Marriage contract no. 157: Hannover - Braunschweig-Lüneburg

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved; purpose of the marriage; names of the spouses

1 – In order to achieve the purpose of the marriage, the parties shall work together in good brotherly harmony; they shall act for the good of the Holy Roman Empire and for the preservation and promotion of the dignity of the princely house

2 – Confirmation of the inheritance agreement of May 16, 1675, and July 13, 1680: if Georg Wilhelm dies, Ernst August or his heirs shall inherit the Principality of Celle, the County of Hoya, and Diepholz

3 – Georg Wilhelm pays Ernst August an annual income of 50,000 Reichstaler; payment from the Neustadt district without the bailiwick of Stöckheim but with the village of Nienhagen; Georg Wilhelm also pays Ernst August an annual income of 6,000 Reichstaler from the princely chamber in Celle; any remaining amounts are paid from the Upper County of Hoya with the districts of Stolzenau, Dipenau, Harpstedt, Steyerberg, Siedenburg, Barenburg, and the Heiligenrode monastery. Regulations on contributions and estimates for the districts; transfer of the districts regulated

4 – The Duchy of Lüneburg and both counties of Hoya voluntarily commit to paying a total of 150,000 Reichstaler to Ernst August over six years; payments are not considered a precedent

5 – Georg Wilhelm obliges himself to transfer to Ernst August any subsidies still owed to him by Spain and the United Netherlands from the war against France and Sweden; Ernst August shall be responsible for collecting these subsidies in future; part of the subsidies is due to Duke Rudolf August of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and this part shall remain untouched;

6 – Dowry of 100,000 Reichstalers; Payment immediately after the wedding

7 – If the bride’s father leaves no sons and other daughters: The bride inherits all allodial estates and the dominion of Wilhelmsburg; the dowry is offset against a claim by Georg Wilhelm against Ernst August, so that the dowry is reduced to 20,000 Reichstalers; if the bride’s father leaves sons: Sons receive the lordship of Wilhelmsburg and the bride receives 150,000 Reichstaler as compensation; if the bride’s father leaves no sons, but only daughters: Bride receives the lordship of Wilhelmsburg and the remaining allodial estates; the younger daughters are provided with appropriate maintenance and receive 50,000 Reichstaler as a dowry

8 – Further provisions regarding the dominion of Wilhelmsburg and the remaining allodial estates: The estates are considered augmentum dotis; the groom has the right to administer the estates and use their income; if the groom dies before the bride with or without jointly produced heirs: the Wilhelmsburg domain and the other allodial estates shall first revert to the bride and only after her death to any heirs she may have produced

9 – An annual allowance of 4000 Reichstaler; increase to 12,000 Reichstaler upon the death of the bride’s father

10 – Dower regulated: if the bride becomes a widow before the groom reigns, she receives a life estate of 6,000 Reichstalers; if the bride becomes a widow after the groom has already begun to reign, she receives a life estate of 12,000 Reichstalers; if the widow’s dower falls due during the lifetime of Georg Wilhelm, districts in the Calenberg part shall be used as widow’s dower; after the death of Georg Wilhelm, districts in the Celle part shall be used; the bride’s rights to the estates shall be exercised

11 – Deaths: if the groom or bride dies before Georg Wilhelm: The districts of Stolzenau and Dipenau, as well as all designated areas in the district of Neustadt, shall remain with Ernst August or the groom; the remaining districts from Article 3 shall revert to Georg Wilhelm.

12 – Groom dies before bride without male heirs: reversion of dowry; status of Neustadt district addressed; payment of life estate guaranteed

13 – If the cases in Article 11 or 12 occur and the payments in Article 4 have not yet been made, Article 4 shall nevertheless apply

14 – The provisions in Article 13 also apply to the transfer of subsidy funds

15 – Repayment of the 100,000 Reichstaler dowry in the event of the bride’s second marriage

16 – If the bride’s father and the bride die without heirs: the Wilhelmsburg domain and all allodial estates shall pass to Ernst August and his heirs; the reservation in Article 17 shall be observed; lifelong right of use by the bride.

