A German DKW NZ 350-1 motorcycle has been uncovered by experts from the Museum and Institution of Military History after the Danube’s record-low water level exposed a World War II-era site in Budapest. German TMi-35 anti-tank mines, hand grenades, artillery shell fragments, German and Soviet infantry ammunition, animal bones and civilian pottery were also found at the site.
While the exceptionally low level of the Danube has caused numerous problems in recent weeks, it has also led to an extraordinary archaeological discovery. Passers-by spotted the fork of a motorcycle protruding from beneath the rocks along the embankment at Batthyány Square, prompting specialists from the Museum to investigate.
They confirmed that
the object was a remarkably well-preserved German DKW NZ 350-1 military motorcycle dating back to World War II.
The low water level had also exposed far more dangerous finds, including around six German anti-tank mines still attached to their carrying frame, as well as hand grenades and artillery shell fragments. Because the motorcycle attracted considerable public attention, authorities secured the site overnight before soldiers from the Hungarian Defense Forces carried out bomb disposal operations.
Photo: Museum and Institution of Military History
Excavation of the motorcycle and its surroundings began the following day. As layers of mud and debris were removed, archaeologists uncovered a wide variety of accompanying finds, suggesting that the site may have served as a “wartime dumping pit,” where military equipment and other debris were discarded after the Siege of Budapest.
Among the first discoveries were German and Soviet infantry ammunition, animal bones and civilian ceramics. The mud had preserved the motorcycle and several military items in remarkably good condition, including a German Y-strap harness and a bayonet frog. More severe corrosion was found only on parts that had periodically been exposed due to fluctuating water levels.
As the excavation expanded, even more unexploded ordnance was discovered. In total, ten German TMi-35 anti-tank mines were recovered, requiring bomb disposal experts to return to the site. Their removal temporarily forced the closure of traffic along Bem Embankment.
Photo: Museum and Institution of Military History
Recovering the motorcycle presented a significant challenge.
Located on steep, rocky terrain below the embankment and weighing more than 200 kilograms after absorbing mud and water, it could not be lifted directly onto the riverbank.
The Pest County Search and Rescue Service assisted by dispatching a rescue vessel, which transported the motorcycle across the Danube to the Pest side. From there, it was taken to the Museum and Institution of Military History’s storage facility on Kerepesi Road, where it will undergo cleaning and conservation together with the other recovered artifacts.
Beneath the motorcycle, museum experts also discovered human remains. Based on the associated artifacts, they initially believed the remains belonged to World War II soldiers. Specialists from the institute’s War Graves and Military Heritage Directorate began the excavation, but further examination established that the remains were those of German soldiers. Responsibility for the recovery was therefore transferred to the Hungarian representative of the German War Graves Commission, which will complete the exhumation.
The Danube’s exceptionally low water level has exposed more than just this wartime site.
In recent weeks, several other historical discoveries have emerged along the river. In Hungary, unexploded World War II bombs have been recovered at multiple locations along the riverbed. Near Vámosszabadi (northwestern Hungary), on the river’s floodplain, the wreck of a World War II vessel has also become visible as the water has receded.
The wreck of a ship that sank during World War II in the Danube floodplain, as the river reached a record low water level, near Vámosszabadi on July 28, 2026. Photo: MTI/Krizsán Csaba
In Budapest, meanwhile, parts of the city’s former Franz Joseph Bridge have appeared above the waterline, revealing structural elements long hidden beneath the Danube.
The remains of the former Franz Joseph Bridge have become visible in the Danube beneath the Liberty Bridge due to the extremely low water level. The bridge was destroyed in 1945 during World War II. Photo: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán
Further downstream, in Novi Sad (Újvidék, Serbia), the remains of an 18th-century fortress have re-emerged, offering a rare glimpse into the region’s early modern military architecture.
Via MTI, honvedelem.hu; Featured image: Museum and Institution of Military History