Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘23000 Lives’ follows the true story of a group of young people who joined forces to save thousands of lives. The story begins with Lukas, who is frustrated by the fact that thousands of people die while being forced to leave their homes and go out in search of a better life. He wishes to change things, and so, instead of sitting around and waiting for something to happen, he decides to be the change he wants to see. As more people get attached to his project, the stakes increase, and so does the chance of making a difference. The road is full of many challenges, and things turn out to be more difficult than Lukas had imagined. Still, he pushes on, and that’s exactly what the real-life Lukas did as well. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Lukas is a Fictionalised Version of the Real Founder of Jugend Rettet
The character of Lukas Weiland in ‘23000 Lives’ is based on Jakob Schoen, the founder of Jugend Rettet. Jakob had learned the importance of volunteering and helping other people at a young age. While in school, he used to volunteer as a reader in a retirement home. In 2015, he was a 19-year-old trying to find the purpose of his life. He was a student living in Berlin and volunteered in a refugee center with his friend, Lena Waldhoff. One day, he came across the news that about 4000 people had lost their lives at sea while trying to cross the Mediterranean and make it to Europe.
At the time, the European governments had seemed to have given up on continuing the rescue efforts. Jakob refused to let people die like that, which led to the idea of Jugend Rettet. The idea of buying a ship and going to sea to aid and rescue people hit home for many other young people, who soon joined Jakob’s cause. By 2016, they’d bought and renovated a used fishing trawler, which they named Iuventa. Over the course of a year, the crew saved thousands of people. They were forced to stop operations when Iuventa was seized, and charges of smuggling were slapped on the crew.
While Iuventa had to be let go, the organization continues its humanitarian efforts. Jakob credits his time with Jugend Rettet as a transformative experience. It made him realize that if people really wanted to accomplish a task and banded together for it, they could do what they set out to do and so much more. He also noted that while they did their part and saved thousands of lives at sea, it wasn’t actually his or his crew’s job. They were just filling in where the authorities had fallen grievously short, and things needed to change so young people could focus on other things and not take the weight of the world upon themselves.
Jakob Schoen Continues His Humanitarian Work Today
Jakob Schoen is based in Berlin, Germany, from where he continues to build upon his work with Jugend Rettet and change the world for the better. After the seizure and eventual retirement of Ivuenta, Jakob got a business degree. An alum of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, he currently works as an Operations Agent Airside at Airline Assistance Switzerland (AAS), where he has been employed since February 2023. Before this, he was employed at ENTEGA as a working student in business development.
Apart from his day jobs, he had continued to work in the philanthropic and humanitarian sectors. In November 2024, he founded EHRENORUTE, also known as “Youth Matters,” which he defines as “social clubs by young people for young people.
The social entrepreneur believes that these trying and treacherous times call for new spaces where young people can come together and bond over shared ideas. He sees it as a way to “combat youth loneliness and foster greater civic engagement among the younger generation.” He wishes for young people to see the world, form their own opinions, and come up with ways to make the world a better place. EHRENORTE locations are set to launch across Germany, with the first opening in Münster in 2026.
Over the past decade, Jakob has continued to speak for better policies that help refugees stranded at sea. He has written guest columns for newspapers, worked on documentaries, and spoken with news outlets and magazines to spread the word about his latest venture. He also appeared in the documentary about Iuventa and served as a consultant on ‘23000 Lives,’ along with other people who had worked with him on the rescue missions. As for his personal life, Jakob prefers to enjoy his privacy and let his word speak for him.
Read More: 23,000 Lives: Is Iuventa a Real Ship? Where is it Now?
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