"If you see me, cry." Centuries-old "hunger stones" have emerged from the water in Europe.

"If You See Me, Cry." Centuries-old "hunger stones" emerge from the water in Europe.

Due to intense heat and prolonged drought, water levels in European rivers have dropped sharply, revealing so-called "hunger stones." These boulders contain carved markings and inscriptions that, for centuries, have served to record periods of extreme river dryness and associated food shortages.

One of the most famous of these stones is located on the Elbe River, near the Czech town of Děčín, close to the German border. It bears an inscription in German: "If you see me, cry." Although this phrase became widely known in the early 20th century, the stone itself contains markings of periods of drought dating back to at least the 16th century.

"Hunger stones" are boulders that are usually hidden underwater in riverbeds and become visible only when the water level drops significantly. Similar markings are found not only on the Elbe, but also on the Danube and Rhine. Some of them indicate specific years, including 1616, 1746, and 1842.

Research by historians and climatologists shows that these markings were more than just famine warnings. Many of them precisely coincide with documented periods of extremely low water levels and were likely used to record the river's condition.

The shallowing of the rivers hampered the passage of barges transporting grain, timber, and other goods, disrupted trade, reduced fish catches, and adversely affected harvests. This led to food shortages and rising grain prices.

The Děčín Stone holds a special place in history. According to one version, the famous phrase was carved into it in 1904 by local innkeeper and boatman Franz Mayer during a drought. The stone soon became a local landmark, and reports of it appeared in newspapers and on postcards.

Meanwhile, the stone itself almost disappeared. In 1904, local authorities planned to remove the obstructions from the Elbe Riverbed, but after intervention by the boating community, they preserved it. Later, in 1911, the famous inscription was re-carved below its original location, and in 1938, another inscription, this time in Czech, was added to the stone.

The appearance of "hunger stones" above water has regularly attracted attention in recent years amid droughts in Europe. They are considered historical markers of changing river levels, reminding us of the serious consequences of past water shortages for trade, agriculture, and food security.

As a reminder, due to heat and drought, approximately 550,000 residents of France have faced water supply problems, and more than 40,000 people are experiencing interruptions or have lost their drinking water supply entirely. In some communities, water has to be delivered by tanker trucks, while more than two-thirds of the country is already under water restrictions.