Marriage contract no. 357: Nassau-Dillenburg - Kurpfalz

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 05r): Marriage decided, death of the bride’s father; consent of the brothers, etc.

Article 2 (fol. 05r): Dowry and trousseau from the father’s will (32,000 guilders), payment arrangements, trousseau

Article 3 (fol. 05r-05v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, consent of the groom

Article 4 (fol. 05v-06r): Donatio propter nuptias (32,000 guilders), total marriage assets (64,000 guilders); 3,200 guilders (florins) annually; widow’s property (including Herborn Castle and town), reservations regarding the widow’s property, debt burden excluded; if the property does not yield 3,200 guilders/the property is damaged or similar: reimbursement

Article 5 (fol. 06r-07v): If the groom dies before the bride: commencement of the widow’s dower, use, use of wood, penalties imposed on subjects; reservations, household goods; appointment of church servants, to be left to their own discretion; reimbursement in the event of damage, debts, etc. relating to the widow’s property; Opening, allocation, etc. of the widow’s property by the bride without permission from the Nassau side is excluded; structural maintenance; princely residence, use, income from widow’s property; household, household goods, inventory

Article 6 (fol. 07v): Debt settlement

Article 7 (fol. 07v-08r): Costs of maintaining the widow’s residence

Article 8 (fol. 08r): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption possible

Article 9 (fol. 08r): If the bride dies: the donatio propter nuptias falls to the Nassau heirs

Article 10 (fol. 08r-08v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: commencement of the widow’s dower; inheritance rights, succession of descendants, inheritance of the maternal estate, etc.; if there are no joint descendants: reversion of the dowry (32,000 guilders)

Article 11 (fol. 08v-09r): Homage and oath of the officials and subjects, etc.; promise to comply with the contract

Article 12 (fol. 09r-09v): Payment and use of the morning gift; redemption of the morning gift possible; after the death of the bride: reversion to the Nassau heirs

Article 12 (fol. 09v): If the bride dies: inheritance of dowry, other possessions, household goods (to bodily heirs, if any; otherwise to the Nassau heirs); inheritance of the marriage property

Article 12 (fol. 09v): Upon commencement of the widow’s dower: further claims excluded

Article 13 (fol. 09v-10r): If the bride dies before the groom: the groom receives the lifelong right of use of the marriage property, etc.; if the groom dies and there are no joint heirs: reversion; if there are joint heirs: inheritance of the dowry together with all maternal inheritance to the descendants

Article 14 (fol. 10r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs: Claims of the bride to the groom’s inheritance or succession are excluded; claims of the descendants; if joint heirs die: bride’s share of the inheritance, further inheritances, further claims are excluded

Article 14 (fol. 10r): First marriage and descendants from the groom’s first marriage mentioned, equality of descendants from first and second marriages; Expert opinion on the birth of another heir from the groom’s second marriage, their provision (property, subjects, etc.); trousseau for daughters from the groom’s first and second marriages, dowry, waiver according to the custom of the house upon marriage; disposition of the groom, succession; in the event of the groom’s death without disposition: impartial division, distribution

Article 15 (fol. 10r-10v): Two copies of the contract; signatures and sealing; promise to comply with the contract; place, date, signatures

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 10 (fol. 08r-08v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: commencement of the widow’s dower; inheritance rights, succession of descendants, inheritance of the maternal estate, etc.; if there are no joint descendants: reversion of the dowry (32,000 guilders)

Article 14 (fol. 10r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint biological heirs: claims of the bride to the groom’s inheritance or succession are excluded; claims of the descendants; if joint heirs die: inheritance share of the bride, further inheritances, further claims are excluded

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 3 (fol. 05r-05v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, consent of the groom

Article 9 (fol. 08r): If the bride dies: The donatio propter nuptias falls to the Nassau heirs

Article 10 (fol. 08r-08v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: commencement of the widow’s dower; inheritance rights, succession of descendants, inheritance of the maternal estate, etc.; if there are no joint descendants: reversion of the dowry (32,000 guilders)

Article 12 (fol. 09v): If the bride dies: inheritance of trousseau, other possessions, household goods (to heirs, if any; otherwise to the Nassau heirs); inheritance of the marriage property

Article 13 (fol. 09v-10r): If the bride dies before the groom: the groom receives the lifelong right of use of the marriage property, etc.; if the groom dies and there are no joint heirs: reversion; if there are joint heirs: inheritance of the marriage property together with all maternal inheritance to the descendants

Article 14 (fol. 10r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs: the bride’s claims to the groom’s inheritance or succession are excluded; claims of the descendants; if joint heirs die: the bride’s share of the inheritance, further inheritances, further claims are excluded

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles

First page of the contract marked with ‘5’, no further numbering; articles in the regest numbered consecutively after the first page according to foliation

References

• Archive copy: HHStAW Inventory 3036 No. KHA Inv. A 3 No. 774
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 357. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/357.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 357},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/357.html}
}