Marriage contract no. 113: Preußen - Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved; names of the marriage partners; confirmation of consensus on the marriage agreements

1 – Mutual promise to marry

2 – Dowry of 15,000 talers; payment regulated; bride’s trousseau regulated; bride’s waiver of inheritance

3 – Instead of a morning gift, the groom guarantees the bride an annual allowance of 6,000 Reichstalers; composition of the court indicated

4 – donatio propter nuptias in the amount of 15,000 Reichstalers, increase of the life estate from the original 3,000 talers to 14,000 Reichstalers annually by the groom; further increase of the life estate to 16,000 Reichstalers in the event of a male heir being born

The offices of Chorin and Biesenthal are to serve as widow’s dower; Regulations regarding the widow’s Wittum: rights of the widow listed; compensation if the offices are not sufficient to generate the life estate and morning gift, the groom’s heirs shall provide compensation; Schwedt Castle is designated as the widow’s residence; maintenance of the buildings regulated; homage of subjects and servants regulated; Regulations regarding the appointment of servants; the subjects are to be left in their secular, Lutheran, and Reformed freedoms; legal reservations of the groom; regulations regarding the bride’s stockpiles and supplies in the first year of the widowhood; assurance by the groom to provide the bride with alternative accommodation in the event of the widow’s residence becoming temporarily uninhabitable; Change of widowhood regulated; prohibition of pledging the dower

5 – Bride dies before groom without common children: reversion of the bride’s trousseau and dowry to Mecklenburg-Strelitz; lifelong right of use of the dowry by the groom; repayment and pledge regulated

6 – Bride dies before groom with joint children who do not survive the bride: as in Art. 5; if joint children survive the bride, dowry and donatio propter nuptias accrue to Prussia

7 – Groom dies before bride: bride may take up her widow’s dower as regulated above; maintenance of any children regulated

8 – Remarriage of the bride and redemption of the widow’s dower regulated; improvement of the life estate ceases upon remarriage; groom dies before bride without joint children: reversion of dowry and donatio propter nuptias

9 – one of the two marriage partners dies after the consummation of the marriage but before the monetary payments have been made: The contract must still be fulfilled; one of the two marriage partners dies before consummation: The contract is void; the princely “contracting parties” are free to make provisions for themselves by will, codicil, and donationes mortis causa, provided that the family contracts are not broken; Promise to abide by the above; Two copies of the contract to be signed

10 – Note that the contract was negotiated by the authorized ministers of both sides; date, seals, and signatures of the officials

Separate article: The dowry of 15,000 Reichstalers is to be paid not to the groom, but to the bride, who is free to dispose of it as she sees fit.

Confessional regulations

4 – donatio propter nuptias in the amount of 15,000 Reichstalers, increase of the life estate from the original 3,000 talers to 14,000 Reichstalers annually by the groom; further increase of the life estate to 16,000 Reichstalers in the event of a male heir being born

Regulations on inheritance law

2 – Dowry of 15,000 talers; payment regulated; bride’s trousseau regulated; bride’s waiver of inheritance

5 – Bride dies before groom without common children: reversion of the bride’s trousseau and dowry to Mecklenburg-Strelitz; lifelong right of use of the dowry by the groom; repayment and pledge regulated

6 – Bride dies before groom with joint children who do not survive the bride: as in Art. 5; if joint children survive the bride, dowry and donatio propter nuptias accrue to Prussia

8 – Remarriage of the bride and redemption of the widow’s dower regulated; improvement of the life estate ceases upon remarriage; groom dies before bride without joint children: reversion of dowry and donatio propter nuptias

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

10 – Note that the contract was negotiated by the authorized ministers of both sides; date, seals, and signatures of the officials

References

• Archive copy: LHAS, 1.2 Urkunden Land und Haus, Strelitzer Archiv, Nr. 132
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 113. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/113.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 113},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/113.html}
}