Marriage contract no. 395: Brandenburg - Polen

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 140r): Life estate letter

Article 2 (fol. 140r): Marriage decided

Article 3 (fol. 140r): The dowry amounts to 30,000 florins, payment deadline regulated; Legates mentioned

Article 4 (fol. 140r-140v): The Donatio propter nuptias amounts to 30,000 florins

Article 5 (fol. 140v): Payments regulated, investment of the money in the dower regulated

Article 6 (fol. 140v): Deed of transfer mentioned

Article 7 (fol. 140v-141r): Ruppin, Alt-Ruppin, Neustadt, Wusterhausen, etc. specified as dower; sole right of use and disposal by the bride regulated; ownership regulated; other rights, such as fishing and hunting rights, regulated in the dower

Article 8 (fol. 141r): Obedience of subjects regulated

Article 9 (fol. 141r): Jurisdiction over the dower regulated under the supervision of the bride

Article 10 (fol. 141r): Regulations regarding rituals, preachers awarded

Article 11 (fol. 141r): If there is a shortage of goods on the dowry, these shall be reimbursed

Article 12 (fol. 141r): If the dower is not sufficient to provide for the bride financially: reimbursement regulated

Article 13 (fol. 141r): Noble officials named; legates from Poland mentioned; inspection of the dowry by legates regulated

Article 14 (fol. 141r-141v): The bride’s annual income is 6,000 florins; further financial regulations, interest regulated

Article 15 (fol. 141v): The bride receives 7,000 florins

Article 16 (fol. 141v): Payment of 7,532 florins, further payment arrangements

Article 17 (fol. 141v-142r): If the bride dies before the groom and without heirs: Lifetime right of use of the dowry by the groom regulated; rights of use specified; donatio proper nuptias, dowry and trousseau mentioned; heirs and successors mentioned.

Article 18 (fol. 142r): The bride shall not be liable for any debts of the groom.

Article 19 (fol. 142r-142v): Obedience, loyalty and homage of officials and subjects regulated; regulations concerning the appointment of officials.

Article 20 (fol. 142v): Regulations regarding knighthood

Article 21 (fol. 142v):

Article 22 (fol. 142v): Donatio proper nuptias and morning gift of 10,000 florins mentioned

Article 23 (fol. 142v): 500 florins mentioned

Article 24 (fol. 142v-143r): Rights of use and enjoyment of the sums regulated; after the death of the bride, the 500 florins revert to the groom or are bequeathed to the heirs.

Article 25 (fol. 143r): Compliance with the contract promised; Leibgedingebrief (letter of dower) from 1536

Article 26 (fol. 144r): Consent of bride and groom mentioned

Article 27 (fol. 144r): Sanctions of the Catholic Church mentioned, year 1535 mentioned

Article 28 (fol. 144r): The dowry amounts to 32,000 aureus

Article 29 (fol. 144r-144v): Payment of 8,000 aureus in the year of the wedding celebrations regulated; messengers and negotiations mentioned; payment arrangements specified

Article 30 (fol. 144v-145r): The Donatio propter nuptias is 32,000 aurei; Joachim I Nestor (father of the groom) is mentioned.

Article 31 (fol. 144v-145r): Regulations concerning vassals, property rights and rights of use.

Article 32 (fol. 145r): The dowry and Donatio propter nuptias amount to 64,000 aureus.

Article 33 (fol. 145r): Widow’s estates in Alt-Ruppin, Neustadt, etc. mentioned; appurtenances, property rights, supply of grain and wine, fishing rights, wood supply, hunting rights, etc. regulated.

Article 34 (fol. 145r): Confessional regulations; own pastor granted

Article 35 (fol. 145r-145v): Annual 15 aureus in Hungarian currency mentioned; dowry, trousseau, donatio proper nuptias and morning gift mentioned; financial regulations established

Article 36 (fol. 145v): Property regulations, investment of 64,000 aurei regulated, administration by the groom regulated, interest regulated

Article 37 (fol. 145v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry, trousseau and donatio proper nuptias; after the death of the groom, the estate reverts to the bride’s father or his heirs.

