Marriage contract no. 283: Brandenburg-Bayreuth - Preußen

Contract content

Art. 1 – Marriage vows on the part of the bride

Art. 2 – Marriage vows on the part of the groom

Art. 3 – Confession of the wife to her denomination

Art. 4 – Confession of the husband to his denomination; husband guarantees the free practice of his wife’s faith; preacher assured; Place of worship to be established at the residence

Art. 5 – Education of children regulated: sons must be raised Lutheran; daughters may also be Reformed

Art. 6 – Dowry of 40,000 talers

Art. 7 – Bride’s trousseau regulated

Art. 8 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride in the presence of male heirs

Art. 9 – The claims of Jülich and Cleves are expressly excluded from the renunciation of inheritance if there are no male heirs

Art. 10 – mornig gift of 10,000 talers

Art. 11 – Hand money of 10,000 talers annually from the castle and office of Neustadt an der Aisch

Art. 12, 13 – Regulations concerning the bride’s lower servants

Art. 14 – Donatio propter nuptias in the same amount as the dowry; a life annuity of 8,000 talers is to be generated from the entire dowry

Art. 15 – If the life annuity is insufficient, it will be increased by 13,000 talers to 21,000 talers

Art. 16 – Rights of use in the widow’s dower specified

Art. 17 – Expansion of the offices belonging to the widow’s dower regulated if these are not sufficient for the widow’s dower

Art. 18 – Surpluses from the widow’s dower regulated

Art. 19 – Appropriate trousseau for the widow’s dower

Art. 20-24 – Regulations concerning subjects (freedoms, employment and homage, religion of subjects)

Art. 25-32 – Further brief regulations concerning the dower (construction timber, advance payment upon commencement of the dower, inventory, replacement, prohibition of sale, debts)

Art. 33, 34 – If the bride dies before her husband without having any children together: the dowry reverts to the bride’s family; the husband retains rights of use for the rest of his life

Art. 35 – If any children have already died during the wife’s lifetime, the procedure in 33,34 applies

Art. 36 – If joint children survive the wife, the dowry and trousseau are inherited; division with the children from the first marriage

Art. 37-40 – Husband dies before the bride: bride receives lifetime possession and use of the entire widow’s dower and dowry; maintenance of the children by the groom’s family

Art. 41, 42 – Inventory of the widow’s dower must be complete upon the widow’s death; pledge established

Art. 43-47 – Regulations concerning the division of the dowry and trousseau among the children from the various marriages

Art. 48 – If one of the two spouses dies after consummation of the marriage but before the payments have been made, these must still be made

Art. 49 – If one of the two spouses dies before consummation of the marriage, the contract is void

Art. 50 – It is freely permitted to bequeath gifts to other persons by will, codicil or donatio mortis causa

Art. 51 – Promise to abide by the above; two copies to be signed

Confessional regulations

Art. 3 – Confession of the wife to her denomination

Art. 4 – Confession of the husband to his denomination; husband guarantees the free practice of his wife’s faith; preacher assured; Place of worship to be established at the residence

Art. 5 – Education of children regulated: sons must be raised Lutheran; daughters may also be Reformed

Regulations on inheritance law

Art. 8 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride in the presence of male heirs

Art. 9 – The claims of Jülich and Cleves are expressly excluded from the renunciation of inheritance if there are no male heirs

Art. 33, 34 – If the bride dies before her husband without having any children together: the dowry reverts to the bride’s family; the husband retains rights of use for the rest of his life

Art. 35 – If children have already died during the wife’s lifetime, the procedure is the same as in 33, 34

Art. 36 – If joint children survive the wife, the dowry and trousseau are inherited; division with the children from the first marriage

Art. 37-40 – Husband dies before the bride: bride receives lifetime ownership and use of the entire widow’s dower and marriage property

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Ratification attached to the contract

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK BHP, Rep. 35, 452
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 283. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/283.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 283},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/283.html}
}