Children playing in a stream near the town of Völklingen, in western Germany's flood-affected Saarland, discovered an artillery shell from World War II, police said on Sunday evening.
The children found the object early on Saturday evening after it had been likely dislodged by flood waters, the police said.
Upon closer inspection the object turned out to be a US shell from WWII. The police explosive ordnance disposal service removed it, a police statement said, adding there was no danger to residents.
Germany is accustomed to finding unexploded World War II munitions from Allied and Soviet bombing campaigns. Most are defused by bomb disposal experts without incident.