Martin Luther's toilet unearthed

-22/10/04

German archaeologists say they have discovered the toilet on which Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses that launched the Protestant Reformation, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Luther frequently alluded to the fact that he suffered from chronic constipation and that he spent much of his time in contemplation on the lavatory.

Experts say they have been certain for years that the 16th century religious leader wrote the groundbreaking Ninety-Five Theses while on das klo, as the Germans call it.

But they did not know where the object was until they discovered the stone construction after recently stumbling across the remains of an annex of his house in Wittenberg, south-west of Berlin, during planning to plant a garden, the newspaper says.

"This is a great find," Stefan Rhein, the director of the Luther Memorial Foundation said, "particularly because we're talking about someone whose texts we have concentrated on for years, while little attention has been paid to anything three-dimensional and human behind them.

"This is where the birth of the Reformation took place.

"Luther said himself that he made his reformatory discovery in cloaca [Latin for "in the sewer"]. We just had no idea where this sewer was. Now it's clear what the Reformer meant."

What makes the find even more fitting is that at the time, faecal language was often used to denigrate the devil, such as "I shit on the devil" or "I break wind on the devil".

Prof Rhein said: "It was not a very polite time. And in keeping with this, neither was Luther very polite."

The 450-year-old lavatory, which was very advanced for its time, is made out of stone blocks and, unusually, has a 30cm-square seat with a hole. Underneath is a cesspit attached to a primitive drain.

Other interesting parts of the house remain, including a vaulted ceiling, late Gothic sandstone door frames and what is left of a floor-heating system.

This presumably gave Luther an added source of comfort during the long hours he spent in contemplation.

Prof Rhein said the foundation would prevent the 80,000 visitors who arrive in Wittenberg each year in search of the spirit of Luther, from sitting on the lavatory. "I would not sit on it. There's a point where you have to draw the line," he said.