The Berenberg family, and later its descendants in the Gossler and Seyler families, is a Belgian-origined Hanseatic dynasty of merchants, bankers and senators based in Hamburg and with branches in London, Livorno and other European cities, and one of the world's oldest existing banking dynasties with a history spanning over 400 years. The family is descended from the brothers Hans and Paul Berenberg ("Bear Mountain") from Antwerp, who fled persecution of Protestants in the Low Countries in 1585 and established the merchant house now known as Berenberg Bank in Hamburg in 1590. Berenberg Bank is the world's oldest merchant bank. The Berenbergs were originally cloth merchants and have been merchant bankers since the 17th century. The family has had a close relationship to the Dutch-origined Amsinck merchant family over centuries and is also descended from the Welser banking family.