The Colonial Endeavours of the Duchy of Courland, 1642–1698: A Forgotten Example of German Colonialism?

This article examines the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia’s brief seventeenth-century colonial ventures in the Atlantic, situating them within broader German and Baltic colonial entanglements rather than narrow national narratives. It highlights Courland’s establishment of trading posts on the Gambia River and Tobago under Duke Jakob Kettler, emphasizing the duchy’s reliance on diverse foreign expertise and diplomatic ties, including significant Germanic, Dutch, English, and Portuguese influences. The article critiques earlier historiography that either overstated Courland’s role as a Latvian or German colonial power or downplayed its involvement in slavery, advocating for a nuanced understanding that recognizes complex identities, international networks, and the duchy’s peripheral but interconnected position in early modern colonialism. It calls for renewed scholarly attention to Courland’s colonial history using recent methodological approaches that move beyond simplistic national frameworks.