By Laura Fleischmann
11/08/2026 - 8:04 GMT+2
The water level in the Danube has never been this low. The low water has revealed what lay hidden on the riverbed for decades, including a Wehrmacht motorcycle of the DKW NZ 350-1 type from the Second World War. DKW stands for the abbreviation of "Dampfkraftwagen", a former German car and motorcycle brand from the Saxon motor city of Zschopau that was later taken over by Auto Union.
The motorcycle was found in the riverbed in the centre of Hungary's capital, Budapest, at the level of the Hungarian Parliament building. For staff at the local Institute and Museum of Military History, it is a genuine once-in-a-century find. The vehicle is almost completely intact, the institute reports. It was preserved in the Danube's mud.
The motorcycle recovered is a model developed specifically for the war and produced from 1944 onwards. It was equipped with a two-stroke engine producing 11.5 hp. Their robustness and reliability made these bikes popular with the troops. The DKW 350-1 is easy to recognise by the metal pannier mounted on the side – a feature also found on the bike from the Danube.
