Celle
Encyclopedia
Celle (ˈtsɛlə) is a town and capital of the district of Celle
, in Lower Saxony
, Germany
. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller
, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lüneburg Heath
, has a castle (Schloss Celle) built in the renaissance
and baroque
style and a picturesque old town centre (the Altstadt) with over 400 timber-framed houses
, making Celle one of the most remarkable members of the German Framework Road
. From 1378 to 1705, Celle was the official residence of the Lüneburg
branch of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (House of Welf) who had been banished from their original ducal seat by its townsfolk.
river, about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) northeast of Hanover
, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) northwest of Brunswick
and 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) south of Hamburg
. With 71,000 inhabitants it is, next to Lüneburg
, the largest Lower Saxon
town between Hanover and Hamburg.
discharges into the Aller
within the town's borders, as does the River Fuhse
flowing from the southeast. The Aller heads westwards towards Verden where it joins the Weser.
(4,998), Altenhagen
(922), Blumlage/Altstadt (8,526), Bostel (455), Boye (832), Garßen
(2,978), Groß Hehlen
(2,773), Hehlentor (7,974), Hustedt (736), Klein Hehlen
(5,782), Lachtehausen (639), Neuenhäusen
(8,082), Neustadt/Heese (10,887), Scheuen (1,165), Vorwerk (2,842), Westercelle
(7,183) and Wietzenbruch
(4,805).
in the Faroes. In 1292 Duke Otto II the Strict (1277–1330), a Welf who ruled the Principality of Lüneburg
from 1277 to 1330 left Altencelle
, where there had been a defences in the form of a circular rampart
(the Ringwall von Burg
) since the 10th century, and founded a rectangular settlement by the existing castle (Burg) 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the northwest. In 1301 he granted Celle its town privileges
, and in 1308 started construction on the town church.
In 1378 Celle became the Residenz
of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg
and, in 1433, the princes of Lüneburg took up residence in the castle (Schloss). The ducal palace was situated on a triangle between the River Aller and its tributary, the Fuhse. A moat connecting the rivers was built in 1433, turning the town centre into an island. In 1452 Duke Frederick the Pious of Lüneburg founded a Franciscan
monastery. In 1464 the corn shipping monopoly generated an economic upturn for the town.
was introduced into Celle. In 1570 Duke William the Younger
built the castle chapel which was consecrated in 1585. From 1665 to 1705 Celle experienced a cultural boom as a Residenz under Duke George William
. This has been particularly put down to his French
wife, Eleonore d'Olbreuse, who brought fellow Hugenot Christians and Italian
architects to Celle. During this time the French
and Italian Gardens were laid out and the baroque
castle theatre built.
In 1705 the last duke of the Brunswick–Lüneburg line died and Celle, along with the Principality of Lüneburg
, passed back to the Hanover
line of the Welfs. By way of compensation for the loss of its status as a Residenz town numerous administrative institutions were established in Celle, such as the Higher Court of Appeal (Oberappellationsgericht), the prison
and the State Stud Farm
. That began its development into an administrative and judicial centre. Even today the Lower Saxony-Bremen State Social Security Tribunal and the High Court responsible for most of Lower Saxony are based in Celle, amongst others. Celle is also still home to a prison (the Justizvollzugsanstalt Celle or JVA Celle) with its satellite at Salinenmoor about 12 km north of the town centre. That the citizens of Celle once − in a vote − choose to have a prison in Celle rather than a university in order to protect the virtue of their daughters, is not verifiable, but it has remained a persistent anecdote in popular folklore.
In August 1714, George Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick–Lüneburg (King George I) ascended to the British throne. Between then and 1866, when the town became Prussia
n during the Austro-Prussian War
as part of the province of Hanover
, Celle was a possession of the British Hanoverian line
.
In 1786 Albrecht Thaer founded the first German Agricultural Testing Institute in the meadows at Dammasch (today Thaer's Garden). The Albrecht-Thaer School is nowadays part of a vocational centre in the Celle sub-district of Altenhagen
.
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was built in Celle. After being extended in 1913 and partially rebuilt after a fire in 1936, it was renamed Goodwood Barracks in 1945 and from 1976 to 1996 was the headquarters of Panzerbrigade 33 in the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr
. In 1989 it was renamed again to Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne. Since 1996 the land has mainly been used to house one of the largest youth centres in Lower Saxony.
From 1869 to 1872 an infantry barracks was built for the 77th Infantry Regiment. In 1938 it was renamed the Heidekaserne ("Heath Barracks"). After the Second World War the barracks was used by British troops
until 1993. Today the New Town Hall (Neue Rathaus) and Celle Council Offices are housed in the restored brick building. Residential buildings and a town park have been established on the rest of the terrain.
In 1892 − with the help of numerous citizens' donations − the present-day Bomann Museum with its important folkloric and town history collections was founded. In 1913 the 74 metre high clock tower
was built on the town church, its clockwork underwent a major restoration in 2008. In the 1920s the silk
mill was built. It was merged in 1932 with the one in Peine
to become the Seidenwerk Spinnhütte AG. This concern expanded itself during the Nazi era into an armaments centre under the name of "Seidenwerk Spinnhütte AG". A subsidiary founded in 1936, the "Mitteldeutsche Spinnhütte AG", which led war preparations through its branches in the central German towns of Apolda
, Plauen
, Osterode
, Pirna
and Wanfried
. Its only product was parachute
silk that was needed for the paratroopers of the Wehrmacht
.
In September 1929 Rudolph Karstadt
opened a Karstadt
department store in Celle town centre, the facade of which was identical with that of the Karstadt store on Berlin
's Hermannplatz. The Celle branch was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a controversial new building, whose aluminium braces were meant to represent Celle's timber framed houses
.
, the anti-Jewish pogrom
in Nazi Germany
on 9/10 November 1938, the synagogue
in Celle was only saved from complete destruction because there would have been a risk to the adjacent leather factory and other parts of the historic Altstadt.
