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"How did they poop?" is perhaps one of the less appealing yet inevitable questions one might ask about the Middle Ages. Sanitation was primitive compared to today, with many people using chamber pots that were dumped outside. Castles tended to have proper bathrooms with fixed toilets, known as garderobes. They generally emptied into cesspits or moats far below.
However, a particularly unique kind of garderobe can be found only in a relatively small area of modern-day Poland. The dansker is a tower perched over a stream or running water. Detached from the castle, they require crossing a bridge to reach, surely an inconvenience for anyone wishing to relive themself! On the positive side, their positions meant that they could also double as defensive towers.
The largest and best-preserved dansker is located at Kwidzyn Castle, 34 km south of the more famous Malbork Castle. Sticking out like a sore thumb from the rest of the complex, the toilet dates from the 1380s.
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February 13, 2026
