Cornelius Berenberg

In Hamburg, the Berenberg family formed part of the Dutch merchant colony.

He developed the company into a very successful merchant house and merchant bank, and forged trade links with France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Scandinavia and Russia.

Family connections of the Berenbergs were instrumental to the development, especially in Livorno and Lisbon with its colonies of wealthy Dutch merchants.

[1] His father was Hans Berenberg (1593–1640) and his mother was Adelheid Ruhlant (1611–1684), a daughter of the advocate Rütger Ruhlant (1568–1630) who had been ennobled by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1622, and Catarina de Greve (1582–1655).

His son was senator and banker Rudolf Berenberg.