the remains of two German soldiers from World War II have been uncovered.
Alongside the bodies, a nearly perfectly preserved military motorcycle DKW NZ 350-1 and intact identification tags were found.
The intact tags suggest that the soldiers were never officially registered as killed in action, and their families never received notification of their fate.
The remains will be buried at the German military cemetery in Budaörs after the identification process is completed.

Extreme drought and record-low water levels of the Danube in Budapest have revealed an eerie scene hidden for more than eight decades. On the riverbank at Batthyány Square, directly opposite the Hungarian Parliament building, the skeletal remains of two German soldiers from World War II were discovered, German outlet Bild reported on Thursday, August 7, 2026.

A passerby noticed part of a motorcycle fork among the rocks along the shore, leading to the discovery of the remains. Experts from the Hungarian Military History Institute soon arrived at the site to begin their investigation.

Nearly Intact Motorcycle and Dangerous Cargo

The investigation uncovered a German military motorcycle, believed to be a DKW NZ 350-1 model. This model was produced from 1944 for military purposes, and thanks to the river silt, it remained surprisingly well-preserved. However, during the extraction, a serious obstacle was encountered. Near the motorcycle, there were many unexploded ordnance, such as German anti-tank mines TMi-35, as well as remnants of hand grenades and artillery shells.

Due to the danger, bomb disposal experts had to intervene several times, and part of the riverside road was temporarily closed. Only after the explosives were removed could the experts continue excavating, and beneath the motorcycle, they discovered human remains.

Intact Identification Tags Key to Mystery

Analysis confirmed that the remains belong to two German soldiers. Although their identities have not yet been established, investigators have an important clue. Two identification tags, still legible with numbers and letters, were found alongside the remains. According to Bild, a mixture of river silt and fuel oil contributed to the preservation of the metal tags.

Arne Schrader, from the German War Graves Commission, said that the data will be compared with wartime records and military unit diaries to identify the fallen. A particularly interesting detail is that both identification tags were found intact. According to the procedure at the time, the tag was broken in two: one half remained with the body, and the other was sent to the relevant office to record the death and notify the family. The fact that the tags remained intact suggests that the two soldiers were never officially registered as killed in action, and their families never received notification of their fate.

A military decoration was also found, awarded to Wehrmacht soldiers who fought against the Soviets in the Caucasus, providing additional insight into their military past. In early 1945, Budapest was the site of heavy fighting between German and Hungarian forces against the Red Army. After the identification process is completed, the remains of the two soldiers are expected to be buried at the German military cemetery in Budaörs, where thousands of German and Hungarian war victims found in the city and its surroundings already rest.