We study trade networks and trader identity following the decline of the Hanseatic League, using a novel trade data set that covers cities in Northern Europe at high spatial resolution over 190 years. By the time of its dissolution in 1669, trade within the former Hansa network is within predictions from a gravity framework. However, the identity of merchants continues to shape the composition of trade: Hanseatic merchants’ trade within the former network exceeds gravity predictions for centuries. Our paper highlights the important role of cultural ties and of the identity of traders in the formation and maintenance of networks.