Marriage contract no. 337: Brandenburg - Braunschweig-Calenberg

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved, marriage for the purpose of strengthening the alliance; mutual consent expressed

Article 1: Dowry of 24,000 talers agreed; bride’s trousseau agreed

Article 2: Bride’s renunciation of inheritance agreed: in accordance with the house contracts

Article 3: Morning gift regulated: annual pension of 500 Rthlr.; the annual payment can be replaced by a one-off payment of 8,000 Rthlr.; heritability of these 8,000 Rthlr. regulated

Article 4: Pin money in the amount of 2,000 Rthlr. annually

Article 5: Composition of the bride’s household regulated; maintenance, ordering, jurisdiction regulated

Article 6: Donatio propter nuptias in the amount of the dowry, 10,000 Rthlr. as life estate; widow’s dower regulated: invested in the Duchy of Cleve, intended uses, rights, jurisdiction, compensation, surplus, widow’s residence in Dinslaken and ‘Hülßen’, moving into the widow’s dower; homage, freedoms of subjects, supply of game, inventory, prohibition of pledging regulated

Article 7: Deaths; the wife dies before her husband without joint heirs: reversion of the objects and payments brought into the marriage; pledge regulated; if there are joint heirs, the House of Brandenburg inherits the dowry and donation propter nuptias

Article 8: The husband dies before his wife: Widow’s dower guaranteed, maintenance of children, remarriage of the bride regulated; if there are no children, the donatio propter nuptias and dowry fall back

Article 9: If one of the two marriage partners dies after the marriage has been consummated but before the services have been rendered, these must still be performed

Article 10: If one of the two spouses dies before the marriage has been consummated, the contract is void

Article 11: It is freely permitted to make gifts to each other by will, codicil or donationes mortis causa, as long as the house contracts are not broken.

Article 12: Promise to abide by the above; two copies of the contract; place, date, signatures, seals.

Regulations on succession to the throne

Confessional regulations

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 2: Bride’s renunciation of inheritance agreed: in accordance with the house contracts

Article 3: Morning gift regulated: annual pension of 500 Rthlr.; the annual payment can be replaced by a one-off payment of 8,000 Rthlr.; heritability of these 8,000 Rthlr. regulated

Article 7: Deaths; the wife dies before her husband without joint heirs: reversion of the objects and payments brought into the marriage; pledge regulated; if there are joint heirs, the House of Brandenburg inherits the dowry and donation propter nuptias

Article 8: The husband dies before his wife: Widow’s dower guaranteed, maintenance of children, remarriage of the bride regulated; if there are no children, the donatio propter nuptias and dowry fall back

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 12: Promise to abide by the above; two copies of the contract; place, date, signatures, seals.

References

• Archive copy: NLA HA Dep. 84 A Nr. 29/3; GStA PK BPH, Rep. 45, N b, Nr. 3
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 337. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/337.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 337},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/337.html}
}