Erfurt latrine disaster

The king, having nearly met a truly disgusting end, had little desire to memorialize such a fiasco, and the Erfurt tragedy remained a relatively obscure footnote in imperial history.

Yet the Erfurt latrine disaster's true significance lies in what didn't happen.

had Henry VI himself perished in that cesspit, the future of the empire, and indeed of European history, might have veered onto a very different path.

Henry's survival ensured that he went on to become Holy Roman Emperor in 1191, and eventually one of the most powerful rulers in Europe.

A tragedy that seemed like an accident would be a perfect cover.

Plausible deniability, limited risk of exposure, and minimal direct reprisals.

In essence, the Erfurt Latrine disaster may have been the medieval equivalent of taking down a passenger plane just to eliminate one target.

Another intriguing angle involves King Henry VI himself.