Marriage contract no. 386: Württemberg - Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Contract content

Preamble (fol. 1r): Public announcement of the marriage, advice on marriage mentioned

Article 1 (fol. 1r-1v): Marriage decided, date of vows

Article 2 (fol. 1v): Dowry (20,000 guilders/17,500 Reichtaler), payment arrangements

Article 3 (fol. 1v): trousseau

Article 4 (fol. 1v-2r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, inheritance in the event of extinction of the bride’s male line, consent of the groom; further provisions for possible inheritance

Article 5 (fol. 2r-2v): Morning gift (4,000 guilders, annual interest thereon: 200 guilders), insurance in dower prescription; use of the morning gift; provisions in the event of the bride remarrying after the death of the groom

Article 6 (fol. 2v): Further provisions regarding the morning gift (remarriage in the event of widowhood, with and without heirs, inheritance)

Article 7 (fol. 2v): Donatio propter nuptias (20,000 guilders/17,500 Reichstaler), widow’s residence; annual income (2,000 guilders or 1,750 Reichstaler allowance 250 Reichstaler)

Article 8 (fol. 2v-3r): Income (referral, insurance); widow’s property, rights of use, etc., jurisdiction, receipt of widow’s pension (payment regulations)

Article 9 (fol. 3r-3v): Appointment of church offices to the widow’s property

Article 10 (fol. 3v): Regulations on corvée labour, regulations on surpluses, court maintenance; food supply

Article 11 (fol. 3v-4r): Praise and oath of servants, officials, etc. on the widow’s estates, obedience

Article 12 (fol. 4r): The bride retains her religion

Article 13 (fol. 4r): Protection of the bride and the widow’s estate, etc.; regulations on the opening of the widow’s estate

Article 14 (fol. 4r): Opening and allocation of the widow’s estate by the bride without the consent of the groom’s heirs/descendants is excluded

Article 15 (fol. 4r): encumbrances on the widow’s estate excluded

Article 16 (fol. 4r-4v): inspection of the widow’s property; if the specified sums are not achieved: reimbursement; improvement of the widow’s residence if necessary

Article 17 (fol. 4v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs: guardianship of minor descendants, choice of location for the bride, use of the dower; if there are no heirs: receipt of the widow’s property, use of the dower

Article 18 (fol. 5r): Dowry maintenance for 1 year, regulations on payments and deductions; regulations on surpluses; household goods, receipt of trousseau and other possessions

Article 19 (fol. 5r): Reimbursement of missing household goods

Article 20 (fol. 5r-5v): Structural maintenance of the widow’s residence; in the event of destruction of the widow’s residence: replacement

Article 21 (fol. 5v-6r): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the widow’s dower possible, regulations on redemption; assignment; receipt of the trousseau

Article 22 (fol. 6r-6v): If the bride remarries after the death of her husband and there are descendants from both marriages: inheritance of the bride’s estate by the descendants from the first and second marriages; the morning gift and the gifts from the first husband go exclusively to the descendants from the first marriage

Article 23 (fol. 6v-7r): If there are common descendants: inheritance for the male descendants, maintenance, dowry and trousseau for the female descendants; if there are only female descendants and no male descendants: inheritance regulations for the next heirs of the groom/the current regent, maintenance, etc. for the female descendants, deductions for the bride’s income, etc. excluded.

Article 24 (fol. 7r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are no joint biological heirs: receipt and possession of the widow’s dower; if the bride dies: reversion of the dowry, repayment regulations; reversion of Donatio propter nuptias and morning present (unless the morning present has been bequeathed elsewhere)

Article 25 (fol. 7r): Inheritance regulations for trousseau, gifts and morning gift

Article 26 (fol. 7v): Regulations on household goods

Article 27 (fol. 7v-8r): Repayment regulations for the dowry, etc.

Article 28 (fol. 8r): Regulations on the inventory of the widow’s estate, inheritance according to the will

Article 29 (fol. 8r-8v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no common descendants: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry; after the death of the groom: reversion of the dowry; lifelong use of the trousseau and other possessions by the groom; after the death of the groom: unless otherwise bequeathed, half reverts to the bride’s father/his heirs, the other half remains hereditary on the groom’s side

Article 30 (fol. 8v): Settlement of debts

Article 31 (fol. 8v): 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

Article 32 (fol. 9r): Freedom of inheritance by will reserved for bride/groom, validity of further inheritance provisions from the marriage contract; inheritance provisions for inheritance by will

Article 33 (fol. 9r): Provisions for aspects not yet specified in the marriage contract

Conclusion (fol. 9r-9v): Promise to comply with the contract; four copies of the contract; place, date, signatures

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 23 (fol. 6v-7r): If there are joint descendants: inheritance for male descendants, maintenance, trousseau and trousseau for female descendants; if there are only female descendants and no male descendants: inheritance provisions for the next heirs of the groom/the current regent, maintenance etc. for the female descendants, deductions for the bride’s income etc. excluded

Confessional regulations

Article 12 (fol. 4r): The bride retains her denomination

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 4 (fol. 1v-2r): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride, inheritance in the event of the extinction of the bride’s male line, consent of the groom; further regulations for possible inheritance

Article 6 (fol. 2v): Further regulations on the morning gift (remarriage in the event of widowhood, with and without heirs, inheritance)

Article 22 (fol. 6r-6v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom and there are descendants from both marriages: inheritance of the bride’s estate by the descendants from the first and second marriages; the morning gift and the gifts from the first groom go exclusively to the descendants from the first marriage

Article 23 (fol. 6v-7r): If there are common descendants: inheritance for the male descendants, maintenance, dowry and trousseau for the female descendants; if there are only female descendants and no male descendants: inheritance regulations for the next heirs of the groom/the current regent, maintenance, etc. for the female descendants, deductions for the bride’s income, etc. excluded.

Article 24 (fol. 7r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are no joint biological heirs: receipt and possession of the widow’s dower; if the bride dies: reversion of the dowry, repayment regulations; reversion of Donatio propter nuptias and morning present (unless the morning present has been bequeathed elsewhere)

Article 25 (fol. 7r): Inheritance regulations for trousseau, gifts and morning gift

Article 28 (fol. 8r): Regulations on the inventory of the widow’s cellar, inheritance according to the will

Article 29 (fol. 8r-8v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no common descendants: the groom receives the right to use the dowry for life; after the death of the groom: reversion of the dowry; lifelong use of the trousseau and other possessions by the groom; after the death of the groom: unless otherwise bequeathed, one half reverts to the bride’s father/his heirs, the other half remains hereditary on the groom’s side

Article 32 (fol. 9r): Free inheritance options by will reserved for bride/groom, validity of further inheritance provisions from the marriage contract; inheritance provisions for inheritance by will

Commentary

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages in the original Original contract divided into articles

Literature

Gönner, Eberhard, ‘Friedrich’ in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 5 (1961), p. 594 [online version]; URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118018116.html#ndbcontent [16 July 2025].

References

• Archive copy: NLA Wf 3 Urk 5 No. 6 (1653 VI 6)
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 386. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/386.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 386},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/386.html}
}