Marriage contract no. 360: Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld - Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Contract content

(fol. 01r): Invocation of God

Preamble (fol. 01r-02v): Marriage decided; consensus, consent

Article 1 (fol. 02v): Marriage promised

Article 2 (fol. 02v-03r): Dowry (18,000 Reichstaler); Payment arrangements

Article 3 (fol. 03r): Dowry, list

Article 4 (fol. 03r-04r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; inheritance occurs upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s dynasty; consent of the groom; inheritance by will

Article 5 (fol. 04r-04v): Donatio propter nuptias (18,000 Reichstaler), insurance

Article 6 (fol. 04v): Morning gift (jewel: 3,000 Reichstaler); interest (300 Reichstaler annually)

Article 7 (fol. 05r): pin money (1,500 Reichstaler annually), payment arrangements

Article 8 (fol. 05r-05v): Servants, remuneration, etc., appointment and dismissal of servants; further regulations

Article 9 (fol. 06r-06v): widow’s pension, interest payments (yield: 3,600 Reichstaler), 775 Reichstaler

Article 10 (fol. 06v): Widow’s allowance and pin money

Article 11 (fol. 06v-07r): Receipt of widow’s pension, dowry, etc.

Article 12 (fol. 07r): Interest on the morning gift; disposal by the bride/widow

Article 13 (fol. 07r-08r): Widow’s property, rights of use, etc., income

Article 14 (fol. 08r-08v): Widow’s residence, building maintenance, furniture, household goods, carriage, horses

Article 15 (fol. 08v): Regulations on widow’s maintenance

Article 16 (fol. 08v-09r): Saalfeld office as Leibzucht, rights of use, improvements to widow’s dower; in case of defects: reimbursement

Article 17 (fol. 09r-10r): No reduction in widow’s income; debt settlement

Article 18 (fol. 10r): Food

Article 19 (fol. 10r-10v): Regulations regarding possible surpluses

Article 20 (fol. 10v): Inventory for the widow’s residence

Article 21 (fol. 10v-11r): In the event of destruction of the widow’s residence: allocation of another widow’s residence

Article 22 (fol. 11r): Maintenance costs, delivery of materials

Article 23 (fol. 11r-11v): Regulations concerning knighthood

Article 24 (fol. 11v-12r): The bride and her servants retain their religion

Article 25 (fol. 12r): If the groom dies before the bride and they have children together: maintenance and upbringing of the children

Article 26 (fol. 12r-12v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption, payment regulations

Article 27 (fol. 12v-13v): If the bride dies before the groom, there are no joint descendants and the bride has not left a will: the groom receives half of the dowry, the other half reverts to Brunswick; jewellery, silverware, morning gift, other possessions, etc. revert to Brunswick/the bride’s next of kin; repayment arrangements

Article 28 (fol. 13v): Regulations on additional income

Article 29 (fol. 13v-14r): Powers, etc. promised to the bride; Consensus

Article 30 (fol. 14r-14v): Compliance with the contract promised; two copies of the contract drawn up; signatures, place, date

Confessional regulations

Article 24 (fol. 11v-12r): The bride and her servants retain their confession

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 4 (fol. 03r-04r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; inheritance occurs upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s dynasty; consent of the groom; inheritance by will

Article 27 (fol. 12v-13v): If the bride dies before the groom, there are no common descendants and the bride has not left a will: the groom receives half of the dowry, the other half reverts to Brunswick; jewellery, silverware, morning gift, other possessions, etc. revert to Brunswick/the bride’s next of kin; repayment regulations

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Preamble (fol. 01r-02v): Marriage decided; consensus, consent

Article 4 (fol. 03r-04r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; inheritance occurs upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s dynasty; Consent of the groom; inheritance by will

Article 29 (fol. 13v-14r): Powers etc. promised to the bride; consent

Commentary

Original contract divided into articles

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages

Literature

Beck, August, ‘Ernst Friedrich’ in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 6 (1877), p. 317 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd100265979.html#adbcontent [10.07.2024].

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 5 No. 47 (1749 V 7)
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 360. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/360.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 360},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/360.html}
}