On 1 April 1939 Altenhäusen, Klein Hehlen, Neuenhäusen, Vorwerk and Wietzenbruch were incorporated into Celle. On 8 April 1945 the only serious allied bombing attack on the city during World War II
occurred, 2.2% of the town was destroyed, especially on the industrial areas and railway freight terminal. A train in which about 4,000 prisoners were being transported to the nearby Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
was hit. The attack claimed hundreds of casualties, but some of the prisoners managed to escape into the nearby woods. SS guards and Celle citizens participated in the so-called 'Celle hare hunt' (Celler Hasenjagd
) The 'hunt' claimed several hundred dead and went on until 10 April 1945 and represented the darkest chapter in Celle's history. The exact number of victims has not been determined. Several of the perpetrators were later tried and convicted of this war crime
.
About 2.2% of Celle (67 houses) was destroyed in the Second World War. It was spared from further destruction by surrendering without a fight to advancing allied troops on 12 April 1945.
During the Third Reich, Celle was an important garrison location. Elements of the 17th and 73rd Infantry Regiments and the 19th Artillery Regiment were garrisoned in the town. Celle was also the headquarters of a military district command and a military records office.
The different barracks (including the Freiherr von Fritsch Barracks in Cambridge and the Dragoons Barracks in the city) into the 1990s were used as sites for the British 33rd Armoured Brigade
, Celle. The Celle Air Base
(Immelmann Barracks) in the District of Wietzenbruch is now the site of the Training Centre of the Army Aviation School. British troops handed over some of the barracks, but one is still used today as a British base (the former von Seeckt Barracks, now Trenchard Barracks). The old barracks are currently being converted to civilian use. The new city hall is in the former Heidemarie Barracks, and the former British Cambridge Dragoons Barracks has now become a youth cultural centre. Since German reunification
, Celle has largely lost its role as a major garrison town.
and Frankfurt
, to become the seat for the Parliamentary Council (Parlamentarischer Rat
), the immediate post-war governmental body in Germany, later superseded by the West German Bundestag
. In the end the privilege went to Bonn
.
On 1 January 1973, Celle lost its status as an independent town (Kreisfreie Stadt) and became the largest municipality in the new district (Kreis) of Celle. It also became the largest town in the new region (Regierungsbezirk
) of Lüneburg
. At the same time the localities of Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn were incorporated into Gifhorn district. Since then the parish of Hohne has looked after six villages (Hohne
, Helmerkamp, Spechtshorn
, Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn) in two rural districts. The town of Celle has also incorporated a number of villages from the surrounding area.
On 25 July 1978 a staged bomb attack was made on the outer wall of the prison. This was initially blamed on the Red Army Faction
, but was later revealed to have been perpetrated by Lower Saxony
's intelligence service, the Verfassungsschutz. The incident became known as the Celle Hole
.
In 2004 the region of Lüneburg was dissolved along with the rest of Lower Saxony's administrative districts. Celle is currently the twelfth largest town in Lower Saxony
.
and early modern period Celle only had a few thousand inhabitants. The population grew only slowly and dropped frequently as a result of many wars, epidemics and periods of famine. Not until the beginnings of industrialisation
in the 19th century did population growth accelerate. It reached a total of 8,800 in 1818 but by 1900 this had more than doubled to 20,000. The incorporation of the surrounding villages on 1 April 1939 saw a further (artificial) rise in numbers to 38,000.
Shortly after the Second World War the many refugees and displaced persons from the German areas of Eastern Europe
led to a steep rise in the number of inhabitants within just a few months from around 17,000 to 55,000 by December 1945. The addition of new municipalities on 1 January 1973 saw an additional 18,691 people being included within the borough of Celle and bringing the total population to 75,178 − its historical high point.
On 30 June 2005 the official number of inhabitants within Celle borough, according to an update by the Lower Saxony State Department of Statistics, was 71,402 (only main residences, and after adjustments with the other state departments).
The following overview shows the population numbers based on the 'catchment area' at the time. The 1818 figure is an estimate, the rest are based on census
results(¹) or official updates by the Department of Statistics. From 1871 the returns show the population actually present, from 1925 the resident population and since 1987 the population residing at their main residence. Before 1871 the numbers are based on various, different census-gathering processes.
class="wikitable">
Year
Population
1 December 1900 ¹
19,883
1 December 1905 ¹
21,390
1 December 1910 ¹
23,263
1 December 1916 ¹
20,521
5 December 1917 ¹
19,997
8 October 1919 ¹
23,589
16 June 1925 ¹
25,456
16 June 1933 ¹
27,734
17 May 1939 ¹
37,799
31 December 1945
55,059
29 October 1946 ¹
52,281
class="wikitable">
Year
Population
13 September 1950 ¹
59,667
25 September 1956 ¹
57,239
6 June 1961 ¹
58,506
31 December 1965
58,766
27 May 1970 ¹
57,155
31 December 1975
74,347
31 December 1980
72,820
31 December 1985
70,482
25 May 1987 ¹
71,222
31 December 1990
72,260
31 December 1995
73,936
class="wikitable">
Year
Population
31 December 2000
72,127
30 June 2005
71,402
1 January 2006
71,371
1 January 2008
70,850
¹ Census results
elections the town of Celle belongs to the constituency of Celle-Uelzen. In 1983, 1987, 1990 and 1994 Klaus-Jürgen Hedrich (CDU
) won the direct vote. In 1998, 2002 and 2005 Peter Struck
(SPD) won the majority of votes. In 2009 Henning Otte
(CDU) received the direct mandate.
For Lower Saxony State Parliament (Landtag
) elections Celle forms the constituency of Celle-Stadt with its surrounding area. In 2003 the CDU won the majority of votes.
Blazoning: Azure
, a castle
, triple-towered, embattled above the port
, all argent, masoned sable
, the port sable, the towers roofed gules
. The port charged with a lion rampant
azure surrounded by seven hearts gules on an inescutcheon bendwise
or
.
The helmet
on the full coat of arms
is described as follows: On the shield is a blue and white wreathed
helmet with a mantling
, blue on the outside and white on the inside. The crest
consists of two sickle
s leaning outwards with red handles. The sickles have their points upwards, blades inward-facing and are decorated with peacock's eyes on the outside edges.
