Marriage contract no. 361: Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach - Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Contract content

fol. (01r): Invocation of God

Preamble (fol. 01r-02r): Marriage decided

Article 1 (fol. 02r-02v): Marriage decided

Article 2 (fol. 02v): Dowry (18,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements

Article 3 (fol. 02v-03r): Dowry

Article 4 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; succession and further inheritance shall occur upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s family; Consent of the groom; inheritance by will; succession upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s family

Article 5 (fol. 03v-04r): Donatio propter nuptias (18,000 Reichstaler); insurance of donatio propter nuptias and donatio propter nuptias

Article 6 (fol. 04r-04v): Morning gift (jewel worth 5,000 Reichstaler, further regulations), annual interest

Article 7 (fol. 04v): Hand and pin money (6,000 Reichstaler annually), payment regulations

Article 8 (fol. 04v-05v): Servants, further provisions regarding servants

Article 9 (fol. 05v-06r): Interest on the marriage settlement and donatio propter nuptias (3,600 Reichstaler); widow’s maintenance (8,400 Reichstaler), total: 12,000 Reichstaler

Article 10 (fol. 06r): pin money in widowhood

Article 11 (fol. 06r-06v): In widowhood: receipt of marriage money, trousseau, etc.

Article 12 (fol. 06v): Widowhood: receipt of morning gift, interest, termination

Article 13 (fol. 06v-08r): Accession to widow’s property (Allstedt Castle), rights of use, jurisdiction, natural produce, leasing, horses and carriages

Article 14 (fol. 08r-08v): Structural condition of the widow’s residence, trousseau, carriage, horses, equipage

Article 15 (fol. 08v): Maintenance in widowhood excluding pin money

Article 16 (fol. 08v-09v): Use of widow’s property and dower; compensation for deficiencies

Article 17 (fol. 09v-10r): Income from widow’s property; encumbrances, reductions, etc. excluded, exemption from any encumbrances; if income is not achieved: reimbursement

Article 18 (fol. 10r): Game, wood, coal

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

Article 20 (fol. 10v): Inventory (trousseau of the widow’s residence); maintenance

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

Article 22 (fol. 11r): Structural condition of the buildings, maintenance, costs

Article 23 (fol. 11r-11v): The bride retains her religion, further religious regulations

Article 24 (fol. 11v-12r): If the groom dies before the bride and they have children together: guardianship according to the groom’s instructions, without instructions: bride as guardian as long as she remains a widow; Regulations concerning the government during the minority of the successor prince, administration of the country; costs of education

Article 25 (fol. 12r-13r): Succession by the eldest son; compensation regulations; paternal will

Article 26 (fol. 13r-13v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: regulations on redemption

Article 27 (fol. 13v-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no common descendants and the bride has not left a will: The groom receives half of the marriage and matrimonial funds, which he can bequeath; the other half reverts to the ruling Duke of Brunswick/the bride’s next of kin; the dowry, other possessions and morning gift revert to the Duke of Brunswick/his successors/the bride’s next of kin; repayment arrangements

Article 28 (fol. 14v): Consensus to be sought among the agnates on the groom’s side

Article 29 (fol. 14v-15r): Two copies of the contract, signatures, place, date

Appendix Beilager Art 16 (fol. 15v-16v): Annex on the marriage settlement; widow’s maintenance (12,000 Reichstaler); rights of use of the widow’s property, game, wood, natural produce; possible leasing; redemption of the widow’s dower in the event of remarriage; sovereignty in the event of widowhood as stipulated in the marriage contract, support from the bride’s father

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 4 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; succession and further inheritance occurs upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s house; consent of the groom; inheritance by will; succession upon the extinction of the male line of the bride’s house

Article 24 (fol. 11v-12r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: guardianship according to the groom’s instructions, without instructions: bride as guardian as long as she remains a widow; regulations regarding the government during the minority of the successor prince, administration of the country; costs of education

Article 25 (fol. 12r-13r): Succession by the eldest son; compensation regulations; paternal will

Appendix Beilager Art 16 (fol. 15v-16v): Appendix of the marriage funds; widow’s maintenance (12,000 Reichstaler); rights of use of the widow’s property, game, wood, natural produce; possible leasing; redemption of the widow’s dower in the event of remarriage; sovereignty in the event of widowhood as stipulated in the marriage contract, support from the bride’s father

Confessional regulations

Article 23 (fol. 11r-11v): The bride retains her denomination, further denominational regulations

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 4 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride; succession and further inheritance occur upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s house; Consent of the groom; inheritance by will; succession upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s family

Article 27 (fol. 13v-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no common descendants and the bride has not left a will: The groom receives half of the marriage and matrimonial funds, which he can bequeath; the other half reverts to the ruling Duke of Brunswick/the bride’s next of kin; the dowry, other possessions and morning gift revert to the Duke of Brunswick/his successors/the bride’s next of kin; repayment arrangements

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 28 (fol. 14v): Consensus to be sought among the agnates on the groom’s side

Commentary

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages

Original contract divided into articles

Literature

Dadelsen, Georg von, ‘Anna Amalia’ in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 1 (1953), pp. 302-303 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118649485.html#ndbcontent [15.08.2024].

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 5 No. 56 (1756 III 16)
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 361. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/361.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 361},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/361.html}
}