The only remaining Danube warship of the glorious Austro-Hungarian Navy

The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was the first country in the world – following the pioneer United States - that designed a new type of armoured river warship, the so-called monitor. S.M.S. Leitha was launched in Budapest, in May 1871, and participated in battles of the Monarchy against the Ottoman Empire in 1870’s.

Following a full-scale modernisation in the 1880’s, Leitha was a very important ship at the outbreak of the WWI. The first fallen sailor of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, János Huj, was serving on board when killed in the battle of 12th August, 1914. The ship’s biggest tragedy happened in October 1914, during the siege of Sabac, when the bridge suffered a direct hit, and all sailors and officers there died.

Afterwards, the S.M.S. Leitha was reconstructed and became the flagship of the Danube-flotilla. Leitha participated in the second occupation of Belgrade and in the battles against the romanian troops in 1916.

Lajta also took part in one of the first anti-communist rebellions of the world in June 1919, in an event which was named after her type: “monitor revolt”.

In 1921, Lajta was demobilised. Being converted to an elevator ship in 1928, and she participated in numerous construction projects. Only in 1981 the once glorious S.M.S. Leitha could be identified again.

Since 1992 Lajta has been a property of the Museum of Military History as a protected historic monument. During her most glorious days, sailors from 13 – today independent - countries served under the same flag of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. 91 years later, in 2009-10, with the financial support of the European Union, in which most of those countries are members today, the ship has been reconstructed to the conditions of the year 1887, and has been reintegrated under the name of Lajta Monitor Museum ship.

Today, Lajta is awaiting to make you acquainted with our history for being the oldest river battleship in the world.

Opening hours: every day 10-18 h