Marriage contract no. 54: Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel - Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg

Contract content

Article 1 (Image 3): Invocation of the Holy Trinity

Article 2 (Images 3-4a): Marriage decided, consent of the bride and the groom’s father mentioned, confirmation of the parents of the bride and groom mentioned

Article 3 (Image 4a): The dowry amounts to 12,000 talers

Article 4 (Images 4a-4b): Trousseau (jewellery, silverware, trinkets, etc.) regulated, handover of the trousseau before the bride’s return home regulated

Article 5: (Image 4b-5a): Costs of the wedding night in the amount of 2,000 talers and the wedding in the amount of 2,000 talers regulated, payment by the bride’s side regulated?, receipt for sums paid required; Sealing regulated, delivery of a copy to the bride’s side regulated.

Article 6 (Image 5a): Regulations regarding the marriage settlement, the trousseau and 4,000 speciestaler.

Article 7 (Image 5a-6a): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride for herself and her heirs to all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance; the bride or her heirs receive a share of the inheritance if all male heirs of the bride’s family predecease her; further inheritance regulations; services regulated? Payment arrangements mentioned, sealing of the letter of renunciation by the groom regulated.

Article 8 (Image 6a): The morning gift amounts to 4,000 speciestaler. Prescription regulated.

Article 9 (Image 6a): Widow’s property (Scharnebeck, etc.) regulated.

Article 10 (Images 6a-6b), interest on the morning gift in the amount of 240 speciestaler per annum regulated; the annual payment can be replaced by a one-off payment of 4,000 specietalers; capital of the morning gift should not be replaced? Freedom of action regulated according to the usual law of the morning gift; after the death of the bride, the morning gift and the capital from the morning gift fall to the groom or the groom’s successors.

Article 11 (Figure 6b): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: The morning gift can be inherited by the children from the second marriage?

Article 12 (Image 7a): ? Payment regulated, prescription of the 12,000 specietalers regulated, the marriage money totals 24,000 specietalers; investment at the Scharnebeck office and in a share of the Principality of Lüneburg-Dannenberg regulated; Appurtenances (services, leases, pensions, interest, etc.) regulated; sovereign and ecclesiastical rights and appurtenances excluded?

Article 13 (Fig. 7a-7b): The widow’s pension amounts to 2,400 specietalers per annum, interest mentioned

Article 14 (Fig. 7b): The widow’s estate must remain free of all debts and encumbrances; regulation regarding expenses outside the court?

Article 15 (Image 7b): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated

Article 16 (Image 7b-8a): Inspection of the widow’s property before or after the consummation of the marriage is regulated; to be retained by Duke August and his successors.

Article 17 (Image 8a): Oath of the subjects of the Scharnebeck office to the bride and groom after the consummation of the marriage is regulated.

Article 18 (Image 8a): If the bride and groom die: The father of the groom receives the marriage funds and the morning gift; the inventories and the use of the estates?

Article 19 (Image 8a-8b): Access to the widow’s estates regulated, receipt of the marriage funds and morning gift regulated; prohibition on opening and distributing the widow’s property?

Article 20 (Image 8b): Regulations governing the duties and oaths of officials at the Scharnebeck office

Article 21 (Image 8b): If the bride dies before the groom after consummation of the marriage: the male descendants from the marriage or their sons receive the inheritance.

Article 22 (Images 8b-9a): If the bride dies before the groom after consummation of the marriage and there are no common descendants from the marriage: The groom receives unrestricted rights of use of the dowry; after the groom’s death, the 12,000 specietaler fall to the bride’s father or his heirs; a receipt for the sums is required; until the sums have been paid, the bride’s father or his heirs receive the right of use of the widow’s property

Article 23 (Figure 9a): If the widow’s property is encumbered with debts: ?

Article 24 (Image 9a-9b): Trousseau of 4,000 speciedaler, clothes, etc. regulated, payment after consummation of the marriage regulated, investment and interest on the sum regulated, consent of the groom mentioned, use regulated.

Article 25 (Image 9b): The capital of 4,000 speciedaler may not be encumbered

Article 26 (Image 9b-10a): If the bride dies before the groom: The groom inherits the 4,000 speciedaler; the clothes and other goods are bequeathed according to the bride’s will; if the bride does not leave a will, the clothes and other goods are bequeathed according to the usual inheritance law.

