Have you heard of a ‘latrine fall’? Or more accurately Erfurt latrine fall?
Yes, it is both what you are thinking and not what you are thinking!
Of all the ways to go, this is certainly not Noble!
Also remember that a petty fight can lead to a fall into the latrine!
Do read the blog only after taking some antacids!
So In July 1184, King Henry VI of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, who was ruler of Erfurt and the future Holy Roman Emperor, convoked a ‘Hoftag’, or informal assembly.
This was within the Petersberg citadel at Erfurt (in modern-day Germany).
The gathering aimed to address a dispute between the Archbishop of Mainz, Conrad of Wittelsbach, and Ludwig III, Landgrave of Thuringia.
The precise origins of the two men’s fight may not be known but people can fight over anything though land dispute seems to be the prime suspect! Closely followed by politics! Guess the world has not changed much for so many years!
Determined to mediate and resolve the feud, Henry summoned dozens of aristocrats and high-ranking officials from across the empire to attend a meeting! A Noble deed indeed!
The Hoftag commenced on the morning of 26 July, with many delegates arriving the day before, but it was not long before disaster struck.
The ancient wooden floor of the church collapsed under the combined weight of the nobles, and they were sent plummeting to the floor below! It of course did not help that the Nobles were in the prime of health and well fed!
Below waiting for them was the building’s fetid cesspit. Medieval latrines, primitive and often perilously constructed, were a far cry from the luxuries of modern sanitation, often amounting to nothing more than large pits where sewage was gathered. Erfurt was about to give a stark lesson in the dangers of such basic facilities!
Revolting and tragic in equal measure, an estimated 60 to 100 nobles perished: either crushed by the falling woodwork, drowned in the horrific contents of the latrine, or asphyxiated by the unholy fumes emitted by the rotting sewage!
Yet in spite of the huge death toll, all the key players in the dispute miraculously survived. King Henry and Archbishop Conrad escaped death by clinging to iron window railings.
Henry’s survival that day ensured that his reign dramatically reshaped politics in Europe. This might have taken a different turn had he perished in Erfurt’s cesspit.
Now in spite of the stink, I am sure everyone would be wondering whether the original dispute resolved? Well, the shocking event with toxic smell rendered any attempt of peace void in every sense!
It appears the enmity between Ludwig III and Archbishop Conrad may have persisted, but no Noble ever tried to intervene again especially indoors!
Hygiene was never a priority in this period, but the Erfurt Latrine Disaster stands as one of medieval Europe’s most bizarre and stomach-turning incidents! Luckily since ancient times, Hygiene has been given major importance in Bharat!
More importantly, any such dispute would have most probably solved by a discussion under a tree where the only risk would be an occasional bird dropping! A much better alternative to the Erfurt latrine fall!
Now that was a tragedy but later on it did get a humorous angle. Humor reminds me of Mario Miranda! My natural talent is being a Cartoonist which is why if I do not concentrate fully, the sketch has a very high chance of looking cartoonish! Then again being a huge comic book nerd I love cartoons especially the ones by R K Laxman who is my top favorite! Love Mario Miranda’s sketches too since they are typical! A normal sketch with exaggerated nose eyes or other face features!
The sketch though is real! Not cartoonish! I hope!
Shubh ratri!
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