Most of us have experienced the unpleasantness of a malfunctioning toilet at some point in our lives, whether it’s the embarrassment of the toilet not flushing when you’re at a friend’s house, or the horror of flushing backed up and flooding onto the bathroom floor.  But even the worst toilet disaster stories I have heard can compare to the Toilet Disaster of 1184 in Erfurt, Germany.

In Medieval times, toilets were commonly just holes in the ground that would need to be emptied occasionally.  Some larger buildings had latrines that stuck out from the side of the building, allowing waste to fall into a moat or large pit that rarely needed emptying, if ever.

In the 12th century, Europe was marked by constant fighting among feudal lords.  King Henry VI stepped in to mediate one such dispute between Luis III of Thuringia and Archbishop Conrad of Mainz.  The exact nature of their disagreement is unknown.  King Henry VI called together the local nobles to help settle the dispute.

It is unclear exactly where the meeting took place.  Most historical accounts say the meeting took place in a church, but other accounts say they met in a nearby building.  What is clear is that the building was old.  It is also certain that this building had a large pit latrine.  This pit was not located outside the building but underneath.  When the nobles gathered for the meeting, the wooden floor collapsed beneath them, sending them into the latrine pit.

At least 60 but perhaps as many as 100 nobles died in this tragic toilet disaster.  The lucky ones died from the fall, but others either drowned in the pit, suffocated from the fumes, or were trampled by others trying to escape.  Just before the collapse, King Henry and Archbishop Conrad stepped into a stone alcove to discuss the reasons for the meeting.  They survived by hanging on to the iron bars of a window until they were rescued.  Louis III also survived.

Although many notable and important people died, the Toilet Disaster of 1184 is not well-known.  King Henry VI would later become the Holy Roman Emperor and one of the most influential men in the world, ruling over much of Europe and participating in the Third Crusade.  If he had drowned in the pit at Erfurt, history might have been very different.

Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.

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