, Poland
Celle Ligure
, Italy
Hämeenlinna
, Finland
Holbæk
, Denmark
Sumy
, Ukraine
. Meudon
, France
Tavistock, United Kingdom
Tyumen
, Russia
Tulsa
, United States
Mazkeret Batya
, Israel
, making Celle an important city for tourism in the southern Lüneburg Heath
region. The most impressive building is the ducal palace, Schloss Celle, which was built in 1530 at the site of the former castle. Another major attraction is the Stadtkirche (town church, 1308) with its white tower, from where the town trumpeter blows a fanfare twice a day (an old tradition that was revived as a tourist attraction). Celle has a synagogue
built in 1740, one of the few that survived the Nazi
pogrom night
of 1938, thanks to its location in a narrow street of wooden half-timber houses next to an important leather factory that would have been collaterally damaged.
Celle is also known for being an entry point for tourists to the Lüneburg Heath.
During World War II, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
, where Anne Frank
died, was located near Celle; today, a memorial and exhibition centre mark the camp site.
The Albrecht Thaer School, a school in Celle, was founded by Albrecht Daniel Thaer
in 1796.
Celle also hosts a Christmas market every year in the old town centre.
The Bomann Museum opposite the castle has works by the artist, Eberhard Schlotter
, and has exhibitions of local folklore and town history. It houses the Tansey collection, one of the largest, well-known, German collections of portrait miniature
s. The Celle Art Museum (Kunstmuseum Celle) with its Robert Simon collection is affiliated to the Bomann Museum. It is the first 24 hour art museum in the world.
In the castle itself is the Residenz Museum, which makes use of its premises and an exhibition to document the princely House of Welf. The Garrison Museum deals with the history of Celle Garrison from 1866 to the present day, whilst the Shooting Museum (Schützenmuseum) in Haus der Stadtmauer is devoted to Celle's shooting club history. The German Embroidery Museum (Deutsche Stickmuster-Museum) in the Rococo Palace in the Prince's Garden documents four centuries of the history of women using, as an example, the craft of embroidery. The work of Celle's Neues Bauen architect, Otto Haesler, is charted by the Haesler Museum. And in the old storage barn (Treppenspeicher
) built in 1607, as well as the orangery
, built in 1677 for the Institute of Apiculture, an exhibition of beekeeping may be viewed.
was founded in 1674 and is the oldest, still working theatre
in Germany and the oldest baroque
theatre in Europe. It had a main auditorium and a smaller stage, called the Malersaal.
On the edge of the old town (Altstadt) is the performing arts theatre supported by the town whose repertoire ranges from comedy to songs, jazz, cabaret and films.
lies immediately south of the Altstadt and is where the Lower Saxon Institute of Apiculture may be found. The Castle Park, with its moats, is on the site of the former defensive fortifications of the ducal castle. And along Bahnhofstraße there is an area of common pasture used as a public park and play area.
On the right bank of the Aller are the Dammasch Meadows, a popular destination for trips, and immediately next to them is the garden of medicinal plants and the Thaers Garden with its little castle. By the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) is the recently laid-out town park. Other important open areas include the various town cemeteries, such as the picturesque forest cemetery, the Waldfriedhof, with its nature garden.
The Bunte Haus is a charitable cultural centre. It focusses on projects and events dealing with social questions covering aspects of culture, social work and civic education. Its workers are volunteers.
The CD-Kaserne ("Cambridge Dragoons (CD) Barracks") is a municipal, youth, cultural centre with exhibition rooms covering the subject areas of music, film, art and society.
, played in the German second division (then called the Regionalliga or "regional league"). After two bankruptcies and relegation, it was promoted to the Lower Saxony league for the 2004/2005 season and, since 2005 has played in the Northeast Lower Saxony league (Oberliga
Niedersachsen Nordost), which is fifth tier of the German football league system.
The handball
club, SV Garßen-Celle, has fielded a women's team that had played in the women's Second Division North since the mid-1990s. In 2009 it came first and was promoted to the First Division.
Since 1983 the Celle Wasa Run (Celler Wasa-Lauf) has taken place every year on the second Sunday of March in Celle's town centre. This has become one of the biggest running events in Germany for distances less than a marathon and is divided into runs of several distances: a children's run of 2.5 km and runs of 5, 10, 15 and 20 km distance. For several years there has also been a hiking (Wandern) event over 11 km along the Aller as well as Walking and Nordic Walking events. 2004 saw a record number of participants with 11,232 men and women taking part.
Celle is one of five centres for the Lower Saxony Rowing Club. The Celle Sprint Regatta takes place annually in October on the Upper Aller at the Ziegeninsel and is hosted by the Hermann Billung Celle, Celler Ruderverein and Ruderclub Ernestinum-Hölty Celle rowing clubs.
The Celle Triathlon always takes place in August. This was originally organised by the Celle branch of the German Alpine Club
(Deutscher Alpenverein), but for several years has been run by SV Altencelle.
Since 2001 Celle has played host to the In-Line Skating and Handbike Marathon from Hanover to Celle. This is one of the biggest races of its kind in Germany. In 2007 the European Masters speed skating
championship took place as part of this event.
Celle also hosted Angola
's national football team during the 2006 Football World Cup.
The town is not really known for heavy industry, but many businesses which have started up in Celle and some, such as Rosa Graf Cosmetics, have reached the world market. Celle does have some links to the oil industry, though, particularly firms engineering parts for drilling; notably Baker Hughes
(INTEQ
and Hughes Christensen
divisions; oil and gas industry service companies specialising in MWD
, Wireline, Drill-bits
, Drilling Applications Engineering, etc.), Cameron (global provider of pressure control, processing, flow control and compression systems as well as project management and aftermarket services for the oil and gas and process industries), and ITAG (drilling contractors and manufacturing plant). Halliburton
, founded in 1919, is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry and has an office in Celle. There is also a school for advance drilling techniques.
Other light industries include electronics, food manufacture, and metal, wood and plastic processing. In addition there an ink manufacturer (Hostmann-Steinberg), paper factory (Werner Achilles Glanzfolien-Kaschieranstalt) and musical instruments makers (including Moeck
). Celle is also home to Germany's Bee institute which carries out scientific studies on the bee species as well as keeping its own bee hives.
