Marriage contract no. 362: Brandenburg-Preußen - Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

Contract content

(fol. 01r): Invocation of God

Preamble (fol. 01r-02r): Marriage decided upon, binding alliance; general consensus

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

Article 2 (fol. 02v-04r): Dowry (18,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements; trousseau, inventory; bride’s renunciation of succession and other inheritance, inheritance occurs upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s house; inheritance options according to will

Article 3 (fol. 04r-05r): Jewellery instead of morning gift; annual pension (6,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements; bride’s household (list), regulations on the appointment and dismissal of servants, further regulations relating to servants

Article 4 (fol. 05r-13r): donatio propter nuptias (18,000 Reichstaler); dowry totalling 36,000 Reichstaler, 3,600 Reichstaler as annual pension; improvement of widow’s dower by 10,400 Reichstaler: total of 14,000 Reichstaler per annum; if one or more sons are born of the marriage: 16,000 Reichstaler per annum instead of 14,000 Reichstaler; If a prince is born from the marriage: increase in the dowry pension: from 600 to 1,000 Reichstaler annually (included in the 6,000 Reichstaler during the marriage); Widow’s estate (Wusterhausen office), rights of use, insurance; if the annual sum is not achieved: reimbursement; widow’s residence (Kossenblatt Castle); building maintenance, furniture, household goods, carriages, horses; income and use of the widow’s estate; jurisdiction over the widow’s estate; Praise of officials and subjects; appointment and dismissal of servants; subjects (ecclesiastical, secular, Lutheran, Reformed) retain their privileges, customs, etc., with no additional burdens; reservations of the king (church and state regulations, etc.); penalties and fines; supplies on the widow’s estates, wood, inventory; Protection of the widow’s estate; attendance; change of the widow’s residence in the event of war, etc.; alteration/improvement of the widow’s estate; allocation, pledging, encumbrance with debts of the widow’s estates, etc. by the bride excluded; structural maintenance; in the case of encumbrances already placed on the widow’s estate: settlement by the groom, further encumbrances excluded

Article 5 (fol. 13r-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The trousseau and other possessions shall pass to the bride’s father/his successor/the bride’s next heirs, unless there is a will to the contrary; Preußen’s household jewels and jewels received by the bride from the groom shall revert to the groom; the groom shall receive the right to use the dowry for life; after the groom’s death: reversion to the bride’s father/his heirs/the bride’s next heirs; repayment arrangements

Article 6 (fol. 14v-15r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint heirs and these die during the bride’s lifetime: previous provisions apply; if there are joint heirs: the dowry and donatio propter nuptias revert to the House of Prussia

Article 7 (fol. 15r-16v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs or not: the bride receives the dowry and the donatio propter nuptias, takes possession of the widow’s estate, receives the trousseau and other possessions, the household jewels of Prussia revert to the House of Prussia after the death of the bride; insurance; maintenance of the descendants; supplies on the widow’s property; the household goods, etc. remain on the widow’s property

Article 8 (fol. 16v-18v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption (provisions if there are male heirs/provisions if there are no male heirs); Regulations on assignment; after the death of the bride: half/all of the donatio propter nuptias goes to the heirs from the first marriage/their heirs; if the bride dies and there are no joint heirs from the first marriage: the marriage funds go to the bride’s father/his heirs, repayment regulations, the donatio propter nuptias and the improvement go to the heirs and descendants of August Wilhelm

Article 9 (fol. 18v): If the bride/groom dies after consummation of the marriage and before payment of the dowry: marriage contract valid; if the bride/groom dies before consummation of the marriage: marriage contract invalid; compliance with the contract promised; two copies of the contract; signatures, place, date

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 2 (fol. 02v-04r): Dowry (18,000 Reichstaler), payment regulations; trousseau, list; bride’s renunciation of succession and other inheritance, inheritance occurs upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s house; inheritance options according to will

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 2 (fol. 02v-04r): Dowry (18,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements; trousseau, inventory; bride’s renunciation of succession and other inheritance, inheritance occurs upon extinction of the male line of the bride’s family; inheritance options according to will

Article 5 (fol. 13r-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The trousseau and other possessions shall pass to the bride’s father/his successor/the bride’s next heirs, unless there is a will to the contrary; Prussian household treasures and treasures received by the bride from the groom revert to the groom; the groom receives the right to use the dowry for life; after the groom’s death: reversion to the bride’s father/his heirs/the bride’s next heirs; repayment regulations

Article 6 (fol. 14v-15r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint heirs and these die during the bride’s lifetime: previous provisions apply; if there are joint heirs: the dowry and donatio propter nuptias revert to the House of Prussia

Article 7 (fol. 15r-16v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs or not: the bride receives the dowry and the donatio propter nuptias, takes possession of the widow’s estate, receives the trousseau and other possessions, the household treasures of Prussia revert to the House of Prussia after the death of the bride; insurance; maintenance of the descendants; supplies on the widow’s property; the household goods, etc. remain on the widow’s property

Article 8 (fol. 16v-18v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption (provisions if there are male heirs/provisions if there are no male heirs); Regulations on assignment; after the death of the bride: half/all of the donatio propter nuptias goes to the heirs from the first marriage/their heirs; if the bride dies and there are no joint heirs from the first marriage: the marriage funds go to the bride’s father/his heirs, repayment regulations, the donatio propter nuptias and the improvement go to the heirs and descendants of August Wilhelm

Commentary

Original contract divided into articles

No pagination/numbering of the contract pages

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 5 No. 41 (1742 I 6); GStA Pk BPH, Rep. 56 I, N, Nr. 2
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 362. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/362.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 362},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/362.html}
}