Dancing Plague

The Curious Case of the Dancing Plague: When an Entire Town Couldn’t Stop Moving

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The Dancing Plague of 1518: When Strasbourg Couldn't Stop Moving

In the sweltering summer of 1518, the city of Strasbourg, then a bustling free imperial city within the Holy Roman Empire, became the stage for one of history’s most bizarre and unsettling episodes: the Dancing Plague. It began innocuously enough. Frau Troffea, a woman of middling social standing, stepped out into the streets one sweltering … Read more

The Dancing Plague of 1518: Europe’s Mysterious Silent Epidemic

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The Dancing Plague of 1518: Strasbourg's Mysterious Silent Epidemic

Let us envision: Strasbourg, July 1518. The sun beats down on cobblestone streets, but the usual sounds of a bustling medieval city are replaced by a chilling, rhythmic thudding. A lone woman, later known as Frau Troffea, is in the throes of an uncontrollable dance. Her arms flail, her body twists, and her feet pound … Read more