Celle is also known as a town of civil servants, due to the large number of government officials and lawyers who work there providing important administrative and judicial services to the region. Agriculture and forestry also play a role.
and Alter Provisor brands. Originally made in Celle's Altstadt, these herb-based spirits are now distilled on the Westercelle
industrial estate. Celler Bier is also established here with its six varieties of beer. Another Celle speciality is Rohe Roulade, which initially gained fame in the Gasthaus Krohne in the district of Blumlage and is now offered in many of Celle's restaurants and pubs.
Also based in Celle are the postal distribution centre for Deutsche Post
's post code district 29 and the transport company DTLS – Drilling Tools Logistic & Service.
. Intercity (IC)
trains to Hanover and Hamburg stop hourly at the station as do individual ICE trains during the rush hour. metronom
trains link Celle to Uelzen, Hanover and Göttingen as part of the regional transport network. Celle is the terminus for routes S 6 and S 7 of the Hanover S-Bahn
.
The section between Celle and Großburgwedel
was built in the 1920s as a high-speed line for testing and record journeys across the heath-like, so-called Wietzenbruch. It was nicknamed the Hare Railway (Hasenbahn) due to its environment which was devoid of habitation and the numerous hares killed on the line in its early days. In 1965 this section via Langenhagen
was electrified for the TEE and IC services from Hamburg to Hanover, in order to save routing them via Lehrte and having to change direction in Hanover. Later it was upgraded for traffic operating regularly at 200 km/h.
Formerly there were railway links from Celle via Schwarmstedt
to Bremen
(Aller Valley Railway
) and via Plockhorst to Brunswick
; these were closed in the 1970s and have largely been dismantled. In 2004 the last remaining branch line from Gifhorn
to Celle via Wienhausen
, that was still used in places for goods traffic, was finally closed and work on lifting the line in the area of the town has begun.
The East Hanoverian Railways run goods trains on several branch lines in the Celle area, including those to Wittingen
, Soltau
and Munster. Occasionally heritage trains and specials also run on these lines.
The Lehrte–Celle railway
is an important route for goods trains and was converted in 1998 into a modern S-Bahn line.
A tram
way network of 2 lines had been operated since 1907 by the Celler Straßenbahn but this was closed and dismantled between 1954 and 1956.
At about 35 km distance is Hanover-Langenhagen airport with international flight connexions.
The Army airfield at Celle
is 4.5 kilometres southwest of the town centre on the edge of the district of Wietzenbruch
. Operated as RAF Celle
after the Second World War, it was from here in 1948/49 that supply flights to Berlin took off as part of the Berlin Airlift. Today the airfield is mainly used by the Army Aviation School (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) as a training airfield for helicopter pilots.
Celle-Arloh airfield near the district of Scheuen is a recreational airfield. It also offers round trips over the town of Celle and the Lüneburg Heath. There is also a glider airfield at Scheuen.
is classified downstream as a federal shipping lane; upstream a weir prevents ships passing. In former centuries Celle was an important transhipment station for ships between Brunswick
and the ports in Bremen
via Oker
, Aller and the (Lower) Weser. Bremen and Brunswick merchants had specific tasks from the Dukes of Celle and later the town of Celle in order to ensure the safety of transport, because the speed of the Aller in the area of Celle made loading and unloading in the port necessary.
From 1900 the quantity of trade through Celle Harbour increasingly felle and switched to road and rail. Until 1970 the transport of grain to the Celle Rathsmühle and the transport of potash salts were still significant.
is the local daily newspaper with a circulation of 34,977 (as at: 2nd quarter 2005). In addition there is the bi-weekly Celler Kurier and weekly Celler Blitz as well as a monthly town magazine, the Celler Scene. Another monthly is the Celler Blickpunkt. The revista appears roughly every 2 months with a left-wing perspective of politics and culture.
s (Gymnasien
) in Celle are the Hermann Billung Gymnasium which majors in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish and bilingual education (history to level 7 in English), the Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria Gymnasium with a focus on music and European studies, which was founded in 1328 as the Latin school
, Ernestinum, with Latin and ancient Greek, and the Hölty Gymnasium with courses in Russian and which has a mathematics and science branch.
The other general schools are the three secondary schools (Realschule
n) (Westercelle, Auf der Heese, Burgstraße), six combined primary (Grundschulen) and secondary modern (Hauptschule
n) schools (Altstadt, Blumlage, Groß Hehlen, Heese-Süd, Neustadt, Wietzenbruch) as well as nine primary schools. In addition there are also the Catholic primary school (Katholische Schule) and the Montessori primary and secondary school, Freie Aktive Schule Celle.
and the Bachelor of Business Administration.
Another important educational establishment in Celle is the Bohrmeisterschule which is a technical college for drilling, extraction and pipeline technology.
Celle is home to one of the two Lower Saxony State Firefighting Schools. It was also the location for the Celler Schule, one of the GEMA
foundation institutions for up and coming songwriter
s, from 1996 to 2008, before it moved to Springe
.
In addition there is an adult education centre in Celle, which has numerous branches in the surrounding districts.
Celle (district)
Celle is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Uelzen, Gifhorn, Hanover and Heidekreis.- Geography :...
, in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
, has a castle (Schloss Celle) built in the renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style and a picturesque old town centre (the Altstadt) with over 400 timber-framed houses
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, making Celle one of the most remarkable members of the German Framework Road
German Framework Road
The German Timber-Frame Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses...
. From 1378 to 1705, Celle was the official residence of the Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
branch of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (House of Welf) who had been banished from their original ducal seat by its townsfolk.
Geography
The town of Celle lies in the glacial valley of the AllerAller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
river, about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) northeast of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) northwest of Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) south of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. With 71,000 inhabitants it is, next to Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
, the largest Lower Saxon
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
town between Hanover and Hamburg.
Expansion
The town covers an area of 176.05 square kilometre. Flowing from the northeast, the River LachteLachte
The Lachte is a roughly long right-hand tributary of the River Aller in the Südheide Nature Park in the north German state of Lower Saxony.- Course :The Lachte rises in the northern part of the district of Gifhorn southwest of Sprakensehl...
discharges into the Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
within the town's borders, as does the River Fuhse
Fuhse
The Fuhse is a stream of Lower Saxony, Germany, a left tributary of the Aller. Spelled Fuse in maps of the 19th century and earlier, the name is thought to derive from the ancient Fosa flumen, after which the Germanic tribe of the Fosi took their name .The Fuhse originates on the west slope of the...
flowing from the southeast. The Aller heads westwards towards Verden where it joins the Weser.
