Marriage contract no. 298: Österreich - Braunschweig-Lüneburg

Date of contract conclusion: 7. Januar 1699
Place of contract conclusion: Wien

Groom

Name: Joseph I. Kaiser
GND: 118558390
Year of Birth: 1678
Year of Death: 1711
Dynasty: Habsburg
Confession: Katholisch

Bride

Name: Wilhelmine Amalie von Braunschweig-Lüneburg
GND: 101076983
Year of Birth: 1673
Year of Death: 1742
Dynasty: Welfen
Confession: Katholisch

Actors of the Groom

Name: Joseph I. Kaiser
GND: 118558390
Dynasty: Habsburg
Relationship: /

Actors of the Bride

Name: Benedicta Henriette von der Pfalz
GND: 116120053
Dynasty: Wittelsbach (Pfalz-Simmern)
Relationship: Mutter

Contract content

Preamble: Consent of the groom’s parents; mention of the bride’s parents; mention of the negotiating princely officials

1 – Willingness to marry confirmed by the bride

2 – 75,000 guilders as dowry from the bride’s family; 20,000 talers of this sum originate from a ‘tractat’ of 1680 from her mother; payment regulated

3 – Regulation regarding payments from the mother to the bride

4 – Donatio propter nuptias in the same amount; mornig gift of 50,000 guilders; all together should amount to a sum of 200,000 guilders

5 – Investment of monetary values and interest earnings of 5,000 guilders per annum fixed

6 – 30,000 guilders per annum as a hand money for the bride

7 – Death of the groom before the bride: lifelong right to the dowry and donation propter nuptias for the widow; in the case of joint heirs, both are to be bequeathed to them; in the event of death without heirs, the marriage property and donation propter nuptias revert to the families, and the bride’s mornig gift may be freely bequeathed by the widow as she wishes.

8 – Death of the bride before the groom: the provisions regarding the dowry and donatio propter nuptias are identical to those above.

9 – As a widow, the bride is granted 40,000 guilders annually

10 – Widow’s residence (Linz or another location of her choice) and furnishings of the widow’s residence are regulated

11 – The bride may freely dispose of the inheritance and use of jewels during her lifetime and in her will

12 – Signatures of the officials; date

Commentary

No clear actors can be identified from the text of the agreement.

References

Archive copy: AT-OeStA/HHStA UR FUK 1803
Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 298. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/298.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 298},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/298.html}
}