Article 27 (Image 10a-10b): If the bride dies before the groom and there are descendants from the marriage: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry and the sum of the trousseau; after the death of the groom, the joint descendants from the marriage receive the dowry and the sum of the trousseau; the bride may bequeath her other goods, clothes, etc. to her children as she wishes; if children die before reaching the age of majority: the usual inheritance law of the principality applies.

Article 28 (Figure 10b): If the groom dies before the bride and after consummation of the marriage, and there are or are not joint descendants: ? Commencement of the widow’s estate is regulated

Article 29 (Figures 10b-11a): The bride’s trousseau and other property shall be transferred to the widow’s property before the commencement of the widow’s dower.

Article 30 (Image 11a): Household goods in one room of the widow’s property regulated

Article 31 (Image 11a): Lifetime right of use of the widow’s dower by the bride regulated

Article 32 (Image 11a-11b): Morning gift in the amount of an annual payment of 240 speciedaler, interest regulated, payments until the bride remarries; the morning gift can be replaced by a one-time payment of 3,000 speciedaler

Article 33 (Image 11b): The annual income from the widow’s estate in Scharnebeck amounts to 3,000 speciedaler; regulations regarding interest, payment to the bride regulated

Article 34 (Image 11b-12a): If the 3,000 speciedaler and the 240 speciedaler of the morning gift are not sufficient for the household: reimbursement of the shortfall from the chamber goods of the principality is regulated; prescription of the widow’s estate is mentioned.

Article 35 (Image 12a): Food etc. on the widow’s estate upon commencement of the widowhood is regulated.

Article 36 (Image 12a): Preparation of an inventory list of existing goods on the widow’s estate regulated

Article 37 (Image 12a): Reimbursement of missing goods regulated

Article 38 (Image 12b): Furnishing of the premises on the Scharnebeck widow’s estate regulated; inventory list necessary; Reimbursements regulated

Article 39 (Image 12b-13a): Receipt of necessary goods on the widow’s estate regulated, through surplus of 3,000 specietaler; further surpluses flow into the chamber of the principality; prescription mentioned

Article 40 (Image 13a-13b): Canon law remains with the sovereign prince; mention of homage; regulation of other rights (right to interest, opening of the widow’s estate, high and low court, etc.) ?; jurisdiction on the widow’s estate regulated ?; regulations concerning civil servants

Article 41 (Image 13b): The bride may not ?; Regulations regarding civil servants

Article 42 (Image 13b): Opening of the widow’s estate permitted by the ruling prince; the opening must take place without disadvantage or expense to the bride; compensation regulated

Article 43 (Image 13b-14a): The boundaries between the widow’s estate in Scharnebeck and its neighbours are to be maintained; preservation of the boundaries at the expense of the sovereign regulated; prescription and use of the widow’s estate mentioned

Article 44 (Figure 14a): The subjects of the widow’s estate shall retain their rights and freedoms

Article 45 (Figure 14a): Jurisdiction by the bride in accordance with customary rights

Article 46 (Image 14a): The bride is prohibited from opening the widow’s estate; the bride is prohibited from placing the widow’s estate under the control of another person or transferring it to another person; the bride may not wage war?

Article 47 (Images 14a-14b): Duties and oaths of the subjects on the widow’s estate towards the bride regulated; homage to the heir regulated

Article 48 (Image 14b): Regulations concerning subjects and servants; regulations concerning officials and clerks?; duties and oaths towards the bride regulated; Jurisdiction mentioned?

Article 49 (Image 14b-15a): Regulations concerning the household; regulations concerning officials; storage of the widow’s dower and the account in the princely chamber mentioned?

Article 50 (Image 15a): Remuneration of the abbot regulated

Article 51 (Image 15a): Meierei regulated, costs regulated; Further regulations regarding the household and costs, for example regarding the brewery

Article 52 (Image 15a): Required construction timber allocated

Article 53 (Image 15a): Cattle on the widow’s estate regulated

Article 54 (Image 15a): Provision of cash regulated

Article 55 (Images 15a-15b): If the widow dies without biological heirs: All goods, household effects, etc. shall remain on the widow’s estate; the status of the widow’s estate must be maintained; mention of the sovereign’s prescription?

Article 56 (Image 15b): ?

