Marriage contract no. 390: Hohenlohe-Neuenstein - Oranien-Nassau

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 01r-01v): Council of cousins and consent of William of Orange mentioned, marriage decided

Article 2 (fol. 01v-02r): Receipt of dowry (property, including through inheritance)

Article 3 (fol. 02r-02v): Pending division of the inheritance of the bride’s parents, regulations on the division of the inheritance, Prince of Orange in Spain

Article 4 (fol. 02v-03r): No definite mention of sums and property for the dowry; property from the pending division of the inheritance

Article 5 (fol. 03r-03v): Insurance of the dowry; further regulations on dowries, administration of the goods until the division of the estate

Article 6 (fol. 03v): Regulations on the administration of the goods until the division of the estate

Article 7 (fol. 3v-4r): Regulations in the event that the Prince of Orange continues to be held in Spain

Article 8 (fol. 4r): The bride receives personal property, jewellery, etc.

Article 9 (fol. 4r-4v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no descendants: Lifetime right of use of the property, etc. for the groom.

Article 10 (fol. 4v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint descendants: use and control of the property by the groom until the descendants reach a certain age

Article 11 (fol. 4v-5r): Provisions in the event that the groom remarries after the death of the bride and there are minor descendants from the first marriage (among other things, the groom receives 5,000 guilders annually for life)

Article 12 (fol. 5r): If the groom remarries after the death of the bride and there are minor descendants from the first marriage: regulations on the inheritance shares of the descendants (sum of money, movable property)

Article 13 (fol. 5r-5v): If the bride and groom die: The maternal inheritance passes to the joint descendants

Article 14 (fol. 5v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint biological heirs: Lifetime right of use of the property by the groom, transfer/reduction of the property without the bride’s consent excluded

Article 15 (fol. 5v): Disadvantages for the Prince of Orange excluded by the marriage contract

Article 16 (fol. 5v-6r): If the groom dies before the bride, whether or not they have joint descendants, and the bride remains a widow: The bride receives a bequest of 34,000 Reichstaler, of which 1,700 Reichstaler is an annual income (mentioned division of inheritance between Wolfgang von Hohenlohe and Philipp von Hohenlohe).

Article 17 (fol. 6r-6v): Widow’s property, widow’s residence, annual widow’s pension (the aforementioned 1,700 Reichstaler)

Article 18 (fol. 6v): Maintenance of the bride (supplies of wine, fruit, etc.)

Article 19 (fol. 6v-7r): Regulations on supplies (wine, grain)

Article 20 (fol. 7r-7v): Hunting, firewood, etc. shall not lead to any reduction in the widow’s pension

Article 21 (fol. 7v): Regulations on possible surpluses from the widow’s estates

Article 22 (fol. 7v): Homage, etc. of officials and subjects on the widow’s estates

Article 23 (fol. 7v-8r): Compliance with the marriage contract; regulations regarding feudal lords

Article 24 (fol. 8r-8v): If the groom dies before the bride: receipt, commencement and use of the widow’s dower; corvée labour

Article 25 (fol. 8v-9v): Homage and oath, receipt of pensions etc. on the widow’s estates, firewood, corvée labour; Praise and oath, compliance with the widow’s dower provision

Article 26 (fol. 9v-10r): Receipt of necessities, wood, no deductions from the widow’s pension; servants

Article 27 (fol. 10r-10v): Regulations on court fines, etc.; the subjects retain their previous rights, etc., any additional burdens are excluded

Article 28 (fol. 10v-11v): rights of use over the widow’s estates, no deductions from the 1,700 Reichstalers, necessities, structural condition; household (game, etc.)

Article 29 (fol. 11v): Maintenance of the bride and her servants even before widowhood

Article 30 (fol. 11v-12r): Regulations concerning property ceded to the groom by the Duke of Württemberg, use as widow’s dower (wine, grain, appurtenances, surpluses)

Article 31 (fol. 12r-13r): Occupancy of the widow’s residence; validity of regulations from an inheritance agreement of the County of Hohenlohe; pledging, transfer, etc. excluded; remuneration of official servants, structural condition of the widow’s property; subjects retain their rights, etc., further encumbrances excluded; Regulations in the event that the groom’s mother is still alive.

Article 32 (fol. 13r-13v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are or are not any joint descendants: receipt of clothing, jewellery, etc. and other possessions, rights of use.

