A history of Black people in Europe

By Sibo Kano · Revised and expanded by Afro-Europe

"If anyone attempts to deny the Black historical presence in Europe, this documentary (2024)  by acclaimed filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu promptly shows the receipts. 

We Were Here is like a crash course in Black Studies, exposing you to a rich yet long-overlooked history and cultural imprint that Africans and Afrodescendants have left on Europe," writes Nina Camara in the film review ‘We Were Here’ at Afropean 

The documentary provides a powerful introduction to a history that is still often overlooked: the presence of people of African origin and descent in Europe long before the modern era. But this history reaches far beyond the Renaissance and beyond the people featured in the film. 

Portrait of an African Man by Jan Mostaert

Black people have been present in Europe for centuries, long before the transatlantic slave trade. Their presence can be traced back to Roman times and continued throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period. They were not simply outsiders or victims of history: among them were soldiers, merchants, scholars, artists, servants, nobles and members of European communities.

This is a lesser-known part of European history. The history of Europe is often presented as predominantly white, while the presence of people of African descent is treated as something that began with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. The reality is more complex.

People of African origin and descent lived in different parts of Europe at different times and in very different circumstances. Their numbers should not be exaggerated, nor should their presence be romanticised. But neither should it be overlooked.

One important example is the Muslim world of medieval Iberia, where people of North African and African origin formed part of the diverse societies of Al-Andalus. Black Africans were also present in Christian Europe, sometimes as soldiers, servants, scholars, musicians or members of the nobility.

Portrait of an African man by Jan Mostaert

The portrait by Jan Mostaert, painted in the early sixteenth century, provides a striking example. It depicts an African man dressed as a member of European high society, associated with the court of Margaret of Austria in the Low Countries. His precise identity and origins remain uncertain, and it is tempting to speculate that he may have had a Moorish or Muslim background, but this cannot be established with certainty. What the painting does demonstrate is that people of African appearance were visible within European society and culture at the time.

Below I will explore this history in more detail, with references to books, historical sources and online resources, as well as a list of early Europeans of African descent, each linked to further information. I do not want to overstate their numbers or influence, but I do want to make their presence visible. If you know of other sources, people or examples that should be included, I welcome additions and corrections in the comments.

Al Andalus

Many blacks who were Muslims converted to Christianity after the emirate of Al Andalus was abolished (end of 15th century). But the Reconquista took centuries (8th-15th century) and during those times black people gradually integrated the Christian and Northern European world. 

Among them were noble men and scholars. The negative image of blacks, as natural slaves, only gained prominence in the 18th century when the transatlantic slave trade became a central piece of European economical activity and later when European nation-states were being established. 

Slavery and racism

Of course slavery existed before racism. In the 15th century blacks and whites were enslaved indiscriminately. Blacks in the America’s could become free men and own their own slaves and land (which was rather common in colonial Brazil for instance). 

It is only in later years that being black made you a slave forever and by birth, or at least a kind of human always inferior to white people. This racial perspective on identity and humanity only gained authority in later modern times. Read more on the subject here.

Coat of Arms

Black people were part of European imagination and reality from very early times. We can say with certainty that there were black people in Europe before that white people reached the area south of the Sahara. North Africa, Iberia and the Middle East were the crossroad where black and white intermingled. 

In Europe references to blacks was a positive sign of strength and military power. Still today you can find many blacks in coat of arms for towns all over Europe, central, south and north, dating back to the middle ages. For examples of Moors depicted on European coats of arms, see the article “Moors on Crests” on the Black Central Europe website: Moors on Crests – Black Central Europe.

Sources on African Presence in Europe

In 2021 the Paris-raised, U.K.-based historian Olivette Otele wrote the book 'African Europeans: An Untold History', which traces the presence of people of African descent in Europe from as early as the era of the Roman Empire up to the present day.

 

“I’m literally in love with every single character even when they’re not particularly nice,” says Otele. “These are real people, and you can very much connect with them. I really see the links between the present and the past: these are stories that resonate, they’re about discrimination, about resilience, about success.” See Why the First Black Woman to Be a History Professor in the U.K. Sees Her New Book African Europeans as a 'Call to Arms'.

