Marriage contract no. 367: Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel - Brandenburg

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 8r-8v): Marriage agreed

Article 2 (fol. 8v): Dowry (20,000 guilders), payment arrangements

Article 3 (fol. 8v-9r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, possibility of inheritance if the male line of the bride’s family dies out; letter of renunciation

Article 4 (fol. 9r): trousseau

Article 5 (fol. 9r): Donatio propter nuptias (20,000 guilders)

Article 6 (fol. 9r): Morning gift (400 guilders)

Article 7 (fol. 9r-11r): Provision (sums of money, goods, princely seat), inheritance register; other prescriptions excluded, income (4,400 guilders); rights of use, appurtenances, etc.; burdens on subjects through fines and penalties contrary to equity excluded, regulations concerning officials, knightly services; homage and oath; commencement of the widow’s dower, receipt of sums, etc.; regulations for damage/devastation of the widow’s property or if the stipulated sums cannot be obtained; Protection of the bride; inspection of the widow’s property

Article 8 (fol. 11r-11v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no biological heirs: inventory list of the trousseau, lifelong right of use of the trousseau for the groom, after the death of the groom: reversion to the bride’s father or his heirs; if these are not available: the trousseau reverts to the bride’s next heirs; the groom receives the lifelong right of disposal of the trousseau; if the groom dies: reversion; repayment regulations; regulations concerning officials

Article 9 (fol. 11v-12r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint bodily heirs and they die before the bride: inheritance regulations as already mentioned

Article 10 (fol. 12r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint bodily heirs: dowry, donatio propter nuptias, etc. pass to the descendants

Article 11 (fol. 12r-12v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs or not: receipt of dowry, donatio propter nuptias, morning gift, widow’s estate, lifetime rights of use, receipt of trousseau and other possessions, household goods

Article 12 (fol. 12v-13r): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the morning gift and personal property; possibility of annual interest on the donatio propter nuptias instead of a one-time payment, lifelong right of use; transfer of personal property and morning gift, lifelong possession of the redemption sum; if the bride dies: reversion of the redemption sum to the joint personal heirs/their heirs; if there are no joint personal heirs: reversion of the dowry sum, repayment arrangements, reversion of the donatio propter nuptias

Article 13 (fol. 13r-13v): Life estate letter mentioned

Article 14 (fol. 13v): Debt settlement

Article 15 (fol. 13v): Assignment, sale, etc. of the widow’s property by the bride without the consent of the groom’s father/the groom/his heirs excluded; use of the widow’s property by the groom’s father, etc. excluded; use of the life annuity and morning gift by the bride

Article 16 (fol. 13v-14r): Regulations on the allocation of ecclesiastical, secular and knightly fiefs.

Article 17 (fol. 14r): Regulations on the opening of widow’s property.

Article 18 (fol. 14r): Arrangement of the bedchamber.

Article 19 (fol. 14r-14v): Promise to comply with the contract; two copies of the contract; consent of the groom; ratification; place, date

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 3 (fol. 8v-9r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, possibility of inheritance if the male line of the bride’s family dies out; letter of renunciation

Article 8 (fol. 11r-11v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no biological heirs: inventory list of the trousseau, lifelong right of use of the trousseau for the groom, after the death of the groom: reversion to the bride’s father or his heirs, if these do not exist: The trousseau reverts to the bride’s next of kin; the groom receives lifelong right of disposal over the dowry; if the groom dies: reversion; repayment regulations; regulations concerning officials

Article 9 (fol. 11v-12r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are heirs and they die before the bride: inheritance regulations as already mentioned

Article 10 (fol. 12r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint heirs: dowry, donatio propter nuptias, etc. pass to the descendants

Article 12 (fol. 12v-13r): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the morning gift and personal property; possibility of annual interest on the donatio propter nuptias instead of a one-off payment, lifelong right of use; transfer of personal property and morning gift, lifelong possession of the redemption sum; if the bride dies: reversion of the redemption sum to the joint heirs/their heirs; if there are no joint heirs: reversion of the dowry sum, repayment arrangements, reversion of the donatio propter nuptias.

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 19 (fol. 14r-14v): Promise to comply with the contract; two copies of the contract; consent of the groom; ratification; place, date.

Commentary

The marriage did not take place.

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages.

The original contract is not divided into articles.

Literature

Kraschewski, Hans-Joachim, ‘Julius’ in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 10 (1974), pp. 654-655 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118558714.html#ndbcontent [09.06.2025].

References

• Archive copy: State Archives of Baden-Württemberg, Main State Archives Stuttgart A 71 Bü 410
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=1-1400914-1

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 367. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/367.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 367},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/367.html}
}