In the 17th century, the Holy Roman Empire Margraviate of Brandenburg had several African colonies, including Brandenburger Gold Coast (Groß Friedrichsburg) and Arguin, which were involved in the slave trade. In order to support this business, Brandenburg needed a base in the Caribbean. For this reason, the Brandenburg Navy-General Director Benjamin Raule signed a rental agreement with the Danish West India Company on November 24, 1685.