After the 15th century, Portugal entered an intense relationship with African kingdoms in the Gulf of Guinea and the Congo coasts. 

Slave trade (although not based on race) and exchange between the kings led to the presence of Europeans on the West- and Central African shores, just as Africans in Portugal. 

Accounts from those days tell us that the sight of black people in the streets of Lisbon wasn’t a rarity during the Middle Ages, more on the contrary. I want to refer to following books for those who want to know more about this topic:
Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, Thomas Foster Earle,K. J. P. Lowe(eds.)
Africa's discovery of Europe, David Northrup

As a consequence of the slave trade free blacks also arrived in Europe between the 16th and 19th century. 

Blacks lived in London, Liverpool, Lisbon, Seville, … during the 17th and 18th century. Other historical books with scientific authority give you in depth knowledge of this:
Hugh Thomas’s ‘The Slave Trade’
Ivan Van Sertima’s ‘African Presence in Early Europe’
All this publications teach us something about this hidden part of European history.

Leo Africanus

Leo Africanus is often stated as one of these black and European noble men and scholars. But it is rather speculation to state if he was black or white. He was definitely a Maure but as racism, whiteness and blackness were unknown concepts as we know it today, we can’t know his ‘race’ for sure. 

This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Even very common socio-cultural concepts of today such as ‘French’, ‘German’ or ‘English’ didn’t exist in those days such that it would be silly to argue whether historical figures of those days were German or French. Same thing is valid for the white and black race as defined today. 

Medieval Europe: St. Maurice

Saint Maurice is traditionally described as the commander of the Theban Legion, a Roman military unit associated with soldiers from Egypt. According to Christian tradition, Maurice and his fellow soldiers were martyred at Agaunum, in present-day Switzerland, around the late third or early fourth century after refusing to participate in the persecution of Christians. He became an important Christian saint in medieval Europe and was frequently represented as a Black African man in European art. Although the historical details of his life and the Theban Legion are debated, the long-standing tradition of Saint Maurice is significant because it shows how a Black African saint became part of European religious and cultural history. See more information at Medieval People of Color.

Famous Europeans with African ancestry (1500-1900)

Below I will list some of the most famous figures of European modern history (after 1500) who happened to be black or have African ancestry, but were integral parts of European (high) society. 

Most of the time the African ancestry of these people is ignored by history books although acknowledged and accepted by most history scholars. I think it throws a new light on the concepts of race and the meaning of blackness in the 21st century.

Alessandro ‘il Moro’ de Medici, Duke of Florence - 1510-1537 

In 2019, Afro-Italian filmmaker Daphne Di Cinto made the short film Il Moro, about Alessandro de’ Medici, known as ‘Il Moro’, the first Duke of Florence of mixed African and European heritage. Set in Renaissance Florence, the film explores Alessandro’s life, his position at the centre of political power, and the prejudice and tensions surrounding his identity. Il Moro offers a powerful reimagining of a largely overlooked chapter of European history.

Juan Latino - 1594 - 1597

Juan Latino (c. 1518–1596/1597) was a Black Spanish scholar, poet and professor of Latin at the University of Granada. Born in Africa and brought to Spain as an enslaved child, he received an exceptional education and eventually became a respected classical scholar and writer. He taught Latin in Granada and wrote several works in Latin, including poetry celebrating the Spanish monarchy and its military victories. Juan Latino is remembered as one of the earliest known Black intellectuals and published writers in early modern Europe.
 

A poem of the Spanish Black professor at the University of Granada during the sixteenth century.

Abram Petrovich Ganibal - 1696-1781

 

Abram Petrovich Ganibal (c. 1696–1781) was an African-born Russian military engineer, general and nobleman who became a prominent figure at the court of Peter the Great. Brought to Russia as a child, he received an education and rose through the imperial military and administrative ranks, eventually becoming a general and governor of Reval (present-day Tallinn). Ganibal was also the great-grandfather of the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who later wrote about his remarkable ancestor. His extraordinary life made him one of the most notable Africans in eighteenth-century Russia.

Anton Wilhelm Amo - 1700-1775

 

German Philosopher

Anton Wilhelm Amo (c. 1703–c. 1759) was the first known Black scholar to study and teach at a German university. This video documents the 2025 renaming of a street in Berlin-Mitte in his honour, following decades of activism. It includes impressions of the unveiling ceremony and voices from politicians, activists and community organisations, highlighting Amo’s historical significance and the importance of a critical approach to Germany’s colonial past.

Ignatius Sancho - 1729–1780

 

Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780) was a British writer, composer, actor and abolitionist who became one of the best-known Black figures in eighteenth-century Britain. Born on a slave ship during the Middle Passage, he spent much of his life in London and gained recognition through his letters, poetry and music. His Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, published posthumously in 1782, became an important literary work and contributed to growing criticism of slavery. Sancho was also the first known Black Briton to vote in a parliamentary election.

Olaudah Equiano a.k.a. Gustavus Vassa - 1745-1797

 

Author and abolitionist, UK

Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–1797), also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a formerly enslaved African writer, abolitionist and seafarer who became one of the most prominent Black figures in eighteenth-century Britain. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, published in 1789, became an influential work in the British abolitionist movement. Equiano used his own experiences of enslavement and the transatlantic slave trade to campaign against slavery and became an important voice in the movement that eventually led to the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.

Read The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African online at Equiano’s World: https://equianosworld.org

 

Chevalier de Saint Georges - 1745-1799

A famous musican, composer and swardsman of his times

Listen to his music here. 

Chevalier (2022), directed by Stephen Williams, is a historical drama inspired by the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799), a celebrated Black composer, violinist and swordsman in eighteenth-century France. Born in Guadeloupe to a French plantation owner and an enslaved African woman, Saint-Georges rose to prominence in Parisian society and became one of the leading musicians of his time. The film, starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the title role, explores his remarkable career, his relationship with Marie-Madeleine Guimard and Marie Antoinette, and the racial and social barriers he encountered in pre-Revolutionary France.

Thomas Alexandre Dumas - 1762-1806

Thomas-Alexandre Dumas (1762–1806) was a French general of African and European descent who became one of the most remarkable military commanders of the French Revolutionary Wars. Born in Saint-Domingue to a French nobleman and an enslaved woman of African descent, he rose rapidly through the revolutionary army and became a general at the age of 31. Known for his exceptional courage and physical strength, Dumas fought in several major campaigns before falling out with Napoleon Bonaparte. He was the father of the famous novelist Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.

George Polgreen Bridgetower - 1780-1860

Musician and composer

George Polgreen Bridgetower (1778–1860) was a British-Polish violinist of African and European descent who achieved international recognition as a child prodigy. He performed before European royalty and became closely associated with Ludwig van Beethoven, who composed the famous Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 for Bridgetower. Although the work was originally dedicated to him, Beethoven later withdrew the dedication following a disagreement between the two musicians. Bridgetower spent much of his career in Britain and remains an important figure in the history of Black musicians in Europe. 

 

Alexandre Pushkin - 1799-1837

Famous author, great-grandson of Abraham Petrovich Ganibal

The short film Life and Death of Pushkin (Zhizn i smert Pushkina), directed by Vasily Goncharov and released in 1910, is an early Russian silent film devoted to the life of Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837). Running for approximately five minutes, it presents selected episodes from the poet’s life, culminating in his fatal duel. The film is of particular historical interest as one of the earliest surviving cinematic representations of Pushkin and reflects the prominent place the poet already occupied in Russian cultural memory at the beginning of the twentieth century. 

Pushkin’s Blackness

Morgan Jerkins writes on 'Alexander Pushkin’s Blackness', "Pushkin was born in 1799 and although he was an aristocrat, he was proud of his Blackness. In ‘Eugene Onegin’, he writes."

    It’s time to drop astern the shape
    of the dull shores of my disfavour,
    and there, beneath your noonday sky,
    my Africa, where waves break high,
    to mourn for Russia’s gloomy savour,
    land where I learned to love and weep,
    land where my heart is buried deep. "

The Poet (2025), directed by Felix Umarov, is a Russian historical biographical drama about the life of Alexander Pushkin. Starring Yura Borisov in the title role, the film follows Pushkin from his youth and rise to literary fame to his exile, relationships and fatal duel.

 

Alexandre Dumas - 1802-1870

Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), author of The Three Musketeers and son of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas.

The film L’Autre Dumas (2010), directed by Safy Nebbou, is a French historical drama portraying Alexandre Dumas at the height of his literary fame. The film focuses on his complex relationship with Auguste Maquet, the writer who collaborated closely with him on several of his most celebrated novels. Starring Gérard Depardieu as Dumas and Benoît Poelvoorde as Maquet, the film explores authorship, fame and the often-blurred boundary between literary genius and collaboration. The story intensifies when Maquet pretends to be Dumas to woo a young admirer, sparking a rivalry between the two men.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 1875-1912

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) was a British composer and conductor of African and European descent who became one of the most successful Black classical musicians in Britain. Born in Croydon to an English mother and a father from Sierra Leone, he studied at the Royal College of Music in London and quickly gained recognition for his exceptional talent. His best-known work, Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, premiered in 1898 and brought him international fame. Coleridge-Taylor was also deeply interested in African and African-American history and culture and sought to reflect this heritage in his music. He visited the United States several times and became an important inspiration to African-American musicians. He died in 1912 at the age of only 37, leaving behind a significant musical legacy.

John Archer - 1863-1931

John Richard Archer (1863–1932) was a British political activist and one of the most prominent Black political figures in early twentieth-century Britain. Born in Liverpool to a Barbadian father and an Irish mother, he became involved in local politics in Battersea, London. In 1913 he was elected Mayor of Battersea, becoming London’s first Black mayor. Archer was also active in the Pan-African movement and campaigned for racial equality and political rights. He remains an important figure in the history of Black political participation in Britain.

Black presence in 17th-Century Amsterdam

In a short video head of the Department of History of the Rijksmuseum Valika Smeulders talks about an unknown young African man in 17th-century Amsterdam.

Rembrandt's African neighbour

Cornelis van Dalen II (after Govert Flinck), Face of a Woman with a Pearl Necklace, ca. 1660, Amsterdam. The woman in the painting is a 'tronie'. In painting from 1500 to 1700, a tronie was a portrait study of a nameless model. The word tronie means "head" or "face".

Although the man's name is unknown, some African residents can be found in the city archives. One of them was an African woman named Lijsbeth Pieters, originally from Angola, who married the Dutchman Pieter Claesz Bruin in November 1649. She lived on Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam, where she rented out beds. Her husband, Pieter, had arrived in Amsterdam as a sailor for the Dutch West India Company (WIC). Interestingly, Lijsbeth lived on the same street as the famous painter Rembrandt.

Lijsbeth Pieters was part of a community of at least 200 African individuals (free Afro-Amsterdammers) who resided in Amsterdam between approximately 1620 and 1660. Her marriage registration is displayed on the Rembrandt House Museum website, highlighting her as a neighbor of Rembrandt. 

 

Rembrandt is also know for his paintings of black people. They appear in at least ten of his paintings, six etchings and six drawings. They are usually secondary figures, but in a 1630 etching (‘Bust of a Woman’) a young woman stars, see Black in Rembrandt’s Time. 

 

See also

• An Afro-Dutch Community in Seventeenth Century Amsterdam
• Masterpiece Story: The African King Caspar by Hendrik Heerschop
  
  

Documentary about the exhibition: HERE Black in Rembrandt's time

 

 

See also

• Black History: Black European nobility tucked away    
• Sarah Forbes Bonetta - The African Princess in Brighton 
• Who were the African people living in Medieval and Tudor England?
  
• Walters Art Museum Exhibition Reveals the African Presence in Renaissance Europe
  
  

Note: This post has been updated