Marriage contract no. 375: Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg - Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Contract content

Preamble: Invocation of God, commitment to strengthen the bond between the two houses through marriage; consent of the fathers of the bride and groom mentioned

Article 1: Dowry of 17,500 Reichstaler agreed, to be paid within one year and after consummation of the marriage; receipt mentioned

Article 2: Trousseau determined; princess’s journey to Glücksburg at her father’s expense

Article 3: Duke Philipp shall grant the princely house of Philippsburg to the bride and groom; in addition, they shall be entitled to income of at least 4,000 Reichstaler from the revenues of the house, which shall be replaced by the princely chamber in the event of a shortfall in revenues; inspection of the estates shall be scheduled

Article 4: Renunciation of inheritance regulated

Article 5: Donatio propter nuptias set; total amount of 35,000 Reichstalers to be insured at the office and princely house of Nübel and Sophienhof and bear 6% interest, to serve as a life annuity; after the wedding, the relevant subjects and servants shall swear oaths of allegiance to Sibylla and pay homage to her; In the event of a widow’s estate, she shall be granted the estates, which, if they are not sufficiently profitable, shall be supplemented by income from the Glücksburg office; appropriate trousseau and any repairs shall be provided by Duke Philipp or his descendants; in the event of destruction or reduction of the widow’s estate through no fault of her own, Duke Philipp and his descendants must provide appropriate compensation

Article 6: Duke August wishes to arrange an inspection of the widow’s property before the nuptials, in the presence of a representative of Duke Philipp.

Article 7: Assertion that the widow and her widow’s property shall in no way be a burden, with simultaneous mention of the sovereign’s superiority over the property.

Article 8: The widow is permitted to take all her possessions with her to her dower property, which is to be furnished with an appropriate trousseau, supplies for a whole year, and furniture.

Article 9: Any sale or pledging of the dower property by the widow, as well as any unlawful opening of the dower property, is prohibited; the supply of construction timber and firewood is regulated.

Article 10: Should Sybilla die before Christian without leaving any legitimate heirs, he shall have rights of use to the marriage property until his own death; reversion clarified; all possessions of the deceased shall be due to Christian until his own death, as long as there is no legal disposition to the contrary; a corresponding inventory shall be drawn up

Article 11: If Christian dies and there are joint minor heirs, they shall, in accordance with their father’s instructions, be placed under the guardianship of their mother and a person who has committed himself to the Augsburg Confession, as long as she has not changed her widowhood; Sybilla shall also be free to remain at the Glücksburg house without having to renounce the income from her widow’s estate

Article 12: Should she remarry, she must relinquish the widow’s estate and will be reimbursed for the dowry she brought into the marriage; she must only leave this once she has been paid in full

Article 13: Children from her next marriage shall, in the event of her death, have equal claim to her inheritance with children from this marriage.

Article 14: Male heirs shall have equal rights to the estate and inheritance, but shall be obliged to provide for the maintenance of their sisters and to provide them with a suitable trousseau in the event of their marriage.

Article 15: If there are no male descendants, only female descendants, and the government therefore falls to the next of kin, they must provide for the maintenance, dowry and trousseau of these female descendants.

Article 16: The widow shall be able to remain in peace and protection on the widow’s estate for the rest of her life, as long as she remains unmarried; however, in the event of her death, this shall revert to Duke Philip and his descendants, while her possessions shall pass to her next of kin, unless otherwise specified in her will; in the event of her death, her heirs must return all household goods and supplies as found upon moving in;

Duke August and his descendants must vacate the dower estate in the event of Sybilla’s death only after all matters relating to reversion and inheritance have been settled.

Article 17: Handling of debt matters clarified

Article 18: Morning gift of 300 Reichstalers per annum after consummation of the marriage until the end of Sybilla’s life agreed

Article 19: Regulations on compliance with or dissolution of the contract in the event of the death of the spouses agreed

Article 20: In the event of circumstances not described in this contract, decisions shall be made in accordance with imperial law or the imperial constitution

Article 21: Affirmation and promise by both parties to remain faithful to the contract; mention of four copies of the contract having been made

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 15: If there are no male descendants, only female descendants, and the government therefore falls to the next of kin, they must provide for the maintenance, dowry and trousseau of these female descendants

Confessional regulations

Article 11: If Christian dies and there are joint minor heirs, they shall, according to their father’s decree, be jointly guardianship with their mother by a person who has committed himself to the Augsburg Confession, as long as she has not changed her widowhood

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 4: Renunciation of inheritance regulated

Article 13: Children from the next marriage shall, in the event of their death, have a shared claim to their inheritance with children from this marriage

Article 14: Male heirs shall have equal rights to the estate and inheritance, but are obliged to provide for the maintenance of their sisters and to provide them with a suitable trousseau in the event of their marriage

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles

References

• Archive copy: NLA WO 3 Urk 5 No. 1
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 375. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/375.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 375},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/375.html}
}