Amsinck is a
Dutch-origined
patrician family whose members were prominent merchants in multiple countries including the
Netherlands,
Hamburg,
Portugal,
England,
France,
Hanover,
Holstein,
Denmark,
Suriname and
India, and whose
Hamburg branch from the 17th century formed part of the
city-state's
ruling class, the
Hanseaten or hereditary
grand burghers, who enjoyed legal privileges in
Hamburg until 1918. Amsinck has been one of Hamburg's great business families over many centuries, and its members reached the highest positions in Hamburg society, including as
senators and
head of state. A branch of the family were large
plantation owners in Suriname. The Hamburg branch retained a Dutch identity for centuries, often intermarrying with other Dutch-origined patrician families.