Marriage contract no. 354: Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Mecklenburg-Güstrow

Contract content

Preamble: To increase the friendship and unity between the two lines of Schwerin and Güstrow, marriage with the advice, knowledge and consent of the parents; naming of the parents

Article 1: Mutual promise of marriage; mutual promise to fulfil marital duties

Article 2: No discussions about religious matters; groom grants the bride freedom of religious practice; court chaplain is granted; a suitable room is provided for religious practice; no reforms in religious matters contrary to the recently concluded general peace agreement are to be carried out

Article 3: Education of children regulated: sons must be raised Lutheran, daughters Reformed

Article 4: Dowry of 15,000 Reichstalers; the Duke shall claim this from the bride herself from unpaid marriage funds from her first marriage; 6,000 Reichstalers for the bride’s dowry shall be collected

Article 5: The bride’s waiver from her first marriage is confirmed by the new groom

Article 6: The bride transfers the offices of Zarrenthin and Stintenburg to the groom; return of the offices if the groom would be trousseau-ed by his father himself.

Article 7: The bride expressly retains control over other cash assets or claims

Article 8: Morning gift of 6,000 Reichstaler; to yield 1,000 Reichstaler in interest annually to pin money

Article 9: Regulations regarding the widow’s dower: The widow’s dower cannot be fully clarified due to a dispute with the father; the groom shall endeavour to reach an agreement on a suitable widow’s dower; the groom guarantees the bride an appropriate widow’s dower; the dower must not be less than the dower of the second bride of the groom’s father; further regulations on life annuity and dower: homage, defects, etc.

Article 10: Inheritance of the dowry regulated

Article 11: Deaths regulated: bride dies before groom; groom dies before bride; Upbringing of children regulated; inheritance with and without children regulated

Article 12: Case regulated in which one of the betrothed dies before consummation of the marriage

Article 13: Promise to abide by the contents of the contract

Article 14: Naming of witnesses Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg and August of Brunswick; place; date; signatures

Confessional regulations

Article 2: No discussions about religious matters; groom grants bride freedom of religious practice; court chaplain is granted; a suitable room is provided for religious practice; no reforms in religious matters contrary to the recently concluded general peace agreement are to be carried out

Article 3: Education of children regulated: sons must be raised Lutheran, daughters Reformed

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 5: The bride’s waiver from her first marriage is confirmed by the new groom

Article 10: Inheritance of dowry regulated

Article 11: Deaths regulated: Bride dies before groom; groom dies before bride; upbringing of children regulated; inheritance with and without children regulated

References

• Archive copy: LHAS 1.1-15, Sign. 351 a
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 354. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/354.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 354},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/354.html}
}