Marriage contract no. 363: Brandenburg-Preußen - Braunschweig-LWolfenbüttel-Bevern

Contract content

(fol. 01r): Invocation of God

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

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

Article 2 (fol. 02v-03r): Dowry (25,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements; trousseau, list

Article 3 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride with regard to succession and further inheritances as long as the male line of her house exists; consent of the bride and groom; inheritance options by will; inheritance in the event of the extinction of the male line of the bride’s house

Article 4 (fol. 03v-04r): Jewellery instead of morning gift; annual pension (7,200 Reichstaler), payment arrangements

Article 5 (fol. 04r-05r): Court; regulations on the appointment/dismissal of servants, further regulations on servants

Article 6 (fol. 05r-05v): donatio propter nuptias (25,000 Reichstaler); total marriage settlement: 50,000 Reichstaler; 5,000 Reichstaler per annum from the marriage settlement for the widow’s dower; improvement of the widow’s dower: 9,000 Reichstaler; annual total of 14,000 Reichstaler; if one or more male heirs are present: annual 20,000 Reichstaler for the widow’s dower; morning gift (600 Reichstaler as annual pension/1,000 Reichstaler as annual pension upon the birth of a male descendant), included in the 7,200 Reichstaler

Article 7 (fol. 05v-13r): Widow’s property (Ruppin); rights of use, insurance; pensions, food; in case of defects/damage: reimbursement; regulations on additional income; structural condition; household goods, etc., carriage, horses; commencement of the widow’s dower; jurisdiction, etc.; for the duration of her widowhood; protection of the widow’s estate; praise and oath of the officials, etc.; appointment/dismissal of officials/servants, etc.; the subjects retain their rights, customs, etc.; reservations of the Prussian king; appeals; hunting; wood; attendance; food, reimbursement for defects; castle equipment, inventory; change of the widow’s residence; complaints etc. of the widow’s estates excluded; structural condition; settlement of existing encumbrances

Article 8 (fol. 13r-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no heirs: reversion of the trousseau, other possessions etc. to the bride’s house/the bride’s next heirs; the groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry; after the death of the groom: reversion of the dowry to the bride’s family/the bride’s next of kin; repayment arrangements; if joint heirs are born and they die before the bride: the above arrangements apply

Article 9 (fol. 15r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are children: the donatio propter nuptias, etc. shall fall to the House of Prussia

Article 10 (fol. 15r-16v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are or are not joint children: commencement of the widow’s dower; receipt of the trousseau, etc.; maintenance of any descendants; provisions on the widow’s estate; the household goods remain on the widow’s estate

Article 11 (fol. 16v-18v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption possible; Regulations on redemption; the bride receives the lifelong right of disposal of the donatio propter nuptias/half of the donatio propter nuptias; after the death of the bride: the sum goes to the heirs from the first marriage/their heirs; if there are no heirs: the respective sums revert to the house of the bride/groom, repayment regulations

Article 12 (fol. 18v): If the bride/groom dies after consummation of the marriage and before payment of the dowry: marriage contract valid

Article 13 (fol. 18v-19r): If the bride/groom dies before consummation of the marriage: marriage contract invalid

Article 14 (fol. 19r-): Compliance with the contract promised; two copies of the contract; signatures, date

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 3 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride with regard to succession and further inheritances as long as the male line of her house exists; consent of the bride and groom; inheritance options by will; inheritance in the event of the extinction of the male line of the bride’s house

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 3 (fol. 03r-03v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride with regard to succession and further inheritances as long as the male line of her house exists; consent of the bride and groom; inheritance options by will; inheritance in the event of the extinction of the male line of the bride’s house

Article 8 (fol. 13r-14v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no biological heirs: reversion of the trousseau, other possessions, etc. to the bride’s house/the bride’s next heirs; the groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry; after the death of the groom: reversion of the dowry to the bride’s family/the bride’s next of kin; repayment arrangements; if joint heirs are born and they die before the bride: the above arrangements apply

Article 9 (fol. 15r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are children: the donatio propter nuptias, etc. shall fall to the House of Prussia.

Article 11 (fol. 16v-18v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption possible; provisions for redemption; the bride receives the lifelong right of disposal of the donatio propter nuptias/half of the donatio propter nuptias; after the death of the bride: the sum goes to the heirs from the first marriage/their heirs; if there are no heirs: the respective sums revert to the house of the bride/groom, repayment provisions

Commentary

No pagination/numbering of the contract pages

Original contract not consistently divided into articles

Literature

Stolberg-Wernigerode, Otto Graf zu, ‘Friedrich der Große’ in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 5 (1961), pp. 545-558 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118535749.html#ndbcontent [24.08.2024].

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 5 No. 34 (1733 VI 11); GStA PK BPH, Rep. 47, Nr. 1210
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 363. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/363.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 363},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/363.html}
}