At the beginning of August, a Second World War-era German DKW NZ-350-1 motorcycle was found in the Danube, right in the heart of the capital, by Batthyány Square.
Since then it has fascinated archaeologists, historians and military-history enthusiasts. It is extremely rare anywhere in the world for a relic from the past to surface in such condition.
The German motorcycle draws attention to the period when almost 100,000 German and Hungarian soldiers became casualties in Budapest, so that Nazi Germany's Third Reich could buy time against the Soviets.
Until the spring of 1944, Hungary was not considered a theatre of operations, partly because the war had not yet reached its borders, and partly because the Allies had not begun systematically bombing it. All that changed on 19 March 1944, when the armed forces of the Third Reich occupied Hungary.
This was not only a tragedy for Hungary's Jews and the civilian population in general, but also for all the soldiers who were deployed in Hungary in the service of Hitler's plans.
