Marriage contract no. 287: Hessen-Kassel - Preußen

Contract content

1– Preamble: Affirmation of the connection between the two houses; mutual promise of marriage by the fathers

2 – Dowry regulated: Dowry of 100,000 guilders; payment regulated; trousseau guaranteed and regulated

3 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride: Bride renounces her father’s inheritance; exception: no male heirs remaining; special provision for the Cleves and Jülich estates

4 – Provisions regarding mornig gift, hand money and court: mornig gift of 5,000 guilders; interest possible; 5,000 guilders as hand money, 6,000 guilders hand money as ruling landgravine; composition of the court specified

5 – Donatio propter nuptias, widow’s dower and life estate regulated: donatio propter nuptias of 100,000 guilders; widow’s pension of 18,000 guilders from the widow’s dower, the Schlüchtern office and the Steinau office; replacement regulated

6 – Bride survives her husband: widow’s residence at Hanau Castle; Regulations on the trousseau and use of the widow’s residence

7 – Determination of the date of occupancy for the widow’s residence; 9,000 guilders for furnishing the widow’s residence; inventory regulated

8 – Trousseau and other property is left to the widow

9 – Additional provisions regarding the widow’s residence: appointment of officials, delivery of goods in kind

10 – Repair costs at the widow’s dower regulated

11 – Deaths: Husband survives the bride with no joint living heirs: Trousseau reverts to her family; Right of use by the husband; if the husband also dies, one third of the 100,000 guilders dowry remains with the husband’s family and the other two thirds revert to Prussia; dower as a pledge

12 – If joint heirs survive the wife or groom, the dowry and the donation propter nuptias revert to the heirs

13 – Remarriage of the bride regulated: redemption of the witulum; inventory; inheritance regulated for children from subsequent marriages

14 – Debts regulated: personal debts of the husband or bride are not shared

15 – Guardianship in the event of the death of the husband for any minor children is regulated: the wife receives guardianship, provided she does not give up her widowhood

16 – Effectiveness of the contract: If the husband or wife dies after consummation of the marriage but before the transfer of the dowry, everything shall nevertheless be performed in accordance with the contract

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

Regulations on inheritance law

3 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride: Bride renounces her father’s inheritance; exception: no male heirs remaining; special provision for the Cleves and Jülich estates

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK BHP, Rep. 48 WII Nr.34
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 287. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/287.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 287},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/287.html}
}