Ludwig Erdwin Seyler

Seyler was a German merchant, banker and grand burgher of Hamburg who is known as one of the first German merchants to establish trade relations with the United States and East Asia.

His father was the famous theatre director Abel Seyler, “the leading patron of German theatre”. In 1775 at age of 17 Ludwig became an apprentice in the Berenberg firm (also known as Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co). In 1778 by marrying Anna Henrietta Gossler, the daughter of the firm’s owner, Johan Hinrich Gossler he became a member of the Hanseatic Berenberg-Gossler banking dynasty. Ten years later Ludwig was appointed as a partner in the firm, and after Gossler’s death in 1790, the head of the Berenberg Bank.

In 1813 he became a member of the Commerz-Deputation (with the Hamburg Stock Exchange), and in 1817-1818 its President. During the Napoleon’s occupation (1806-1814), he was taken hostage by French along with other prominent citizens of Hamburg. After Hamburg was included into the Bouches-de-l'Elbe département of the First French Empire, Seyler was appointed a judge on the Commercial Court Bouches-de-l'Elbe département of the First French Empire.