[Syphilis and Henry VIII : A disease writes world history]

Syphilis is a chronic sexually transmitted disease (STD). At the end of the 15th century, Christopher Columbus imported it as "a souvenir" from his first voyage of discovery. The disease met a weakened and not yet infected population. The disease quickly engulfed all of Europe. The course of the disease was much more dramatic than it is today. Even royal houses were not spared. Using the example of Henry VIII of England this article briefly outlines the influence of syphilis both to the house of Tudor and thus on the big political stage.