Here is historical footage from the German Federal Archives showing the Rhine River during a severe drought in 1949.

Months of persistent drought caused the Rhine River’s water levels to drop to historic lows, exposing wide sandbars and rocky riverbeds that hadn’t been seen in decades.

The low water level made the river incredibly difficult for ships to navigate. In the ports of the Lower Rhine, cargo ships and barges had to lighten their loads by half just to safely pass through the narrowing shipping channels.

Water level gauges along the river stood 1 to 2 meters above the actual water surface because they were never designed for a drought this severe. Shoreline ferry ramps became steep and difficult to traverse. Standard boats anchored along the banks were left completely grounded on the dry riverbed.

Rhine 1921

The severe drought of 1949 officially surpassed the previous historic dryness records set in 1921:

Dresden 1904

Also back in July, 1904, the Elbe River at Dresden saw its lowest level since 1811: