Jørgen Thormøhlens

Jørgen Thormøhlens was a German entrepreneur remembered in the history as the owner of the first known Danish-Norwegian ship that carried African slaves to America.

Born in a merchant family in Hamburg, he was educated in Holland and England. In 1664 he settled to Bergen, Norway where he made good relations with other German merchants and married the daughter of Hendrich Magers, the wealthiest merchant in the city.

As a person of wide business interests and great ambitions, Thormøhlens became the largest ship-owner in Begen and eventually covered almost all kinds of trade like herring, lumber and various other goods. He also invested his funds in whaling expeditions, and production of ropes, oil and salt.

Besides Northern Europe Thormøhlens also had business interests in the West Indies. He was the owner of the first known Danish-Norwegian ship that carried African slaves to America.

Thormøhlens died in 1708 in Copenhagen.