Marriage contract no. 270: Brandenburg-Ansbach - Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Celle

Contract content

Article 1 - Marriage decided; solemnization and consummation of the marriage arranged

Article 2 - 12,000 thalers dowry regulated according to the custom of the bride’s house; payment deadline within one year after the solemnization and consummation of the marriage and place regulated

Article 3 - Trousseau (jewels, clothes, silverware, etc.). regulated

Article 4 - The donatio propter nuptias amounts to 12,000 thalers

Article 5 - The morning gift amounts to 4,000 thalers

Article 6 - Investment of 28,000 thalers regulated; castle, town and office mentioned, annual income of 2,800 thalers regulated; hunting, feudal service, timber, fishing rights, courts, etc. regulated

Article 7 - If the estates do not bring in the 2,800 thalers annually: Charges by the officials and subjects against the law ruled out , the subjects remain in their old liberties and rights

Article 8 - Regulations regarding the household effects and provisions on the dower land: The things already on the dower land are to be at the bride’s disposal; otherwise the dower land is not to be altered or burdened, etc.

Article 9 - In return for payment of the marriage goods: duties and homage of the officials, bailiffs and subjects to the bride regulated; obedience and service regulated

Article 10 - The morning gift amounts to 400 guilders per year; use of the morning gift regulated according to the wishes of the bride

Article 11 - If the bride dies before the groom and there are or are not heirs in rem: the groom may award the trousseau; the trousseau goes to the bride’s daughter; if there is no daughter from the marriage, Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg inherits the trousseau

Article 12 - If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of use over the dowry; after the groom’s death, the dowry passes to the bride’s father or his heirs

Article 13 - If the bridegroom dies before the bride and there are or are not joint heirs: the bride receives the dowry, donatio propter nuptias, morning gift, trousseau, gifts, beds, etc.; the chattels are regulated; no jurisdiction over the dower lands is regulated; maintenance of the bride by the bridegroom’s heirs is regulated until the first use of the dower lands; the princely apartment is regulated; use of the interest is regulated; use without objection by the bridegroom’s heirs is regulated

Article 14 - Granting of knightly fiefs and ecclesiastical fiefs on the dower lands regulated by the heirs of the bridegroom; use of the fiefs by the heirs of the bridegroom at the expense of the heirs of the bridegroom; opening of the dower regulated at the expense of the heirs of the bridegroom

Article 15 - Opening, granting, etc. of the dower lands by the bride without permission of the groom or his heirs ruled out; structural maintenance of the castle by the bride during her possession regulated, maintenance of the foundation building by the groom’s heirs regulated

Article 16 - Protection of the dowry, donatio propter nupptias and morning gift regulated, in relation to the councils of the heirs of the bridegroom, the land and manorial courts; settlement with other castles regulated

Article 17 - Debts incurred by the bride and groom shall be paid by the groom; the bride shall not be burdened with any debts of the groom; debts incurred by the bride after the commencement of the dower and not yet paid before her death shall be paid by the heirs of the donatio propter nuptias

Article 18 - If the bride remarries after the groom’s death: redemption of the dower regulated at 28,000 thalers; announcement of redemption regulated six months earlier; payment regulated within six months; city regulated; cession of the dower regulated; if the bride dies after the groom and there are no joint heirs: morning gift and donatio propter nuptias fall to the groom’s heirs, prescription regulated

Article 19 - The bride waives all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance, groom’s consent regulated; the bride receives her inheritance if all male heirs of her household die before her

Article 20 - Promise to keep the marriage

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 12 - If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of use over the dowry; after the groom’s death, the dowry passes to the bride’s father or his heirs

Article 13 - If the bridegroom dies before the bride and there are or are not joint heirs: the bride receives the dowry, donatio propter nuptias, morning gift, trousseau, gifts, beds, etc.; the chattels are regulated; no jurisdiction over the dower lands is regulated; maintenance of the bride by the bridegroom’s heirs is regulated until the first use of the dower lands; the princely apartment is regulated; use of the interest is regulated; use without objection by the bridegroom’s heirs is regulated

Article 14 - Granting of knightly fiefs and ecclesiastical fiefs on the dower lands regulated by the heirs of the bridegroom; use of the fiefs by the heirs of the bridegroom at the expense of the heirs of the bridegroom; opening of the dower regulated at the expense of the heirs of the bridegroom

Article 19 - The bride waives all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance, groom’s consent regulated; the bride receives her inheritance if all male heirs of her household die before her

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles.

Contract pages not foliated or numbered.

References

• Archive copy: Hannover HStA NLA Ha Cal. Br. 22 Nr. 1847 (1579 IV 21)-1
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 270. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/270.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 270},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/270.html}
}