“When You See Me, Weep” | ‘Hunger Stones’ Resurfacing in Europe Due To Record Drought
Reminders of a long-forgotten past are resurfacing all over Europe. The recent record droughts in Europe have brought to the surface some old reminders that, while we are experiencing an extreme summer with record heat waves and droughts, these extreme events are not unprecedented.
In the rivers Elbe and Rhein, which flow across central Europe into the North Sea, carved stones have resurfaced as the drought has brought their water levels to record lows.
These stones are the so-called “Hunger Stones,” reminders of droughts centuries ago, left as a warning for future generations. They have various inscriptions, some simply marking the year, others with warnings of impending bad harvests and potential famines. One found in in Děčín in the Elbe river reads in German “Wenn Du mich siehst, dann weine” which translates as “When you see me, weep”.
"It expressed that drought had brought a bad harvest, lack of food, high prices and hunger for poor people," researchers wrote. "Before 1900, the following droughts are commemorated on the stone: 1417, 1616, 1707, 1746, 1790, 1800, 1811, 1830, 1842, 1868, 1892, and 1893."