Marriage contract no. 290: Sachsen-Lauenburg - Brandenburg

Contract content

1 – Mutual vow of friendship and unity, consent of the bride’s parents

2 – Guarantee of freedom of worship for the Protestant faith of the wife, including the farm and (among others, future) children; maintenance of a farm preacher

3 – Maintenance of children from first marriage regulated

5 – Dowry and marriage settlement regulated; 20,000 Reichstaler; according to the Imperial Diet of 1559

6 – Donatio propter nuptias of the same amount and mornig gift of 5,000 Reichstaler guaranteed

7 – Widow’s dower guaranteed; life estate of 4,500 Reichstaler guaranteed

8 – Regulations regarding the widow’s dower; homage paid by subordinates regulated; widow’s rights of use regulated; possible repairs to the widow’s dower regulated

9 – Maintenance of the bride regulated; hand money of 400 guilders per annum

10 – Deaths regulated; after the death of the bride without heirs: trousseau goes to the children of the first marriage; husband retains lifelong possession of the dowry; after the death of the husband, the dowry also goes to the children of the first marriage

11 – After the death of the bride with joint heirs: dowry and other legacies are shared with the children from the first marriage

12 – After the death of the husband before the bride with or without heirs: regulations regarding the widow’s dower agreed; Remarriage is regulated.

13 – The wife’s debts are not transferred to the husband.

14 – The contract is void if one of the two marriage partners dies before consummation.

15 – Promise to abide by what has been negotiated; the contract is drawn up in two copies and handed over to both parties.

Regulations on succession to the throne

Confessional regulations

2 – Guarantee of freedom of worship for the Protestant faith of the wife, including the farm and (among others, future) children; maintenance of a farm preacher

Regulations on inheritance law

10 – Deaths regulated; after the death of the bride without heirs: trousseau goes to the children of the first marriage; husband retains lifelong possession of the dowry; after the death of the husband, the dowry also goes to the children of the first marriage

11 – After the death of the bride with joint heirs: dowry and other legacies are shared with the children from the first marriage

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK BPH Urkunden I A Nr. 425
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 290. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/290.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 290},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/290.html}
}