Marriage contract no. 369: Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel - Oettingen-Oettingen

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 1v): Marriage agreed

Article 2 (fol. 1v): Dowry (8,000 Reichstaler), payment arrangements; in return for the bride’s renunciation of inheritance rights

Article 3 (fol. 1v): Trousseau

Article 4 (fol. 1v-2r): Designation, two copies of the contract

Article 5 (fol. 2r): Morning gift (4,000 Reichstaler, annual interest: 200 Taler); no inheritance of capital

Article 6 (fol. 2r): Donatio propter nuptias (8,000 Reichstaler), investment of dowry and donatio propter nuptias

Article 7 (fol. 2r): Receipt of interest from investment of dowry and donatio propter nuptias during widowhood (800 Reichstaler), maintenance costs, widow’s pension, other financial arrangements, payment arrangements; increase from 4,000 Reichstaler to 6,000 Reichstaler if the groom assumes government office

Article 8 (fol. 2r-2v): Widow’s residence, furnishings, occupancy of the widow’s residence without restrictions, protection of the bride and the widow’s property

Article 9 (fol. 2v): If the aforementioned sums are not achieved: compensation, rights of use of the property; preacher at the widow’s residence according to the bride’s wishes, receipt of funds; exclusion of debt burden on the office

Article 10 (fol. 2v-3r): Maintenance of the widow’s property, provision, inspection of the property, preparation of a designation

Article 11 (fol. 3r): Praise, oath, etc. of the servants and officials on the widow’s estates

Article 12 (fol. 3r): If the groom dies before the bride: guardianship of minor descendants, regulations on the provincial government; if only princesses are present: provision in accordance with their rank

Article 13 (fol. 3r-3v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: lifelong receipt of 200 Reichstaler from the interest on the morning gift and 800 Reichstaler from the interest on the dowry and donatio propter nuptias receipt of the widow’s estate, regulations regarding the mortgaging of an office, assignment of the remaining widow’s funds; if the bride dies: inheritance by the descendants from the first and second marriages, if there are no descendants: termination of payments

Article 14 (fol. 3v): If the bride dies before the groom: lifelong right of use of the dowry, trousseau, etc. for the groom; after the death of the groom: inheritance to the next heirs, inheritance according to the will possible

Article 15 (fol. 3v): If the groom assumes government office: improvement of the bride’s provision, etc. possible

Article 16 (fol. 3v-4r): Regulations for matters not explicitly regulated in the marriage contract: regulations according to the imperial constitution, etc., regulations of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Article 17 (fol. 4r): Certification of the contract, promise to comply with the contract, guardians named, four copies of the contract, place, date, signatures

Confessional regulations

Article 9 (fol. 2v): If the sums mentioned are not achieved: compensation, rights of use of the property; preacher according to the wishes of the bride at the widow’s residence, receipt of the funds; exclusion of debt burden on the office

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 2 (fol. 1v): Dowry (8,000 Reichstaler), payment regulations; against the bride’s renunciation of inheritance

Article 5 (fol. 2r): Morning gift (4,000 Reichstaler, annual interest: 200 Taler); no inheritance of capital

Article 13 (fol. 3r-3v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: lifelong receipt of 200 Reichstaler from the interest on the morning gift and 800 Reichstaler from the interest on the dowry and donatio propter nuptias, receipt of the widow’s property, regulations on the mortgage of an office, assignment of the remaining widow’s funds; if the bride dies: inheritance to the descendants from the first and second marriages, if there are no descendants: expiry of payments

Article 14 (fol. 3v): If the bride dies before the groom: lifelong right of use of the dowry, trousseau, etc. for the groom; after the death of the groom: inheritance to the next heirs, inheritance according to the will possible

Commentary

First page of the contract is missing

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages in the original

Contract in the original is not divided into articles

Uncertainty regarding the parties involved due to the missing pages

Literature

Zimmermann, Paul, ‘Ludwig Rudolf’ in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 19 (1884), pp. 541-543 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd124700470.html#adbcontent [14 July 2025].

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 2 No. 122 (1690 IV o. Tag)
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 369. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/369.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 369},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/369.html}
}