Article 38 (fol. 145v-146r): Inspection of the dower regulated by officials

Article 39 (fol. 146r): Homage and loyalty of subjects regulated

Article 40 (fol. 146r): If there are joint heirs: inheritance of dowry, trousseau, donatio proper nuptias regulated

Article 41 (fol. 146r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs: inheritance according to customary law; assumption and administration of the dowry by the bride / If the bride dies: the groom receives the right of disposal over the dowry and trousseau for life

Article 42 (fol. 146r-146v): If the bride and groom die and there are no joint heirs: The dowry and trousseau revert to the bride’s father or his heirs; deadlines and payment arrangements are specified; until the specified sums have been repaid, the bride’s father or his heirs have disposal over the dower; Letters mentioned.

Article 43 (fol. 146v): If the groom dies before the bride: The bride receives the right of disposal over the 64,000 aurei; division excluded; payment arrangements specified; letters of prescription mentioned; permission of the groom’s heirs and successors required.

Article 44 (fol. 147r): If the bride and groom die and there are joint heirs: The heirs and descendants receive the dowry and the donatio proper nuptias

Article 45 (fol. 147r): Illegible

Article 46 (fol. 147r-147v): Provision of necessary food for the bride regulated; provision by the heirs and descendants of the groom guaranteed

Article 47 (fol. 147v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: Repayment of sums of money etc. after the death of the groom regulated; payment arrangements established; inventory list required; if joint legitimate heirs arise from the marriage, they inherit the sums of money and the trousseau

Article 48 (fol. 147r-147v): The bride’s father promises the groom marriage to the bride, assistance promised; regulations regarding succession to the throne and rule

Article 49 (fol. 147v): The bride’s journey to the groom, wedding celebrations and consummation of the marriage are regulated.

Article 50 (fol. 147v-148r): Legacies and witnesses are mentioned.

Article 51 (fol. 148r): Compliance with the contract is promised; signing by the parties involved

Confessional regulations

Article 10 (fol. 141r): Regulations regarding rituals, preacher appointed

Article 27 (fol. 144r): Sanctions of the Catholic Church mentioned

Article 34 (fol. 145r): Confessional regulations; Own pastor granted

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 17 (fol. 141v-142r): If the bride dies before the groom and without heirs: Lifetime right of use of the dowry by the groom regulated; Rights of use established; Donatio proper nuptias, dowry and trousseau mentioned; heirs and successors mentioned

Article 24 (fol. 142v-143r): Rights of use and enjoyment of the sums regulated; after the death of the bride, the 500 florins revert to the groom or are bequeathed to the heirs

Article 37 (fol. 145v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: the groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry, trousseau and donatio proper nuptias; after the death of the groom, the estate reverts to the bride’s father or his heirs

Article 40 (fol. 146r): If there are joint heirs: inheritance of dowry, trousseau and donatio proper nuptias regulated

Article 41 (fol. 146r): If the groom dies before the bride and there are joint heirs: inheritance regulated according to customary law; Acquisition and administration of the dower by the bride regulated / If the bride dies: The groom receives the lifelong right of disposal over the dowry and trousseau

Article 42 (fol. 146r-146v): If the bride and groom die and there are no joint heirs: The dowry and trousseau revert to the bride’s father or his heirs; deadlines and payment arrangements specified; until the sums mentioned have been repaid, the bride’s father or his heirs have power of disposal over the dower; letters mentioned.

Article 43 (fol. 146v): If the groom dies before the bride: The bride receives the right of disposal over the 64,000 aureus; division excluded; payment arrangements specified; letters of prescription mentioned; permission of the groom’s heirs and successors required.

Article 44 (fol. 147r): If the bride and groom die and there are joint heirs: The heirs and descendants receive the dowry and the donatio proper nuptias

Article 47 (fol. 147v): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: Repayment of sums of money etc. regulated after the death of the groom; Payment arrangements specified; inventory list required; if there are joint legitimate heirs from the marriage, they inherit the sums of money and the trousseau.

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles.

Until 1539, the groom held an ambiguous position between Catholicism and Lutheranism. In 1539, he began to introduce elements of the Lutheran faith into his territory. The bride remained Catholic.

References

• Archive copy: GStA, I. HA Rep. 78, No. 24, fol. 140r-148r
• Contract language archive copy: Latin

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 395. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/395.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 395},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/395.html}
}