Rescue workers found the brothers in the lake and they were taken to hospital but did not survive.
Two British children have died after being pulled from a lake during a holiday in Germany.
The brothers, aged seven and nine, were visiting the Eiserbachsee, near Aachen, when their parents reported them missing on Thursday afternoon.
Rescue workers found the boys in the lake, which is close to the border with Belgium, and they were taken to hospital but did not survive.
Unconfirmed reports say they were unable to swim.
The public prosecutor’s office in Aachen said it was trying to work out whether there was any suspicion of a criminal offence, including negligence.
But a spokeswoman said: “We don’t have a specific focus, we’re just doing our job.”
The lake is supervised by volunteer lifeguards but only during weekends.