The English calamity (German: Engländerunglück) was a hiking disaster which took place on the Schauinsland near Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on 17 April 1936. The tragedy unfolded when a group of twenty-seven English schoolboys were stranded after they were led up the mountain by their teacher, Kenneth Keast, who ignored multiple warnings of poor weather conditions. While hiking along the crest of the mountain, the ill-prepared group became disoriented due to fog and an ongoing snowstorm. With the intervention of residents from a nearby village, the majority of the group were returned to safety. Five students died from exhaustion.
Following the tragedy, Keast gave a misleading account in which he denied culpability and insisted he was unaware of the imminent weather. He was hailed as a hero, and his true role in the accident remained unknown for decades.
The Nazi regime used the incident to put forth a propaganda narrative presenting itself as a benevolent state despite worsening relations with the United Kingdom. Both the German and British governments declined to investigate the incident, in order to avoid jeopardising relations. It was not until the 2010s that the events leading up to the English calamity were more thoroughly re-examined.
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