Dry rivers don’t just reveal cracked earth—they uncover memories carved in stone. Across Central Europe, the Elbe has exposed its “hunger stones,” turning a medieval warning into a very modern signal about drought and risk.
Messages Carved In Stone
When rivers run low, the Elbe’s stones reappear—none more famous than the slab at Děčín bearing the inscription “Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine” (“If you see me, weep”). Researchers note that while the earliest legible year on that stone is 1616, traces of even earlier droughts (including 1417 and 1473) and a string of later years into the 19th century are recorded.¹
Did you know? Historians consider hunger stones primarily low-water markers—practical hydrological records as much as laments.
These markers were community alerts: if you could read them, crops and food prices were likely in trouble, and hardship was close behind.
Huiveringwekkend. Door de droogte in Europese rivieren komen er Hungersteine bovendrijven. Macabere waarschuwingen van onze 15e eeuwse voorouders over hongersnood.
‘Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine’https://t.co/kbo03caaZX pic.twitter.com/CMTcMvfQQp
— Olaf Koens (@obk) August 11, 2022
Warnings From The Past
The stones last made headlines in 2018, when an intense European drought exposed more than a dozen along the Elbe.² Experts later cautioned that conditions unfolding in 2022 could prove even worse than 2018—possibly the most severe in 500 years, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).³
Recent droughts in Europe once again made visible the “Hunger Stones” in some Czech and German rivers. These stones were used to mark desperately low river levels that would forecast famines. This one, in Elbe river, is from 1616 and says: “If you see me, cry”#archaeohistories pic.twitter.com/rkPDVw7uPx
— ArchaeoHistories (@histories_arch) August 14, 2022
Echoes Across The Continent
As water levels fell elsewhere, Europe’s rivers yielded other reminders. In Italy, the shrinking Po River turned up a 450-kg unexploded World War II bomb, which was safely defused by the military.⁴ Forgotten bridges, sunken villages and long-submerged artifacts surfaced across the continent—attention-grabbing curiosities with a darker undertone: they signal prolonged water stress and the strain that follows on agriculture, energy and transport.
4. A 450 kilo, World War II-era bomb in Italy’s Po River. https://t.co/mumTLZ409U
— Aitor Hernández-Morales (@aitorehm) August 12, 2022
History Repeats Itself—Unless We Act
For communities along the Elbe centuries ago, hunger stones marked seasons of failed harvests and scarcity. Their recurrence today carries a broader message. During the 2022 crisis, the European Drought Observatory reported roughly 47% of Europe under drought warning (soil-moisture deficit) and 17% under alert (vegetation stress)—a near-continent-wide signal to build climate resilience.⁵
So when we read “If you see me, weep,” it’s no longer a relic from another era. It’s a reminder that without sustained action—from water efficiency and drought planning to resilient farming—those carved warnings will keep returning.
Footnotes
“Hunger stones, wrecks and bones: Europe’s drought brings past to surface” — The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/19/hunger-stones-wrecks-and-bones-europe-drought-brings-past-to-surface
“Drought in Central Europe Reveals Cautionary ‘Hunger Stones’” — NPR — https://www.wunc.org/2018-08-24/drought-in-central-europe-reveals-cautionary-hunger-stones-in-czech-river
“Daily News 23/08/2022 (JRC briefing: ‘worst since at least 500 years’)” — European Commission — https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/mex_22_5123
“WW2 bomb revealed in drought-hit waters of Italy’s River Po” — Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ww2-bomb-revealed-drought-hit-waters-italys-river-po-2022-08-07/
“Nearly two-thirds of Europe facing drought or drought risk; 47% under warning” — Reuters (EDO summary) — https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nearly-two-thirds-europe-facing-drought-or-drought-risk-2022-08-23/
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Brian is a journalist who focuses on breaking news and major developments, delivering timely and accurate reports with in-depth analysis.
BrianFoster@glassalmanac.com
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