Record low water levels in the Danube River, caused by extreme temperatures and drought this summer, have brought to the surface a dark part of Europe's military history. At least 20 German warships sunk during World War II are on display near the town of Prahovo in eastern Serbia.
The history of these ships dates back to September 1944, when retreating German forces, under the command of Rear Admiral Paul-Willy Zieb, deliberately sank more than 200 ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The aim was to create a barrier to slow the advance of the Soviet Red Army.
More than eight decades later, the rusting hulls of the ships and their broken masts have once again surfaced, creating serious problems for navigation on this part of the Danube. The danger is even greater because some of the ships may still have explosives and unexploded ordnance on board.
River cruise planner Kenneth Reece has described his experience on a Danube cruise, highlighting the contrast between the present-day landscape and the painful history that lies beneath.
“Today, you can sit on the deck of a river cruise ship with a glass of wine and watch these beautiful places pass by, but that same landscape has witnessed war, fascism, oppression and incredible human suffering. The Danube didn’t just take us through Europe. In many ways, it took us through the history of Europe,” Reece said.
But World War II ships aren't the only historical evidence to be uncovered by falling water levels. Other remains of historical and archaeological significance have also emerged along the Danube, including traces of the ancient Bridge of Constantine in Bulgaria, a British aerial bomb in Slovakia, and even woolly mammoth fossils dating back thousands of years.
