Marriage contract no. 218: Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Calenberg - Brandenburg

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 72r): Marriage agreed

Article 2 (fol. 72r-72v): Consummation agreed, first 2,000, then 5,000 guilders as marriage money (dowry?)

Article 3 (fol. 72v-73r): 13,000 guilders, then 32,000 guilders as marriage money (dowry); if the bride’s father dies before the payment is completed, his descendants are obliged to settle the sum; payment period specified

Article 4 (fol. 73r): Life annuity, widow’s dower, and morning gift mentioned, provision guaranteed

Article 5 (fol. 73v): Consummating the marriage regulated

Article 6 (fol. 77v): Consent of relatives and dispensation from the Pope to be obtained before consummating the marriage, dispensation at the expense of the bride’s father

Article 7 (fol. 77v-78r): Over 20,000 guilders of the dowry are to be paid after consummation of the marriage, receipt to be provided

Article 8 (fol. 78r): Bride to be provided with clothes and silverware, trousseau mentioned, transfer of the bride mentioned

Article 9 (fol. 78r-78v): donatio propter nuptias amounts to 20,000 guilders, life estate regulated, Kalenberg Castle with associated lands and rights of use granted as life estate, bride receives 4,000 guilders annually, fishing rights

Article 10 (fol. 78v-79r): Officials and subjects on the dower must swear an oath

Article 11 (fol. 79r): Inheritance of the donatio propter nuptias regulated

Article 12 (fol. 79r): Letter of bequest mentioned

Article 13 (fol. 79r): Regulations concerning officials on property designated as dower

Article 14 (fol. 79r-79v): Regulations in the event that commitments such as dowry and morning gift cannot be fulfilled (in full), heirs of the prince’s principality are obliged to settle the payments, bride inherits part of the land (?)

Article 15 (fol. 79v-80r): The dowry is to be inspected by the bride’s father’s advisors after the wedding night

Article 16 (fol. 79v- 80r): The morning gift amounts to 1,000 guilders

Article 17 (fol. 80r-80v): The bride renounces her paternal, maternal, and fraternal inheritance; she shall only inherit a share thereof if all other male heirs die without heirs.

Article 18 (fol. 80v-81r): If the bride dies and there are no heirs from the marriage, the jewelry, silver, treasures, and clothes that the bride received on the occasion of the marriage shall be recorded in writing. The items may be used by the groom during his lifetime and shall be returned to the bride’s paternal line after the groom’s death.

Article 19 (81r-81v): Hereditary homage, inheritance regulations, inheritance of dowry and donatio propter nuptias, castles, estates, if there are legitimate heirs from the marriage.

Article 20 (fol. 81v): Inheritance (of the marriage property, etc.) to the legitimate heirs from the marriage and their legitimate heirs regulated.

Article 21 (fol. 82r-82v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom, the dower can be redeemed with 20,000 guilders of the dowry and 20,000 guilders of the donatio propter nuptias, assignment regulated, regulations regarding officials, vassals, bailiffs, and subjects

Article 22 (fol. 82v): Insurance, surety, prescription regarding the groom’s possession of the 40,000 guilders, inheritance regulated; if there are no legitimate heirs from the marriage, 20,000 guilders shall revert to the bride’s paternal line after the bride’s death

Article 23 (fol. 82v-83r): Inheritance of the morning gift regulated, to remain with the groom

Article 24 (fol. 83r): Confirmation of widow’s dower and morning gift required, emperor mentioned

Article 25 (fol. 83r): Bride is not responsible for any debts of the groom; The bride’s property cannot be seized.

Article 26 (fol. 83r-83v): Widow’s property may neither be sold nor mortgaged; if the dowry is not needed, the groom may grant these lands as a fief; regulations on this; damage to the property must be repaired and paid for.

Article 27 (fol. 83v): Tax regulations regarding widow’s dower, dower, morning gift

Article 28 (fol. 84r-85r): Amendment of the provisions on consummation of the marriage, mention of trousseau, dowry, donatio propter nuptias, mention of “hinderstelliges” marriage money, date set, further financial regulations on payment

Article 29 (fol. 85r): Transfer of the bride regulated, financial regulations for this

Article 30 (fol. 85r): Payment of the marriage money regulated

Article 31 (fol. 85v-87r): Letter of renunciation of inheritance by the bride, renunciation of all paternal, maternal, and fraternal inheritance, with the consent of the groom, claims excluded for all time; the bride’s inheritance only takes effect if all male heirs of the bride’s father and he himself die first

Article 32 (fol. 88r): 2,000 guilders promised, receipt required, 500 guilders promised, receipt required, further payment agreements, dowry

Article 33 (fol. 88v-89r): Receipt from the groom for 7,000 guilders (out of a total of 20,000 guilders)

Article 34 (fol. 89v): Receipt from the groom for 26,000 guilders, clothes and jewelry, silverware

Article 35 (fol. 116r-119r): Letter of dower from the bride, financial provisions, rights of use of the dower, knighthood and its duties mentioned, regulations regarding officials

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 11 (fol. 79r): Inheritance of the donatio propter nuptias regulated

Article 14 (fol. 79r-79v): Regulations in case promises such as dowry and morning gift cannot be fulfilled (in full), heirs of the prince’s principality are obliged to settle the payments, bride inherits part of the lands (?)

Article 17 (fol. 80r-80v): Bride renounces her paternal, maternal, and fraternal inheritance; she inherits only a share thereof if all other male heirs die without heirs

Article 18 (fol. 80v-81r): If the bride dies and there are no heirs from the marriage, the jewelry, silver, treasures, and clothes that the bride received on the occasion of the marriage shall be recorded in writing. The items may be used by the groom during his lifetime and shall be returned to the bride’s paternal line after the groom’s death.

Article 19 (81r-81v): Hereditary homage, inheritance law provisions, inheritance of dowry and donatio propter nuptias, castles, estates, if there are legitimate heirs from the marriage.

Article 20 (fol. 81v): Inheritance (of the marriage property, etc.) by the legitimate heirs from the marriage and their legitimate heirs regulated.

Article 22 (fol. 82v): Insurance, guarantee, prescription regarding the groom’s possession of the 40,000 guilders, inheritance regulated; if there are no legitimate heirs from the marriage, the 20,000 guilders shall revert to the bride’s paternal line after her death

Article 23 (fol. 82v-83r): Inheritance of the morning gift regulated, shall remain with the groom

Article 32 (fol. 85v): Letter of renunciation of inheritance by the bride

External authorities involved

Article 6 (fol. 77v): Consent of relatives and dispensation from the Pope to be obtained before consummation of the marriage, dispensation at the expense of the bride’s father;

Article 25 (fol. 83r): Confirmation of widow’s dower and morning gift required, emperor mentioned

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 6 (fol. 77v): Consent of relatives and dispensation from the Pope to be obtained before consummation of the marriage

Commentary

Articles of the original contract not numbered; register includes additional documents directly related to the contract.

References

• Archive copy: GStA, I. HA Rep. 78, Nr. 24, fol. 76r – 84r; geänderter Vertrag bzgl. Beilager 20 Februar 1525 ebd. Fol. 84r – 85v 72r-73v, 76r-89v, 91r-94v, 116r-119r
• 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. 218. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/218.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 218},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/218.html}
}