The Erfurt Latrine Disaster of 1184, When the Floor Gave Way Beneath an Assembly of Nobles
In July 1184 King Henry VI convened an assembly at Erfurt to settle a feud. The packed upper floor collapsed, dropping dozens of nobles through the storey below and into the cesspit beneath the building. Around 60 died, most drowned in the latrine. The king survived by sitting in a stone window alcove.
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