Marriage contract no. 329: Hessen-Darmstadt - Brandenburg

Contract content

Preamble (p. 04): Marriage decided; consent of the groom’s brothers mentioned; contents mentioned: marriage money and trousseau, consummation of the marriage, morning gift, widow’s dower and life estate.

Article 1 (pp. 04-06): Marriage agreed; consummation of the marriage regulated; consent of the groom’s brothers, cousins, etc. mentioned; Protestant denomination mentioned; dowry amounts to 20,000 guilders, payment arrangements specified, consummation of the marriage in Darmstadt; trousseau regulated

Article 2 (pp. 06-09): The donation propter nuptias amounts to 20,000 guilders or 15,000 talers; investment of the money in estates regulated; princely residence of the bride regulated, appurtenances, rights, etc. regulated, rights of use regulated; compensation for defects regulated; income/foodstuffs specified; annual receipt of 1,000 talers regulated; Privileges regulated; livestock, food, wood, etc. regulated; Landgrave’s reservations regulated; church order regulated; opening regulated, settlement regulated, hereditary homage, land tax, etc. mentioned; punishment of subjects contrary to equity excluded, ecclesiastical and secular subjects to retain their freedoms, rights, etc.; Oath and homage of officials and subjects regulated; accession to the widow’s estate, receipt of goods and sums regulated; replacement of officials regulated, horses mentioned; in the event of damage/destruction of the widow’s estate: reimbursement/exchange, assistance, reconstruction regulated

Article 3 (p. 09): Protection of the bride on the widow’s property regulated

Article 4 (p. 09): Morning gift (jewel with 6,000 guilders principal, 300 guilders annual interest) regulated

Article 5 (pp. 09-10): Regulation of the bride’s renunciation of all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance; the bride’s inheritance becomes effective when all male heirs of her house predecease her

Article 6 (pp. 10-11): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the trousseau and the dowry; after the death of the groom: Reversion is regulated; if the bride’s father or his heirs are not present: Inheritance to the bride’s next heirs is regulated; until repayment: Right of disposal over widow’s property and 2,000 guilders awarded annually

Article 7 (p. 11): If the bride or both spouses die and there are joint heirs: Dowry and donation propter nuptias pass to the descendants in accordance with inheritance law

Article 8 (pp. 11-12): If the groom dies before the bride: commencement of widowhood and receipt of sums of money regulated, receipt of trousseau, gifts, etc. regulated, household goods regulated, existing supplies regulated; reimbursement for defects regulated, repairs and maintenance regulated

Article 9 (pp. 12-13): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption with 40,000 guilders is regulated if there are no male heirs from the first marriage; if there are male heirs from the first marriage: redemption with 30,000 guilders is regulated; Redemption of the donation propter nuptias with 2,000 guilders per annum for life instead of a one-off payment of 20,000 guilders/1,000 guilders per annum for life instead of a one-off payment of 10,000 guilders possible; Assignment regulated; after the death of the bride: inheritance by the heirs from the first marriage or their heirs regulated; if there are no joint heirs from the first marriage: reversion of the dowry to the bride’s father, his heirs or the next heirs regulated; Repayment regulations specified; the sum of the donation propter nuptias falls to the closest heirs of the groom; inheritance by the bride regulated; life estate letter

Article 10 (pp. 13-14): Indemnification of the bride regulated; debt repayment regulated; debt repayment during widowhood regulated

Article 11 (p. 14): Opening, allocation, etc. of the widow’s dower by the bride excluded; use of the widow’s property by the groom and his heirs excluded; structural maintenance regulated; feudal allocation regulated

Article 12 (pp. 14-15): If the bride or groom dies after consummation of the marriage and before payment of the dowry: marriage contract valid

Article 13 (p. 15): If the bride or groom dies before consummation of the marriage: marriage contract invalid

Article 14 (p. 15): Compliance with the contract promised

Article 15 (p. 15): Consent of Moritz and Ludwig the Elder of Hesse mentioned; further approvals and confirmations; place, date

Added article (p. 16): Death of the bride’s father mentioned; brother of the bride regulated as actor; ratification, confirmation, affirmation regulated; place, date, signature