Climate
Celle's annual precipation is 692 millimetres (27.2 in) which puts it in the middle third of locations in Germany. 39% of the Deutscher Wetterdienst's weather stations record lower values. The wettest month is August which has 1.5 times the amount of precipitation as February, the driest month. Monthly precipitation varies only slightly and precipitation is very evenly spread throughout the year. Only 1% of German weather stations show a lower annual variation.Municipalities
The borough of Celle has the following 17 municipalities, some of which were previously independent villages (population as at 1 January 2005): AltencelleAltencelle
Altencelle is part of the borough of Celle in Lower Saxony and lies southeast of the town centre, west of the River Aller and east of the Fuhse. It is linked to Celle by the B 214 federal road and state highway K 74.- History :...
(4,998), Altenhagen
Altenhagen (Celle)
Altenhagen has been a municipality in the borough of Celle in northern Germany since 1973. It lies on the northeastern edge of the town. The original village dates back to 1377....
(922), Blumlage/Altstadt (8,526), Bostel (455), Boye (832), Garßen
Garßen
Garßen is a Lower Saxon village in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath and, since 1973, part of the borough of Celle in Germany. It lies on the northeastern side of the town.- History :...
(2,978), Groß Hehlen
Groß Hehlen
Groß Hehlen is a village north of the town of Celle in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is linked to the town via the K 27 district road which joins the main B 3 federal highway from Bergen. Groß Hehlen is linked to its neighbouring village of Scheuen to the north via the L 240.- Politics :The...
(2,773), Hehlentor (7,974), Hustedt (736), Klein Hehlen
Klein Hehlen
The village of Klein Hehlen was incorporated in 1939 by law into the adjacent town of Celle. The suburb is northwest of the town centre.- Culture and points of interest :...
(5,782), Lachtehausen (639), Neuenhäusen
Neuenhäusen
Neuenhäusen is a suburb of the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, and lies south of the Altstadt in its centre. A particular feature of this suburb is that it is where most of the many authorities and public institutions, that have their headquarters in Celle, are located.- History :The...
(8,082), Neustadt/Heese (10,887), Scheuen (1,165), Vorwerk (2,842), Westercelle
Westercelle
Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres south of the town centre on the river Fuhse.- History :...
(7,183) and Wietzenbruch
Wietzenbruch
Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood bisected by the river Wietze. Originally the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named...
(4,805).
Middle Ages
Celle was first mentioned in a document of A.D. 985 as Kiellu (which means Fischbucht or fishing bay). It was granted the right to mint and circulate its own coins (Münzrecht [minting privileges]) during the 11th century and several coins were found in the Sandur hoardSandur hoard
The Sandur hoard of the Faroe Islands was found in Sandur in 1863 and consists of 98 silver coins, which were probably buried between 1070 and 1080...
in the Faroes. In 1292 Duke Otto II the Strict (1277–1330), a Welf who ruled the Principality of Lüneburg
Principality of Lüneburg
The Principality of Lüneburg was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory lay within the modern-day state of Lower Saxony in Germany...
from 1277 to 1330 left Altencelle
Altencelle
Altencelle is part of the borough of Celle in Lower Saxony and lies southeast of the town centre, west of the River Aller and east of the Fuhse. It is linked to Celle by the B 214 federal road and state highway K 74.- History :...
, where there had been a defences in the form of a circular rampart
Circular rampart
A circular rampart is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering....
(the Ringwall von Burg
Circular rampart of Burg
The circular rampart of Burg is a defensive work from the Early Middle Ages period located near the German town of Celle in Lower Saxony. The site, dating roughly to the 10th century and located in an inaccessible area of marsh by the River Fuhse, probably acted as a refuge for the local population...
) since the 10th century, and founded a rectangular settlement by the existing castle (Burg) 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the northwest. In 1301 he granted Celle its town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
, and in 1308 started construction on the town church.
In 1378 Celle became the Residenz
Residenz
Residenz is a very formal, otherwise obsolete, German word for "place of living". It is in particular used to denote the building or town where a sovereign ruler resided, therefore also carrying a similar meaning as the modern expressions seat of government or capital...
of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg
Saxe-Wittenberg
The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
and, in 1433, the princes of Lüneburg took up residence in the castle (Schloss). The ducal palace was situated on a triangle between the River Aller and its tributary, the Fuhse. A moat connecting the rivers was built in 1433, turning the town centre into an island. In 1452 Duke Frederick the Pious of Lüneburg founded a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery. In 1464 the corn shipping monopoly generated an economic upturn for the town.
Early modern period
In 1524 the ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
was introduced into Celle. In 1570 Duke William the Younger
William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Wilhelm , called William the Younger, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Lüneburg from 1559 until his death. Until 1569 he ruled together with his brother Henry of Dannenberg....
built the castle chapel which was consecrated in 1585. From 1665 to 1705 Celle experienced a cultural boom as a Residenz under Duke George William
George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George William was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. In 1689 he occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg....
. This has been particularly put down to his French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wife, Eleonore d'Olbreuse, who brought fellow Hugenot Christians and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architects to Celle. During this time the French
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
and Italian Gardens were laid out and the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
castle theatre built.
In 1705 the last duke of the Brunswick–Lüneburg line died and Celle, along with the Principality of Lüneburg
Principality of Lüneburg
The Principality of Lüneburg was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory lay within the modern-day state of Lower Saxony in Germany...
, passed back to the Hanover
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
line of the Welfs. By way of compensation for the loss of its status as a Residenz town numerous administrative institutions were established in Celle, such as the Higher Court of Appeal (Oberappellationsgericht), the prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and the State Stud Farm
Celle State Stud
Celle State Stud is a state-owned facility for horse breeding in Celle, Germany. The State Stud of Celle, located in what is now known as Lower Saxony, was founded in 1735 by order of George II, King of Great Britain, Elector of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Its purpose was to make...
