In the 18th century, the slave trade made this Belgian property

Throughout history, what has been called the “triangular trade” referred to trade that was carried on by colonial powers, such as France or England, and which involved the search for slaves by boat. To bring them to gardens in Africa. The American continent, and then specifically to transport raw materials such as tobacco, cotton, cocoa, or coffee to Europe.

A cloth merchant who lived in the 18th century in what was then called the Southern Netherlands and what is now Belgium, made his fortune in the triangular trade by selling, among other things, slaves and weapons, which he made upon his departure from Ostend. was carried in ships. ,

This Belgian was called Friedrich Romberg (or.) Frederick Romberg). He was born in Germany in 1729 and settled in Brussels from 1755. At first he worked in the clothing trade, but then he developed his business by land transport, then in the sea and opened branches in Bruges, Leuven, Ostend and Ghent. His business prospered to such an extent that he had a textile factory (cotton spinning, weaving and printing), banking and marine insurance. In 1782, he had 153 ships., In 1784, he was officially authorized to trade the slaves and received the title of Baron.