Marriage contract no. 215: Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Brandenburg

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 33v-34r): Marriage decided, consent given

Article 2 (fol. 34r): Marriage bed arranged, payment of dowry in the amount of 14,000 guilders, silver tableware agreed upon

Article 3 (fol. 34r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride from her mother and father for herself, her husband, and their descendants

Article 4 (fol. 34r): Ursula’s right to inheritance comes back into effect if both of the bride’s brothers, Joachim and Albrecht, die without heirs

Article 5 (fol. 34v): donatio propter nuptias and investment of the money specified

Article 6 (fol. 34v): Life annuity stipulated, rights of use defined, regulations regarding servants

Article 7 (fol. 35r): Regulations regarding the life annuity in the event of Duke Heinrich’s death, payment by Heinrich’s descendants regulated

Article 8 (fol. 35r): Regulations regarding officials, appointment after their death, oath, homage

Article 9 (fol. 35r): Use of the reversion after the death of Duke Heinrich

Article 10 (fol. 35r-35v): Mutual assistance and advice promised

Article 11 (fol. 39r): 2,800 guilders set as annual interest income

Article 12 (fol. 39r): Princely residence of the bride determined, rights of use and visiting rights regulated

Article 13 (fol. 39r-40r): 2,800 guilders annual maintenance guaranteed for Ursula, castles, offices, and bailiwicks of Stettlin, Swan, and Buckow designated as widow’s property

Article 14 (fol. 40r): Regulations governing use of the bailiwick, financial regulations, obedience of servants

Article 15 (fol. 40r-40v): financial regulations regarding the dower

Article 16 (fol. 40v): after the death of the groom, the widow is free to remain on her dower property or return to her brothers

Article 17 (fol. 40v): if there are no heirs from the marriage, the widow’s pension is set at 2,800 guilders, and the marriage settlement or 14,000 guilders from her husband (donatio propter nuptias) are at her disposal for the rest of her life

Article 18 (fol. 41r): Castles, offices, and bailiwicks of Stettlin, Swan, and Buckow designated as widow’s property, provisions for the widow’s residence, provisions for Ursula’s clothing, jewelry, etc.

Article 19 (fol. 41r): Financial provisions regarding the dower after the death of the husband, repairs, interest

Article 20 (fol. 41r): inheritance regulations: inheritance of the 14,000 guilders donatio propter nuptias regulated

Article 21 (fol. 41r-41v): if there are no heirs, the 14,000 guilders shall pass to the next available heirs

Article 22 (fol. 41v): Regulations regarding the use of the dower after the death of the groom and the inheritance by his descendants

Article 23 (fol. 41v): Transfer and sale of the widow’s property excluded

Article 24 (fol. 41v-42r): Duty of loyalty of the officials on the widow’s property towards Ursula regulated

Article 25 (fol. 42r): Obligation of Heinrich’s heirs and descendants to ensure the welfare of his widow

Article 26 (fol. 42r): Ownership and rights of use of movable property and furnishings (personal property) of the widow’s estates and Buckow regulated; if designated widow’s estates do not provide for the specified widow’s maintenance, other ducal estates (Riebnitz office) shall be used for compensation; securities for compliance with the letter of bequest regulated

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 3 (fol. 34r): The bride’s renunciation of her maternal and paternal inheritance for herself, her husband, and her descendants is guaranteed

Article 4 (fol. 34r): Ursula’s inheritance rights shall come into effect again if both of the bride’s brothers, Joachim and Albrecht, die without heirs

Article 17 (fol. 40v): if there are no heirs from the marriage, the widow’s pension is set at 2,800 guilders, and the marriage settlement or 14,000 guilders from her husband (donatio propter nuptias) are available to her for the rest of her life

Article 20 (fol. 41r): inheritance regulations: inheritance of the 14,000 guilders donatio propter nuptias regulated

Article 21 (fol. 41r-41v): if there are no biological heirs, the 14,000 guilders shall pass to the next available heirs

Commentary

The original contract does not have numbered articles. The register contains the letter of prescription (Gregori 1509) from Duke Heinrich V of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (fol. 39r-42v); date of the register according to the date given in the contract: “on the Tuesday after Bonifaci” 1505.

References

• Archive copy: GStA, I. HA Rep. 78, Nr. 24, fol. 33v – 43v
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: https://archivdatenbank.gsta.spk-berlin.de/midosasearch-gsta/MidosaSEARCH/i_ha_rep_78_und_78_a/index.htm?kid=GStA_i_ha_rep_78_und_78_a_8&uid=GStA_i_ha_rep_78_und_78_a_I_HA_Rep_78_Nr_24

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 215. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/215.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 215},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/215.html}
}