At an altitude of 3100 meters

Bones of Austrian soldier discovered

The Adamello massif on the southern edge of the Eastern Alps (symbolic image).

(Bild: Wikipedia)

Researchers have discovered the skeletal remains of an Austro-Hungarian soldier at an altitude of 3100 meters in the northern Italian Alps. The death most likely occurred during the First World War in 1916. 

106 years after the end of the First World War, the bodies of fallen soldiers have once again been discovered in the northern Italian Alps.

Find in the Adamello massif
Researchers recovered the skeletal remains of an Austro-Hungarian soldier in the Adamello massif in Lombardy. The remains were found at an altitude of 3100 meters, according to the authorities.

They were recovered with the help of a helicopter from the fire department of the province of Trento. The remains will be examined and buried in accordance with the regulations of the relevant military authorities.

The remains, mainly bones, were discovered with military equipment on the surface of a glacier. The death most likely occurred during the fighting in the last days of April 1916.

Soldier was probably lowered into a crevasse
The finds - buttons, parts of a uniform and a votive medallion with a German dedication - allow the body to be attributed to an Austro-Hungarian soldier. Like many others, the fallen soldier was probably lowered into a crevasse by Italian soldiers, who were in contact with the rocky slope at the time. Several soldiers were buried in this way.

For 20 years, the Office for Archaeological Heritage in Trentino has been carrying out recovery work on the remains of fallen soldiers from the First World War. The aim is to gather information that could help identify the fallen soldiers, according to the experts.

Not the first such find
A few days ago, the skeletons of two Austro-Hungarian soldiers were recovered in the municipality of Borgo Valsugana at an altitude of 1032 meters. They are believed to have been killed between 25 and 26 May 1916 during the battle to conquer the summit as part of the Austrian "Strafexpedition" offensive.

Mass grave found in August 2022
In August 2022, a mass grave containing the bodies of twelve Austrian soldiers from the First World War was discovered above the Tonale Pass in Trentino. In addition to the skeletal remains, personal equipment was found - including crampons, boots, gas mask cases, tools and other items. Three foil containers in which paper enrolment certificates had been stored were also discovered. However, it was said that it would be extremely difficult to determine the identity of the fallen.