Article 33 (fol. 13v): Inventory list with inheritance regulations regarding wedding gifts; separate inheritance regulations regarding silver tableware, etc., which originate from gifts from the county, remain in the county

Article 34 (fol. 14r-14v): If the groom dies before the bride: inheritance regulations regarding movable property and debt pledges; regulations regarding debt settlement

Article 35 (fol. 14v-15v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: guardianship, maintenance; government in accordance with the inheritance agreement

Article 36 (fol. 15v): If the bride wishes to have her widow’s residence with her children: granting of the widow’s residence, no deductions from pensions, rights of use, etc.; Regulations as for widowhood without offspring

Article 37 (fol. 15v-17r): Regulations if no widow’s residence has yet been built, household goods, structural maintenance; possible construction of the widow’s residence in another location according to the bride’s wishes (special regulations regarding corvée labour, etc.); rights of use, compensation for defects

Article 38 (fol. 17r-18v): Regulations in the event that the widow’s house is not yet sufficiently developed (use of other goods); regulations in the event that the groom’s mother is still alive

Article 39 (fol. 18v-19r): Provisions for cases where the bride wishes to reside in a different widow’s residence (including an additional payment of 200 Reichstalers to the widow’s pension)

Article 40 (fol. 19v-20r): Provisions for cases where the bride remarries after the death of the groom (including income for the bride, wine)

Article 41 (fol. 20r-20v): If the groom dies before the bride, there are joint heirs, and the bride remarries and also has children from the second marriage: the bride’s property goes to her children from the first and second marriages; Inheritance of paternal property according to the customs of the County of Hohenlohe and the inheritance agreement

Article 42 (fol. 20v-21r): Regulations on property, regulations on inheritance agreements

Article 43 (fol. 22v): Further regulations on property, prescription, rights of disposal, interpretations excluded

Article 44 (fol. 22v): Spouses’ right of disposal; no changes without the consent of the spouses

Article 45 (fol. 22v-23r): Disadvantages in the provisions by uninvolved parties excluded

Article 46 (fol. 23r): Restrictions etc. on succession or inheritance excluded by the marriage contract

Article 47 (fol. 23r-24r): Marriage contract concluded between the bride and groom; two copies of the contract; promise to comply with the contract; consent of Wolfgang von Hohenlohe; date, signatures

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 35 (fol. 14v-15v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: guardianship, maintenance; government in accordance with the inheritance agreement

Article 46 (fol. 23r): Restrictions etc. on succession or inheritance excluded by the marriage contract

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 2 (fol. 01v-02r): Receipt of dowry (property, including through inheritance)

Article 3 (fol. 02r-02v): Pending division of the inheritance of the bride’s parents, regulations on the division of inheritance, Prince of Orange in Spain

Article 4 (fol. 02v-03r): No definite mention of sums and property for the dowry; property from the pending division of the inheritance

Article 5 (fol. 03r-03v): Insurance of the dowry; further regulations on dowries, administration of the property until the division of the inheritance

Article 6 (fol. 03v): Regulations on the administration of the property until the division of the estate

Article 7 (fol. 3v-4r): Regulations in the event that the Prince of Orange continues to be held in Spain

Article 9 (fol. 4r-4v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no descendants: lifelong right of use of the property etc. by the groom.

Article 10 (fol. 4v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are joint descendants: use and administration of the property by the groom until the descendants reach a certain age

Article 11 (fol. 4v-5r): Regulations in the event that the groom remarries after the death of the bride and there are minor descendants from the first marriage (among other things, the groom receives 5,000 guilders annually for life)

Article 12 (fol. 5r): If the groom remarries after the death of the bride and there are minor children from the first marriage: regulations on the inheritance shares of the children (sum of money, movable property)

Article 13 (fol. 5r-5v): If the bride and groom die: the maternal inheritance goes to the joint children

Article 14 (fol. 5v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: lifelong right of use of the property by the groom, transfer/reduction of the property without the bride’s consent is excluded

Article 33 (fol. 13v): Inventory list with inheritance regulations for wedding gifts; separate inheritance regulations for silver tableware, etc., which originate from gifts from the county, remain in the county

Article 34 (fol. 14r-14v): If the groom dies before the bride: inheritance regulations for movable property and debt pledges; regulations on debt settlement

Article 35 (fol. 14v-15v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint descendants: guardianship, maintenance; government in accordance with the inheritance agreement

Article 41 (fol. 20r-20v): If the groom dies before the bride, there are joint heirs, and the bride remarries and also has offspring from the second marriage: the bride’s property goes to her offspring from the first and second marriages; inheritance of the father’s property according to the custom of the County of Hohenlohe and the inheritance agreement

Article 42 (fol. 20v-21r): Regulations on property, regulations on inheritance

Article 43 (fol. 22v): Further regulations on property, bequests, rights of disposal, interpretations excluded

Article 44 (fol. 22v): Disposal options for spouses; no changes without the consent of the spouses

Article 46 (fol. 23r): Restrictions etc. on succession or inheritance excluded by the marriage contract

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 47 (fol. 23r-24r): Marriage contract concluded between bride and groom; two copies of the contract; promise to comply with the contract; consent of Wolfgang von Hohenlohe; date, signatures

Commentary

No foliation/numbering of the contract pages in the original

Original contract divided into articles

The archive copy is a copy

Literature

Müller, Pieter Lodewijk, ‘Hohenlohe, Philipp Graf von’ in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 12 (1880), pp. 693-694 [online version];

URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd136169929.html#adbcontent [02.09.2025].

References

• Archive copy: Hohenlohe Central Archive Neuenstein La 165 Bü 38; Hohenlohe Central Archive Neuenstein GL 5, No. U 245
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitalized archive copy: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=3-29949-1

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 390. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/390.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 390},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/390.html}
}