Marriage contract no. 281: Mecklenburg-Güstrow - Brandenburg

Contract content

1 – For the benefit and friendship of both houses

2 – Mutual marriage vows; professions of faith in their respective denominations; husband guarantees his wife’s freedom to practise her faith; preacher assured; church services only outside the residence

3 – Education of the children regulated: the sons must be raised Lutheran; the daughters may also be Reformed

4 – Dowry of 40,000 talers; bride’s trousseau regulated

5 – Bride’s renunciation of inheritance in the presence of male heirs

6 – mornig gift in the form of 200 talers annually from 4,000 talers capital and jewellery; hand money of 800 talers

7 – Regulations regarding the bride’s estate

8 – Donatio propter nuptias of 40,000 talers

9 – Life annuity of 4,000 talers guaranteed; Widow’s dower regulated: Strelitz Castle and town, Fürstenberg district, Feldberg district and Wanzka district are assigned to the bride; rights of use specified; compensation regulated; surpluses regulated; Strelitz as widow’s residence; commencement of widow’s dower regulated; regulations regarding subjects (employment and homage); Reservata of the groom regarding use; prohibition of sale; regulation regarding debts

10 – If the bride dies before her husband without having children together: the dowry reverts to the bride’s family; the husband retains rights of use for the rest of his life; if there are children together, the dowry is inherited by them

11 – If the husband dies before the bride: the bride receives ownership and use of the entire dower and dowry for life

12 – Regulations regarding the bride’s remarriage

13 – If joint heirs die before their parents without having produced children of their own, the dowry falls to the bride’s family as regulated in Article 10

14 – If one of the two spouses dies after consummation of the marriage but before the payments have been made, these must still be made

15 – If one of the two spouses dies before consummation of the marriage, the contract is void

16 – Promise to abide by the above; two copies to be signed

Regulations on succession to the throne

Confessional regulations

2 – Bekenntnisse zu ihren jeweiligen Konfessionen; Gemahl garantiert die freie Ausübung des Glaubens seiner Frau; Prediger zugesichert; Gottesdienst nur außerhalb der Residenz

3 – Education of the children regulated: the sons must be raised Lutheran; the daughters may also be Reformed

Regulations on inheritance law

5 – Bride’s renunciation of inheritance in the presence of male heirs

10 – If the bride dies before her husband without having children together: the dowry reverts to the bride’s family; the husband retains rights of use for the rest of his life; if there are children together, the dowry is inherited by them

13 – If joint heirs die before their parents without having produced children of their own, the dowry falls to the bride’s family as regulated in Article 10

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK BHP, Rep. 35, 416
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 281. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/281.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 281},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/281.html}
}