Marriage contract no. 346: Sachsen-Meiningen - Hessen-Darmstadt

Contract content

Preamble: Purpose of the marriage; naming of the parties involved

1 – Naming of the marriage partners; promise of marriage on the part of the groom

2 – Promise of marriage on the part of the bride; confirmation of the engagement of 22 October

3 – Landgrave Ludwig pays his sister’s dowry; Duke Ernst finances the wedding at his own expense at Friedenstein Castle

4 – Dowry settled: 20,000 guilders, payment settled; bride’s trousseau settled

5 – Bride’s renunciation of inheritance settled; exception in the absence of male heirs; renunciation does not apply to private inheritances

6 – Morning gift settled: 2,000 guilders, in addition to a piece of jewellery, morning gift to bear interest at 100 guilders per annum, inheritance

7 – 300 guilders pin money for the bride; pin money forfeited upon reaching widowhood

8 – Donatio propter nuptias of 20,000 guilders; Investment of dowry and donation propter nuptias in the offices of Ichtershausen and Wachsenburg; use of the widow’s dower to be explained in a separate specification; life annuity of 4000 guilders; replacement for the life annuity if the offices are not sufficient for the sum of 4000 guilders

9 – Reservation of the husband in the widow’s dower

10 – The widow retains the right to appoint church and school servants in the dower, provided they are Lutheran; the office of superintendent is excluded from this

11 – Homage is regulated; the freedoms of the subjects are to be left unchanged

12 – Protection of the dower is guaranteed

13 – Relief of the widow’s dower from encumbrances

14 – Trousseau of the widow’s dower upon moving in regulated

15 – Furnishing of the official residence in Ichtershausen regulated

16 – Bride’s obligations to maintain the farm specified

17 – Supply of firewood for the dower regulated

18 – Delivery of game for the dower regulated

19 – Provision of literate noble attendants for the dower regulated

20 – Prohibition on giving away or pledging the dower

21 – If the bride dies before the groom without having any children together: Usufruct of the husband’s trousseau and dowry; does not apply to items that the bride has bequeathed in her will; after the death of the groom, the dowry reverts to the bride’s family

22 – Inheritance of the silver tableware mutually gifted during the wedding night

23 – Groom dies before bride: guardianship regulated, widow’s dower guaranteed

24 – Remarriage of the bride regulated: redemption of the widow’s dower regulated

25 – Children from a second marriage are to be taken into account in the inheritance of the dowry

26 – Reversion of the widow’s dower and dowry in the event of the widow’s death without joint heirs regulated

27 – Regulation regarding debts

28 – Nullity of the contract in the event of the death of one of the two marriage partners before consummation

29 – Promise to abide by the contract; contract in two copies; date; signatures; seals

Regulations on inheritance law

5 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated; exception if there are no male heirs; renunciation does not apply to private inheritances

6 – Morning gift regulated: 2000 guilders, in addition to a piece of jewellery; morning gift shall bear interest at 100 guilders per annum; inheritance

21 – If the bride dies before the groom without having any children together: Usufruct of the spouse’s trousseau and dowry; does not apply to items that the bride has bequeathed in her will; after the death of the groom, the dowry reverts to the bride’s family

22 – Inheritance of the silver tableware mutually gifted during the wedding night

25 – Children from a second marriage are to be taken into account in the inheritance of the dowry

26 – Reversion of the widow’s estate and dowry in the event of the widow’s death without joint heirs

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

29 – Signatures; seals

References

• Archive copy: HStAD, B 1, 420
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitalized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/digitalMediaViewer.action?archivalDescriptionId=4826607

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 346. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/346.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 346},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/346.html}
}