. That began its development into an administrative and judicial centre. Even today the Lower Saxony-Bremen State Social Security Tribunal and the High Court responsible for most of Lower Saxony are based in Celle, amongst others. Celle is also still home to a prison (the Justizvollzugsanstalt Celle or JVA Celle) with its satellite at Salinenmoor about 12 km north of the town centre. That the citizens of Celle once − in a vote − choose to have a prison in Celle rather than a university in order to protect the virtue of their daughters, is not verifiable, but it has remained a persistent anecdote in popular folklore.
In August 1714, George Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick–Lüneburg (King George I) ascended to the British throne. Between then and 1866, when the town became Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n during the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
as part of the province of Hanover
Province of Hanover
The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
, Celle was a possession of the British Hanoverian line
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
.
In 1786 Albrecht Thaer founded the first German Agricultural Testing Institute in the meadows at Dammasch (today Thaer's Garden). The Albrecht-Thaer School is nowadays part of a vocational centre in the Celle sub-district of Altenhagen
Altenhagen (Celle)
Altenhagen has been a municipality in the borough of Celle in northern Germany since 1973. It lies on the northeastern edge of the town. The original village dates back to 1377....
.
Modern period
In 1842 the Cambridge Dragoons Barracks (Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne) for the homonymous regiment named after the Hanoveran Viceroy Prince Adolphus, Duke of CambridgePrince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
was built in Celle. After being extended in 1913 and partially rebuilt after a fire in 1936, it was renamed Goodwood Barracks in 1945 and from 1976 to 1996 was the headquarters of Panzerbrigade 33 in the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. In 1989 it was renamed again to Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne. Since 1996 the land has mainly been used to house one of the largest youth centres in Lower Saxony.
From 1869 to 1872 an infantry barracks was built for the 77th Infantry Regiment. In 1938 it was renamed the Heidekaserne ("Heath Barracks"). After the Second World War the barracks was used by British troops
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
until 1993. Today the New Town Hall (Neue Rathaus) and Celle Council Offices are housed in the restored brick building. Residential buildings and a town park have been established on the rest of the terrain.
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
was built on the town church, its clockwork underwent a major restoration in 2008. In the 1920s the silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
mill was built. It was merged in 1932 with the one in Peine
Peine
Peine is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of the district Peine. It is situated on the river Fuhse and the Mittellandkanal, approx. 25 km west of Braunschweig, and 40 km east of Hanover.- History :...
to become the Seidenwerk Spinnhütte AG. This concern expanded itself during the Nazi era into an armaments centre under the name of "Seidenwerk Spinnhütte AG". A subsidiary founded in 1936, the "Mitteldeutsche Spinnhütte AG", which led war preparations through its branches in the central German towns of Apolda
Apolda
Apolda is a town in central Thuringia, Germany, the capital of the Weimarer Land district. It is situated in the center of the triangle Weimar - Jena - Naumburg near the river Ilm, c. 15 km east by north from Weimar, on the main line of railway from Berlin via Halle, to...
, Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, Osterode
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
, Pirna
Pirna
Pirna is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 40,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as a Große Kreisstadt...
and Wanfried
Wanfried
Wanfried is a town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in northeasternmost Hesse, Germany. It is classified as a Landstadt, a designation given in Germany to a municipality that is officially a town , but whose population is below 5,000. It literally means “country town”.-Location:The town lies right on the...
. Its only product was parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
silk that was needed for the paratroopers of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
In September 1929 Rudolph Karstadt
Rudolph Karstadt
Rudolph Karstadt was a German entrepreneur.On 14 May 1881, Karstadt opened his first "Tuch-, Manufactur- und Konfectionsgeschäft" in Wismar and by 1920 owned over 30 shops across Germany....
opened a Karstadt
Karstädt
Karstädt is a municipality in the Prignitz district, in Brandenburg, Germany....
department store in Celle town centre, the facade of which was identical with that of the Karstadt store on Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
's Hermannplatz. The Celle branch was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a controversial new building, whose aluminium braces were meant to represent Celle's timber framed houses
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
.
Nazi era
During KristallnachtKristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
, the anti-Jewish pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
on 9/10 November 1938, the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Celle was only saved from complete destruction because there would have been a risk to the adjacent leather factory and other parts of the historic Altstadt.
On 1 April 1939 Altenhäusen, Klein Hehlen, Neuenhäusen, Vorwerk and Wietzenbruch were incorporated into Celle. On 8 April 1945 the only serious allied bombing attack on the city during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
occurred, 2.2% of the town was destroyed, especially on the industrial areas and railway freight terminal. A train in which about 4,000 prisoners were being transported to the nearby Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
was hit. The attack claimed hundreds of casualties, but some of the prisoners managed to escape into the nearby woods. SS guards and Celle citizens participated in the so-called 'Celle hare hunt' (Celler Hasenjagd
Celler Hasenjagd
The Celler Hasenjagd was a massacre of concentration camp inmates that took place in Celle, Prussian Hanover, in the last weeks of the Second World War...
) The 'hunt' claimed several hundred dead and went on until 10 April 1945 and represented the darkest chapter in Celle's history. The exact number of victims has not been determined. Several of the perpetrators were later tried and convicted of this war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
.
About 2.2% of Celle (67 houses) was destroyed in the Second World War. It was spared from further destruction by surrendering without a fight to advancing allied troops on 12 April 1945.
Military
The different barracks (including the Freiherr von Fritsch Barracks in Cambridge and the Dragoons Barracks in the city) into the 1990s were used as sites for the British 33rd Armoured Brigade
33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 33rd Armoured Brigade was a British Army brigade active in 1944-45, in the 1970s, and in 1980-92.- Normandy :The brigade was formed in the UK on 17 March 1944 by re-designating of the 33rd Tank Brigade. The brigade took part in the Normandy campaign and landed on Gold Beach on 6 June 1944...
, Celle. The Celle Air Base
Celle Air Base
Celle Air Base is a military airbase of the German Army. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since...
(Immelmann Barracks) in the District of Wietzenbruch is now the site of the Training Centre of the Army Aviation School. British troops handed over some of the barracks, but one is still used today as a British base (the former von Seeckt Barracks, now Trenchard Barracks). The old barracks are currently being converted to civilian use. The new city hall is in the former Heidemarie Barracks, and the former British Cambridge Dragoons Barracks has now become a youth cultural centre. Since German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, Celle has largely lost its role as a major garrison town.
