August 23 — International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
On this day dedicated to remembering the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, questions often resurface about the ship Jesus of Lübeck and its role in history.
Yes, it is true that Jesus of Lübeck was one of the first ships used in the transatlantic slave trade. However, contrary to popular belief, the vessel had no connection to the church or to Christianity.
Built in the German city of Lübeck in the early 16th century, the ship was later acquired by England’s King Henry VIII to strengthen his naval fleet. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the ship was chartered to merchants who used it in the slave trade.
The confusion arises largely because of the ship’s name. Critics of the church have sometimes used this fact to draw negative associations, but historians stress that the name “Jesus” here carried no religious link—just as a footballer named Gabriel Jesus has no direct connection to Jesus Christ.
