Marriage contract no. 352: Württemberg - Brandenburg-Schwedt

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved; purpose of the marriage

Article 1: Mutual marriage vows

Article 2: Religious matters regulated: Freedom of religion for the bride; assurance of a court chaplain; worship in the bride’s chambers; education of the children regulated

Article 3: Dowry regulated: 36,000 Reichstaler; Annex regulated; Payment regulated; Trousseau regulated

Article 4: Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated; the claims of Jülich-Kleve are dealt with separately

Article 5: Morning gift regulated: 1,000 ducats; Interest regulated; Pin money in the amount of 4,000 ducats annually; Court of the bride regulated: Composition, appointment

Article 6: Donatio propter nuptias of 36,000 Reichstaler; increase in the life annuity to 12,000 Reichstaler per annum

Article 7: Manner of payment of the life annuity regulated; the offices of Kirchheim or Göppingen act as ‘special mortgage’; regulations regarding the widow’s dower: rights of use of the bride; trousseau of the widow’s residence; jurisdiction; officials; protection; prohibition of pledging; deliveries in kind

Article 8: Provision for the bride and children in the event of the groom’s death

Article 9: Deaths: Bride dies before the groom: Heritability of the bride’s property regulated; reversion of the dowry regulated; pledge

Article 10: Inheritance of donatio propter nuptias and dowry in the case of joint children regulated

Article 11: Groom dies before bride with or without children: commencement of widow’s dower regulated

Article 12: Remarriage of the bride regulated; redemption of the widow’s dower regulated; inheritance matters in the case of children from a second marriage regulated

Article 13: If one of the spouses dies after consummation of the marriage but before payment of the marriage money, the marriage must still be consummated

Article 14: If one of the spouses dies before consummation of the marriage, the contract is void; gifting each other by will, codicil or donationes mortis causa is freely permitted as long as it does not violate the house contracts

Article 15: Duke Carl undertakes to provide an appanage for Friedrich Eugen

Article 16: Promise to abide by the above; four copies drawn up, place, date

Confessional regulations

Article 2: Religious matters regulated: free practice of religion for the bride; Assurance of a court chaplain; practice in the bride’s chambers; upbringing of children regulated

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 4: Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated; the claims of Jülich-Kleve are dealt with separately

Article 9: Deaths: Bride dies before groom: Heritability of the bride’s property regulated; Reversion of the dowry regulated; pledge

Article 10: Inheritance of donatio propter nuptias and dowry in the case of joint children regulated

References

• Archive copy: GStA PK, BHP, Rep. 35, 458
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 352. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/352.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 352},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/352.html}
}