Confessional regulations

Article 1 (pp. 04-06): Marriage agreed; consummation of the marriage regulated; consent of the groom’s brothers, cousins, etc. mentioned; Protestant denomination mentioned; dowry amounts to 20,000 guilders, payment arrangements specified, consummation of the marriage in Darmstadt; trousseau regulated

Article 2 (pp. 06-09): The donation propter nuptias amounts to 20,000 guilders or 15,000 talers; investment of the money in estates regulated; princely residence of the bride regulated, appurtenances, rights, etc. regulated, rights of use regulated; compensation for defects regulated; income/foodstuffs specified; annual receipt of 1,000 talers regulated; Privileges regulated; livestock, food, wood, etc. regulated; Landgrave’s reservations regulated; church order regulated; opening regulated, settlement regulated, hereditary homage, land tax, etc. mentioned; punishment of subjects contrary to equity excluded, ecclesiastical and secular subjects to retain their freedoms, rights, etc.; Oath and homage of officials and subjects regulated; accession to the widow’s estate, receipt of goods and sums regulated; replacement of officials regulated, horses mentioned; in the event of damage/destruction of the widow’s estate: reimbursement/exchange, assistance, reconstruction regulated

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 5 (pp. 09-10): Regulation of the bride’s renunciation of all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance; the bride’s inheritance becomes effective when all male heirs of her house predecease her

Article 6 (pp. 10-11): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the trousseau and the dowry; after the death of the groom: Reversion is regulated; if the bride’s father or his heirs are not present: Inheritance to the bride’s next heirs is regulated; until repayment: Right of disposal over widow’s property and 2,000 guilders awarded annually

Article 7 (p. 11): If the bride or both spouses die and there are joint heirs: Dowry and donation propter nuptias pass to the descendants in accordance with inheritance law

Article 8 (pp. 11-12): If the groom dies before the bride: commencement of widowhood and receipt of sums of money regulated, receipt of trousseau, gifts, etc. regulated, household goods regulated, existing supplies regulated; reimbursement for defects regulated, repairs and maintenance regulated

Article 9 (pp. 12-13): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption with 40,000 guilders is regulated if there are no male heirs from the first marriage; if there are male heirs from the first marriage: redemption with 30,000 guilders is regulated; Redemption of the donation propter nuptias with 2,000 guilders per annum for life instead of a one-off payment of 20,000 guilders/1,000 guilders per annum for life instead of a one-off payment of 10,000 guilders possible; Assignment regulated; after the death of the bride: inheritance by the heirs from the first marriage or their heirs regulated; if there are no joint heirs from the first marriage: reversion of the dowry to the bride’s father, his heirs or the next heirs regulated; Repayment regulations specified; the sum of the donation propter nuptias falls to the closest heirs of the groom; inheritance by the bride regulated; life estate letter

Estates involved

External authorities involved

Preamble (p. 04): Marriage decided; consent of the groom’s brothers mentioned; contents mentioned: marriage money and trousseau, consummation of the marriage, morning gift, widow’s dower and life estate.

Article 1 (pp. 04-06): Marriage agreed; consummation of the marriage regulated; consent of the groom’s brothers, cousins, etc. mentioned; Protestant denomination mentioned; dowry amounts to 20,000 guilders, payment arrangements specified, consummation of the marriage in Darmstadt; trousseau regulated

Article 15 (p. 15): Consent of Moritz and Ludwig the Elder of Hesse mentioned; further approvals and confirmations; place, date

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Preamble (p. 04): Marriage decided; consent of the groom’s brothers mentioned; contents mentioned: marriage money and trousseau, consummation of the marriage, morning gift, widow’s dower and life estate.

Article 1 (pp. 04-06): Marriage agreed; consummation of the marriage regulated; consent of the groom’s brothers, cousins, etc. mentioned; Protestant denomination mentioned; dowry amounts to 20,000 guilders, payment arrangements specified, consummation of the marriage in Darmstadt; trousseau regulated

Article 15 (p. 15): Consent of Moritz and Ludwig the Elder of Hesse mentioned; further approvals and confirmations; place, date

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles; no pagination/numbering of contract pages; bride’s father died in 1598; seal present

References

• Archive copy: HStAD B 1 Nr. 213
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitalisat Archivexemplar: https://dfg-viewer.de/show/?set[mets]=https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/mets?detailid=v2389116

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 329. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/329.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 329},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/329.html}
}