Dansker
Dansker
Castle tower toilet adjoined by a bridge
A dansker (also danzker) is a toilet facility, belonging to a castle, that is housed in a tower over a river or stream. The tower, a type of garderobe tower, is linked to the castle over a bridge, which has a covered or enclosed walkway. The dansker is frequently found on German Ordensburgen and is an architectural feature of the 13th and 14th centuries.
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The origin of the word, first used in 1393, probably comes from the town of Danzig.
A famous example is the dansker at Kwidzyn Castle in Poland, although it was rebuilt in the 19th century and no longer retains its medieval appearance.
If danskers or a garderobe were not available, outhouses served as toilet facilities in castles. However, if many people stayed in the castle permanently, these were no longer sufficient, and a separate exit over running water was then more appropriate. That is why Dansker are mainly found at German Ordensburgen, which were constantly occupied by a large number of knights.