▁G oss ler ▁was ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁Johan ▁E i bert ▁G oss ler ▁( 1 7 0 0 – 1 7 7 6 ), ▁an ▁account ant ▁and ▁burg her ▁of ▁Hamburg ▁who ▁had ▁bought ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Herr ens chen k ▁for ▁ 1 0 , 6 0 0 ▁mark , ▁making ▁him ▁master ▁of ▁cer emon ies ▁of ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁council . ▁The ▁G oss ler ▁family ▁had ▁been ▁burg h ers ▁and ▁vel vet ▁mak ers ▁in ▁Hamburg ▁at ▁least ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁name ▁G oss ler ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁already ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁unknown ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁same ▁family . ▁G oss ler ' s ▁mat ernal ▁grand father ▁J ürgen ▁Friedrich ▁Bo ede cker ▁was ▁a ▁Hamburg ▁merchant ▁and ▁grand ▁burg her ▁from ▁ 1 7 0 6 , ▁and ▁his ▁great - grand father ▁E i bert ▁T ief br unn ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁prominent ▁Hamburg ▁merchant . ▁A ▁list ▁of ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁is ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Hamburg isches ▁Gesch le chter buch . ▁ ▁Ber enberg ▁Bank ▁ ▁At ▁a ▁young ▁age , ▁Johann ▁Hin rich ▁G oss ler ▁joined ▁the ▁Ber enberg ▁company ▁as ▁an ▁app rent ice . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁merchant ▁bank ing , ▁ins urance , ▁sh ipping ▁and ▁trade ▁of ▁goods , ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Ber enberg ▁family ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 0 . ▁After ▁seven