Article 57 (Image 15b): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: Annual payment of the morning gift in the amount of 245 specietaler regulated; the annual payments can be replaced by a one-time payment of 4,000 specietaler

Article 58 (Image 16a): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: lifelong annual payment of 1,200 specietaler in marriage money regulated; interest regulated; taxes regulated; redemption of the Scharnebeck office against annual interest of 1,200 speciedaler regulated; payment of the office officials regulated? Regulations regarding the morning gift?

Article 59 (Figure 16a): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom and then dies, regardless of whether there are biological heirs or not: the obligation to pay the annual sums of 240 and 1,200 speciedaler expires, unless they have been replaced by a one-off payment.

Article 60 (Images 16a-16b): If the principality should fall to the groom: the groom is free to change the widow’s estate.

Article 61 (Image 16b): The groom’s debts shall be settled by his heirs and successors; the bride shall remain unaffected by them.

Article 62 (Image 16b): Any debts of the bride that remain unpaid after her death shall be settled by the groom’s heirs and descendants.

Article 63 (Image 16b): If the bride or groom dies before consummation of the marriage: the marriage contract is invalid.

Article 64 (Image 16b): If the bride or groom dies immediately after consummation of the marriage: sums paid shall be reimbursed.

Article 65 (Image 16b-17a): Certification by the parties involved in the marriage; signing mentioned.

Article 66 (Image 17a): Confirmation by the bride and groom mentioned; Ratification mentioned

Article 67 (Image 17a): Promise to comply with the contract?

Article 68 (Image 17a): Sealing mentioned; signing by the parties involved and the bride and groom

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 60 (Image 16a-16b): If the principality should pass to the groom: The groom is free to change the widow’s estate

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 7 (Image 5a-6a): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride for herself and her heirs to all paternal, maternal and fraternal inheritance; the bride or her heirs receive a share of the inheritance if all male heirs of the bride’s family predecease her; further inheritance regulations, services regulated?; payment regulations mentioned, sealing of the letter of renunciation by the groom regulated

Article 15 (Image 7b): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated.

Article 18 (Image 8a): If the bride and groom die: The groom’s father receives the marriage funds and the morning gift; the inventories and the use of the goods?

Article 21 (Image 8b): If the bride dies before the groom after consummation of the marriage: the male descendants from the marriage or their sons receive the inheritance

Article 22 (Images 8b-9a): If the bride dies before the groom after consummation of the marriage and there are no common descendants from the marriage: The groom receives unrestricted rights of use of the dowry; after the groom’s death, the 12,000 speciedaler coins go to the bride’s father or his heirs; a receipt for the sums is required; until the sums have been paid, the bride’s father or his heirs receive the right of use of the widow’s property

Article 26 (Fig. 9b-10a): If the bride dies before the groom: The groom inherits the 4,000 speciedaler; the clothes and other property are inherited according to the bride’s will; if the bride does not leave a will, the clothes and other property are inherited according to the usual inheritance law.

Article 27 (Image 10a-10b): If the bride dies before the groom and there are descendants from the marriage: The groom receives the lifelong right of use of the dowry and the sum of the trousseau; after the death of the groom, the joint descendants from the marriage receive the dowry and the sum of the trousseau; the bride may bequeath her other goods, clothes, etc. to her children as she wishes; if children die before reaching the age of majority: Usual inheritance law of the principality regulated

Article 28 (Figure 10b): If the groom dies before the bride and after consummation of the marriage and there are or are not joint descendants: Entitlement to widow’s dower regulated

Article 55 (Figures 15a-15b): If the widow dies without biological heirs: All property, household goods, etc. shall remain on the widow’s estate; the status of the widow’s estate must be maintained; prescription by the sovereign prince mentioned?

Article 59 (Image 16a): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom and then dies, whether or not there are biological heirs: The obligation to pay the annual sums of 240 and 1,200 specietaler expires, unless they have been replaced by a one-off payment.

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 66 (image 17a): Confirmation by the bride and groom mentioned; ratification mentioned

Commentary

Pages of the contract not laminated/numbered

Original contract not divided into articles

No month specified for the date of conclusion of the contract

References

• Archive copy: Hanover HStA NLA Ha Celle Or. 1 No. 152 (1656, month 21) Celle Or. 1 No. 152
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 54. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/54.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 54},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/54.html}
}