Marriage contract no. 277: Brandenburg-Ansbach - Preußen

Contract content

1 – Preamble: For God’s praise and glory and lasting friendship and good understanding between the families; mutual declaration of intent by both parties to marry

2 – Freedom of religion guaranteed for the wife; upbringing of children regulated: sons and daughters must be raised as Lutherans

3 – Gifts from the bride’s family: dowry of 40,000 Reichstaler; paraphernalia amounting to 60,000 Reichstaler; investment regulated; trousseau regulated

4 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride in accordance with the customs of the house and house contracts in the presence of male heirs; the renunciation of inheritance for the Julisch von Klevischen lands is dealt with separately

5 – Gifts from the groom’s family: mornig gift of 4,000 Reichstaler regulated; hand money of 2,000 Reichstaler annually; bride’s household regulated; upon the birth of the first male heir, the bride is granted an estate

6 – Donatio propter nuptias of equal value; widow’s dower promised; life estate of 12,000 Reichstalers per annum + 2,000 in the event of a male heir

7 – Regulations regarding the widow’s dower: widow’s dower residence regulated, rights of use, income expansion, surplus, repairs, homage, freedoms of subjects, prohibition of sale, debt burden of the widow’s dower, replacement of the widow’s dower, inventory

8 – Deaths regulated; Husband survives wife without living joint heirs: reversion of dowry, paraphernalia and trousseau; regulations on the inheritance of dowry, paraphernalia and trousseau in the case of joint children; regulations on the inheritance of the county of Geyer

9 – Wife survives husband: immediate use of entire dowry; securing the maintenance of joint children; Remarriage of the widow regulated

10 – Debts of both spouses pass to the heirs of the spouse after their death

11 – If one of the two spouses dies after the consummation of the marriage but before the payments have been made, these must still be made; if one of the two spouses dies before the consummation of the marriage, the contract is void; Gifts by will, codicil or donatio mortis causa are freely permitted as long as they do not violate the house contracts

12 – Mutual promise to fulfil the contents of the contract; marriage letter is written in duplicate and signed by the future spouses themselves and sealed; place

Confessional regulations

2 – Freedom of religion guaranteed for the wife; upbringing of children regulated: sons and daughters must be raised as Lutherans

External authorities involved

4 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride in accordance with the customs of the house and house contracts in the presence of male heirs; the renunciation of inheritance for the Julisch von Klevischen lands is dealt with separately

8 – Deaths regulated; Husband survives wife without living joint heirs: reversion of dowry, paraphernalia and trousseau; regulations on the inheritance of dowry, paraphernalia and trousseau in the case of joint children; regulations on the inheritance of the county of Geyer

9 – Wife survives husband: immediate use of entire dowry; securing the maintenance of joint children; Remarriage of the widow regulated

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK, BHP, Rep. 46, W40
• Contract language archive copy: French

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 277. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/277.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 277},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/277.html}
}