Post-war era
After the war Celle applied, along with BonnBonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, to become the seat for the Parliamentary Council (Parlamentarischer Rat
Parlamentarischer Rat
The Parlamentarischer Rat was the West German constitutional convention that created the current constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany...
), the immediate post-war governmental body in Germany, later superseded by the West German Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
. In the end the privilege went to Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
.
On 1 January 1973, Celle lost its status as an independent town (Kreisfreie Stadt) and became the largest municipality in the new district (Kreis) of Celle. It also became the largest town in the new region (Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
) of Lüneburg
Lüneburg (region)
Lüneburg was one of the four Regierungsbezirke of Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the north of the federal state between the three cities Bremen, Hamburg and Hanover....
. At the same time the localities of Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn were incorporated into Gifhorn district. Since then the parish of Hohne has looked after six villages (Hohne
Hohne
Hohne is a municipality in the state of Lower Saxony in Germany, east of the county town of Celle. It includes the three former parishes of Hohne, Helmerkamp and Spechtshorn...
, Helmerkamp, Spechtshorn
Spechtshorn
Spechtshorn is a village in the municipality of Hohne in the collective municipality of Lachendorf in Celle district, in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Geography :Spechtshorn lies east of the River Wiehe, a right-hand tributary of the Schwarzwasser....
, Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn) in two rural districts. The town of Celle has also incorporated a number of villages from the surrounding area.
On 25 July 1978 a staged bomb attack was made on the outer wall of the prison. This was initially blamed on the Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
, but was later revealed to have been perpetrated by Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
's intelligence service, the Verfassungsschutz. The incident became known as the Celle Hole
Celle Hole
Celle Hole is a breach in the outer wall of the prison of Celle, Germany. First used on July 25, 1978, the name was part of a campaign by one of the West German secret services and the GSG 9 in an attempt to lay blame on the Red Army Faction, West Germany's most active and prominent left-wing...
.
In 2004 the region of Lüneburg was dissolved along with the rest of Lower Saxony's administrative districts. Celle is currently the twelfth largest town in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
.
Incorporation of municipalities
- 1 April 1939: Altenhäusen, Klein HehlenKlein HehlenThe village of Klein Hehlen was incorporated in 1939 by law into the adjacent town of Celle. The suburb is northwest of the town centre.- Culture and points of interest :...
, NeuenhäusenNeuenhäusenNeuenhäusen is a suburb of the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, and lies south of the Altstadt in its centre. A particular feature of this suburb is that it is where most of the many authorities and public institutions, that have their headquarters in Celle, are located.- History :The...
, Vorwerk und WietzenbruchWietzenbruchWietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood bisected by the river Wietze. Originally the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named... - 1 January 1973: AltencelleAltencelleAltencelle is part of the borough of Celle in Lower Saxony and lies southeast of the town centre, west of the River Aller and east of the Fuhse. It is linked to Celle by the B 214 federal road and state highway K 74.- History :...
, AltenhagenAltenhagen (Celle)Altenhagen has been a municipality in the borough of Celle in northern Germany since 1973. It lies on the northeastern edge of the town. The original village dates back to 1377....
, Alvern, Bostel, Boye, Burg, GarßenGarßenGarßen is a Lower Saxon village in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath and, since 1973, part of the borough of Celle in Germany. It lies on the northeastern side of the town.- History :...
, Groß HehlenGroß HehlenGroß Hehlen is a village north of the town of Celle in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is linked to the town via the K 27 district road which joins the main B 3 federal highway from Bergen. Groß Hehlen is linked to its neighbouring village of Scheuen to the north via the L 240.- Politics :The...
, Hustedt, Lachtehausen, Scheuen and WestercelleWestercelleWestercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres south of the town centre on the river Fuhse.- History :...
.
Growth in population
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and early modern period Celle only had a few thousand inhabitants. The population grew only slowly and dropped frequently as a result of many wars, epidemics and periods of famine. Not until the beginnings of industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
in the 19th century did population growth accelerate. It reached a total of 8,800 in 1818 but by 1900 this had more than doubled to 20,000. The incorporation of the surrounding villages on 1 April 1939 saw a further (artificial) rise in numbers to 38,000.
Shortly after the Second World War the many refugees and displaced persons from the German areas of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
led to a steep rise in the number of inhabitants within just a few months from around 17,000 to 55,000 by December 1945. The addition of new municipalities on 1 January 1973 saw an additional 18,691 people being included within the borough of Celle and bringing the total population to 75,178 − its historical high point.
On 30 June 2005 the official number of inhabitants within Celle borough, according to an update by the Lower Saxony State Department of Statistics, was 71,402 (only main residences, and after adjustments with the other state departments).
The following overview shows the population numbers based on the 'catchment area' at the time. The 1818 figure is an estimate, the rest are based on census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
results(¹) or official updates by the Department of Statistics. From 1871 the returns show the population actually present, from 1925 the resident population and since 1987 the population residing at their main residence. Before 1871 the numbers are based on various, different census-gathering processes.
| class="wikitable"> | |
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1818 | 8,800 |
| 3 December 1855 ¹ | 13,117 |
| 3 December 1861 ¹ | 14,100 |
| 3 December 1864 ¹ | 14,900 |
| 3 December 1867 ¹ | 16,200 |
| 1 December 1871 ¹ | 16,147 |
| 1 December 1875 ¹ | 18,200 |
| 1 December 1880 ¹ | 18,800 |
| 1 December 1885 ¹ | 18,800 |
| 1 December 1890 ¹ | 18,901 |
| 2 December 1895 ¹ | 19,438 |
¹ Census results
Politics
For the purposes of BundestagBundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
elections the town of Celle belongs to the constituency of Celle-Uelzen. In 1983, 1987, 1990 and 1994 Klaus-Jürgen Hedrich (CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
) won the direct vote. In 1998, 2002 and 2005 Peter Struck
Peter Struck
Peter Struck was the German Minister of Defence under chancellor Gerhard Schröder from 22 October 2002 until 2005. A lawyer, Struck is a member of the Social Democratic Party.-Education:* 1962: Abitur...
