Marriage contract no. 324: Hessen-Darmstadt - Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf

Contract content

Article 1 (pp. 04-06): Marriage agreed, consummation mentioned, dowry (20,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements, trousseau; morning gift (7,000 Reichstaler principal or 350 talers annually), donation propter nuptias (20,000 Reichstaler), prescription of 40,000 Reichstaler on castles, offices, estates; widow’s residence (rights, etc.) regulated, annual income (6,000 talers); Regulation of scarcity and abundance, further rights of use; transfer of the widow’s estates possible in the event of the death of Christina Sophie of Hesse.

Article 2 (pp. 06-07): Remuneration of officials and servants on the widow’s estates, appointment etc. of official servants; oath and homage by the officials and subjects of the widow’s estates.

Article 3 (p. 07): Jurisdiction over the widow’s estates

Article 4 (pp. 07-08): Opening of the widow’s estates by Landgrave Georg and his heirs possible in an emergency

Article 5 (p. 08): Appointment of church and school servants, confirmation by the heirs of the groom’s father mentioned

Article 6 (pp. 08-09): Inspection of the widow’s estates by the bride’s father, compensation for defects

Article 7 (p. 09): Condition of the widow’s residence and widow’s property, improvement

Article 8 (p. 09): Protection of the bride and the dower.

Article 9 (p. 09): The subjects on the widow’s property retain their rights, freedoms, etc.

Article 10 (p. 10): Opening, allocation, etc. of the widow’s dower by the bride without the permission of Landgrave Georg/his heirs is excluded

Article 12 (pp. 10-11): Encumbering the widow’s estate with debts, etc. by the bride is excluded; structural maintenance of the widow’s residence; Renunciation of inheritance by the bride for herself and her heirs to all paternal and maternal inheritance; if there are no male heirs of the bride’s father: inheritance for the bride and her heirs occurs

Article 13 (pp. 11-12): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no bodily heirs: The groom receives lifelong disposal of the dowry; after the groom’s death: reversion; until repayment, the bride’s father/his heirs receive the right of disposal over the widow’s property; oaths, duties, vows of officials, subjects, etc., obedience

Article 14 (p. 12): Upon receipt of the widow’s property: release of officials from oaths and duties to Landgrave Georg; oaths and duties to the bride/father of the bride

Article 15 (p. 12): Payment arrangements for the reversion of the dowry; inheritance of the morning gift according to the wishes of the bride, if she leaves no will: Remains with the groom/his heirs.

Article 16 (p. 13): If the bride dies, there are no legitimate descendants and she has not left a will: lifelong right of use of the trousseau by the groom, inventory list; after the death of the groom: reversion of the trousseau.

Article 17 (pp. 13-14): If there are joint heirs, but they die without heirs during the lifetime of both spouses or during the lifetime of the bride: inheritance of the dowry as specified later; if there are joint heirs: inheritance of the dowry and trousseau

Article 18 (p. 14): If the groom dies before the bride and there are minor heirs: guardianship in accordance with the rules of the principality, commencement of the widow’s dower (whether there are heirs or not), structural condition, freedom from debt, supply of wood, use, income

Article 19 (pp. 14-15): Supply of beer, wine, etc. at the widow’s residence, provisions until income is received; receipt of the morning gift, trousseau, gifts

Article 20 (pp. 15-16): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the widow’s dower (20,000 Reichstaler dowry, instead of 350 Reichstaler, a one-time morning gift of 7,000 Reichstaler, instead of the donation propter nuptias, 2,000 Reichstaler annually and for life; indemnification of the widow’s property); after the death of the bride: the 2,000 Reichstaler together with other inherited property shall pass to the joint heirs from the marriage to Ludwig, and after their death to their heirs; if there are descendants from the second marriage: equal distribution of the dowry and other inherited property among the descendants from the first and second marriages

Article 21 (p. 16): Transfer of the widow’s dower; release of officials etc. from oaths, duties etc. towards the bride

Article 22 (pp. 16-17): If the groom dies before the bride and there are no joint descendants from the marriage to Ludwig: receipt of the widow’s property; after death: reversion of the dowry; reversion of the donation propter nuptias to the groom’s father/his heirs

Article 23 (p. 17): After the death of the groom: no obligations of the bride towards the groom’s debts; receipt of widow’s dower, morning gift, trousseau; no further claims against the heirs of the groom’s father

Article 24 (p. 17): Primogeniture in both princely houses, confirmation; succession to the throne by Louis; after his death: succession to the throne by his eldest son, then in descending line

Article 25 (pp. 17-18): In the event of external claims against primogeniture in the houses: defence of the line of succession

Article 26 (p. 18): Regulation on widow’s maintenance

Article 27 (p. 18): If the bride/groom dies before consummation of the marriage: marriage contract invalid; promise to comply with the contract; two copies of the contract; place, date, signatures

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 24 (p. 17): Primogeniture in both princely houses, confirmation; succession to the throne by Louis; after his death: succession to the throne by his eldest son, then in descending line

Article 25 (pp. 17-18): In the event of external claims against primogeniture in the houses: defence of the line of succession

Confessional regulations

Article 5 (p. 08): Appointment of church and school servants, confirmation by the heirs of the groom’s father mentioned

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 12 (pp. 10-11): Encumbering the widow’s estate with debts, etc. by the bride is excluded; structural maintenance of the widow’s residence; Renunciation of inheritance by the bride for herself and her heirs to all paternal and maternal inheritance; if there are no male heirs of the bride’s father: inheritance for the bride and her heirs occurs

Article 13 (pp. 11-12): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no bodily heirs: The groom receives lifelong disposal of the dowry; after the groom’s death: reversion; until repayment, the bride’s father/his heirs receive the right of disposal over the widow’s property; oaths, duties, vows of officials, subjects, etc., obedience

Article 15 (p. 12): Payment arrangements for the reversion of the dowry; inheritance of the morning gift according to the wishes of the bride, if she leaves no will: Remains with the groom/his heirs.

Article 16 (p. 13): If the bride dies, there are no legitimate descendants and she has not left a will: lifelong right of use of the trousseau by the groom, inventory list; after the death of the groom: reversion of the trousseau.

Article 17 (pp. 13-14): If there are joint heirs, but they die without heirs during the lifetime of both spouses or during the lifetime of the bride: inheritance of the dowry as specified later; if there are joint heirs: inheritance of the dowry and trousseau

Article 20 (pp. 15-16): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the widow’s dower (20,000 Reichstaler dowry, instead of 350 Reichstaler, a one-time morning gift of 7,000 Reichstaler, instead of the donation propter nuptias, 2,000 Reichstaler annually and for life; indemnification of the widow’s property); after the death of the bride: the 2,000 Reichstaler together with other inherited property shall pass to the joint heirs from the marriage to Ludwig, and after their death to their heirs; if there are descendants from the second marriage: equal distribution of the dowry and other inherited property among the descendants from the first and second marriages

Article 22 (pp. 16-17): If the groom dies before the bride and there are no joint descendants from the marriage to Ludwig: receipt of the widow’s property; after death: reversion of the dowry; reversion of the donation propter nuptias to the groom’s father/his heirs

Commentary

No numbering of contract pages

Contract divided into articles

Seal present

Literature

Hillenbrand, 1996.

References

• Archive copy: HStAD Bestand B 1 Nr. 424
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction?detailid=v4656019

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 324. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/324.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 324},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/324.html}
}