Marriage contract no. 310: Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel - Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel

Contract content

Article 1 – Marriage agreed

Article 2 – Dowry of 17,500 Reichstalers agreed, to be paid over a period of three years. Trousseau settled

Article 3 – Annual allowance for August Wilhelm set at 1,000 talers, for Christine at 500 talers, in lieu of the customary mornig gift and land. Further provision in the event of Rudolph August’s death settled

Article 4 – Life estate of 4,000 Reichstalers per annum for the widow. This is to be increased by a further 2,000 Talers if the groom was sovereign prince at the time of his death.

Article 5 – The widow’s residence is to be the official castle in Schöningen, as long as Anton Ulrich agrees. Scheduled widow’s income recorded

Article 6 – Widow’s income-related provisions in the event of the widow remarrying. Procedure in the event of damage to the widow’s income regulated

Article 7 – In the event of Christine’s death, the marriage settlement and all movable and immovable property shall be at the disposal of the groom. In the event of his subsequent death, the sum shall go to the ruling sovereign, whereas the remaining property shall be transferred to the inheritance.

Article 8 – If there are joint minor or underage heirs in the event of August Wilhelm’s death, Christine shall assume guardianship and education, for which, however, the ruling sovereign shall bear the costs.

Article 9 - Should Christine remarry, however, the marriage settlement and her property shall be due to her or her heirs, whereby the children from the first or next marriage may assert a claim.

Article 10 - If no male heirs are born from the marriage and August Wilhelm dies prematurely, Rudolph August and Anton Ulrich undertake to provide the female heirs with a trousseau in the event of marriage.

Article 11 - The bride may practise her faith and choose her own ministers/priests.

Article 12 - Note on procedures in the event of circumstances not specified in detail in the contract.

Article 13 - Promise by all parties to abide by the provisions of the contract.

Confessional regulations

Article 11 – The bride may practise her faith and dispose of the ministers/priests

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 7 – In the event of Christine’s death, the marriage settlement and all movable and immovable property shall be at the disposal of the groom. In the event of his subsequent death, the sum shall go to the ruling sovereign, whereas the remaining property shall be transferred to the inheritance.

Article 8 – If there are joint minor or underage heirs in the event of August Wilhelm’s death, Christine shall assume guardianship and education, for which, however, the ruling sovereign shall bear the costs.

Article 9 - Should Christine remarry, however, the marriage settlement and her property shall be due to her or her heirs, whereby the children from the first or next marriage may assert a claim.

Article 10 - If no male heirs are born from the marriage and August Wilhelm dies prematurely, Rudolph August and Anton Ulrich undertake to provide the female heirs with a trousseau in the event of marriage.

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 5 – The widow’s residence is to be the official castle in Schöningen, as long as Anton Ulrich agrees. Scheduled widow’s income recorded

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles.

References

• Archive copy: NLA WO, 3 Urk, 2 Nr. 93
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 310. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/310.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 310},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/310.html}
}