17 – If sons are born from the marriage: the dominion of Wilhelmsburg and all allodial estates shall be transferred to them; if only daughters are born from the marriage: Ernst August and his descendants may take possession of the dominion of Wilhelmsburg if they pay the female descendants 200,000 Reichstaler; if there are joint male heirs who, however, have only daughters or no children at all in the next generation: Ernst August and his descendants may take possession of the Wilhelmsburg domain if they pay 100,000 Reichstaler to one existing heir or 150,000 Reichstaler to several heirs

18 – Promise to abide by the agreements; provisions regarding the relationship of other agreements to this contract; place; signatures; seals

Regulations on inheritance law

2 – Confirmation of the inheritance agreement of May 16, 1675, and July 13, 1680: if Georg Wilhelm dies, Ernst August or his heirs shall inherit the Principality of Celle, the County of Hoya, and Diepholz

7 – If the bride’s father leaves no sons and other daughters: The bride inherits all allodial estates and the dominion of Wilhelmsburg; the dowry is offset against a claim by Georg Wilhelm against Ernst August, so that the dowry is reduced to 20,000 Reichstalers; if the bride’s father leaves sons: Sons receive the lordship of Wilhelmsburg and the bride receives 150,000 Reichstaler as compensation; if the bride’s father leaves no sons, but only daughters: Bride receives the lordship of Wilhelmsburg and the remaining allodial estates; the younger daughters are provided with appropriate maintenance and receive 50,000 Reichstaler as a dowry

8 – Further provisions regarding the dominion of Wilhelmsburg and the remaining allodial estates: The estates are considered augmentum dotis; the groom has the right to administer the estates and use their income; if the groom dies before the bride with or without jointly produced heirs: the Wilhelmsburg domain and the other allodial estates shall first revert to the bride and only after her death to any heirs she may have produced

11 – Deaths: if the groom or bride dies before Georg Wilhelm: The districts of Stolzenau and Dipenau, as well as all designated areas in the district of Neustadt, shall remain with Ernst August or the groom; the remaining districts from Article 3 shall revert to Georg Wilhelm.

12 – Groom dies before bride without male heirs: reversion of dowry; status of Neustadt district addressed; payment of life estate guaranteed.

13 – If the cases in Article 11 or 12 occur and the payments in Article 4 have not yet been made, Article 4 shall nevertheless apply

16 – If the bride’s father and the bride die without heirs: the Wilhelmsburg domain and all allodial estates shall pass to Ernst August and his heirs; the reservation in Article 17 shall be observed; lifelong right of use by the bride.

17 – If sons are born from the marriage: the dominion of Wilhelmsburg and all allodial estates shall be transferred to them; if only daughters are born from the marriage: Ernst August and his descendants may take possession of the dominion of Wilhelmsburg if they pay the female descendants 200,000 Reichstaler; if there are joint male heirs who, however, have only daughters or no children at all in the next generation: Ernst August and his descendants may take possession of the Wilhelmsburg domain if they pay 100,000 Reichstaler to one existing heir or 150,000 Reichstaler to several heirs

Estates involved

4 – The Duchy of Lüneburg and both counties of Hoya voluntarily commit to paying a total of 150,000 Reichstaler to Ernst August over six years; payments are not considered a precedent

External authorities involved

5 – Georg Wilhelm obliges himself to transfer to Ernst August any subsidies still owed to him by Spain and the United Netherlands from the war against France and Sweden; Ernst August shall be responsible for collecting these subsidies in future; part of the subsidies is due to Duke Rudolf August of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and this part shall remain untouched;

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

18 – Promise to abide by the agreements; provisions regarding the relationship of other agreements to this contract; place; signatures; seals

References

• Archive copy: NLA HA Dep. 84 A Nr. 37
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 157. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/157.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 157},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/157.html}
}