(SPD) won the majority of votes. In 2009 Henning Otte
Henning Otte
Henning Otte is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany .- Life and career :Otte was born on 27 October 1968 in Celle, Lower Saxony...
(CDU) received the direct mandate.
For Lower Saxony State Parliament (Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
) elections Celle forms the constituency of Celle-Stadt with its surrounding area. In 2003 the CDU won the majority of votes.
Town council
The town council has 42 elected members as well as the directly elected mayor (Oberbürgermeister). Since the local elections of 10 September 2006, it has consisted of seven parties or voting groups:- CDU − 16 seats
- SPD − 13 seats
- FDP − 5 seats
- Bündnis 90/Die Grünen − 4 seats
- WG (Wählergemeinschaft) − 1 seat
- Alliance for Social Justice (Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit) - Celle (BSG-CE) − 1 seat
- Die Republikaner (REP) − 1 seat
- Independent (Parteilos) – 1 seat
Mayors (Oberbürgermeister)
- 1877-1895: Otto Hattendorf (1822–1905)
- 1895-1924: Wilhelm Denicke
- 1924-1945: Ernst Meyer (1887–1948)
- 1945: Max Vogel
- 1945-1946: Walther Hörstmann (1898–1977)
- 1946-1948: Richard Schäfer
- 1948-1952: Franz-Georg Guizetti
- 1952-1964: Wilhelm Heinichen (1883–1967)
- 1964-1973: Dr. Kurt Blanke (1900–1997)
- 1973-1985: Dr. Helmuth Hörstmann (1909–1993)
- 1986-2001: Dr. Herbert Severin
- 2001-2008: Dr. h. c. Martin Biermann (CDU)
- since 2009: Dirk-Ulrich Mende (SPD)
Coat of arms
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
, a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, triple-towered, embattled above the port
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
, all argent, masoned sable
Sable (heraldry)
In heraldry, sable is the tincture black, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures, called "colours". In engravings and line drawings, it is sometimes depicted as a region of crossed horizontal and vertical lines or else marked with sa. as an abbreviation.The name derives from the black fur of...
, the port sable, the towers roofed gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
. The port charged with a lion rampant
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
azure surrounded by seven hearts gules on an inescutcheon bendwise
Bend (heraldry)
In heraldry, a bend is a coloured band running from the upper right corner of the shield to the lower left . Writers differ in how much of the field they say it covers, ranging from one-fifth up to one-third...
or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
.
The helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
on the full coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is described as follows: On the shield is a blue and white wreathed
Torse
In heraldry, a torse or wreath is a twisted roll of fabric laid about the top of the helm and the base of the crest, from which the mantling hangs....
helmet with a mantling
Mantling
In heraldry, mantling or lambrequin is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the elements, and, secondarily, to decrease the effects of...
, blue on the outside and white on the inside. The crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
consists of two sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
s leaning outwards with red handles. The sickles have their points upwards, blades inward-facing and are decorated with peacock's eyes on the outside edges.
Flag
The town flag is divided into two equal stripes in the town colours of blue and white. It can also contain the town coat of arms.Official seal
The town of Celle has an official seal whose design is based on the oldest town seal of 1288 with the circumscription Stadt Celle. It depicts a gatehouse between two castle towers. In the open gateway under a decorative helmet there is a shield tilting to the left charged with the lion of the Dukes of Lüneburg.Twin towns – Sister cities
Celle is twinned with the following towns: KwidzynKwidzyn
Kwidzyn is a town in northern Poland on the Liwa river, with 40,008 inhabitants . It has been a part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously in the Elbląg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kwidzyn County.-History:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 30 km west of Genoa and about 8 km northeast of Savona...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Holbæk
Holbæk
Holbæk is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 27,055 . The city is located in the northeastern part of Region Sjælland, Denmark....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Sumy
Sumy
* 1897 - 70.53% Ukrainians, 24.1% Russians, 2.6% Jewish, 2.67% others* 1926 - 80.7% Ukrainians, 11.8% Russians, 5.5% Jewish, 2% others* 1959 - 79% Ukrainians, 20% Russians, 1% others...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Tavistock, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Tyumen
Tyumen
Tyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Mazkeret Batya
Mazkeret Batya
Mazkeret Batya is a town in the center of Israel located southeast of Rehovot and from Tel-Aviv. Mazkeret Batya spans an area of 7,440 dunams . In December 2008, it had a population of 9,900. The mayor of Mazkeret Batya is Meir Dahan.-History:Mazkeret Batya was established on November 7, 1883 by...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Main sights
The buildings in Celle’s old town centre date back to the 16th century, among them numerous (and some 480 restored) half-timber housesTimber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, making Celle an important city for tourism in the southern Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
region. The most impressive building is the ducal palace, Schloss Celle, which was built in 1530 at the site of the former castle. Another major attraction is the Stadtkirche (town church, 1308) with its white tower, from where the town trumpeter blows a fanfare twice a day (an old tradition that was revived as a tourist attraction). Celle has a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
built in 1740, one of the few that survived the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
pogrom night
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
of 1938, thanks to its location in a narrow street of wooden half-timber houses next to an important leather factory that would have been collaterally damaged.
Celle is also known for being an entry point for tourists to the Lüneburg Heath.
During World War II, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
, where Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
died, was located near Celle; today, a memorial and exhibition centre mark the camp site.
The Albrecht Thaer School, a school in Celle, was founded by Albrecht Daniel Thaer
Albrecht Thaer
Albrecht Daniel Thaer was a renowned German agronomist and an avid supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition.Thaer was born in Celle and died in Wriezen...
in 1796.
Celle also hosts a Christmas market every year in the old town centre.
Museums
Eberhard Schlotter
Eberhard Schlotter works as an international painter in Spain and Germany. He is the brother of the sculptor Gotthelf Schlotter ....
, and has exhibitions of local folklore and town history. It houses the Tansey collection, one of the largest, well-known, German collections of portrait miniature
Portrait miniature
A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolour, or enamel.Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century...
s. The Celle Art Museum (Kunstmuseum Celle) with its Robert Simon collection is affiliated to the Bomann Museum. It is the first 24 hour art museum in the world.
In the castle itself is the Residenz Museum, which makes use of its premises and an exhibition to document the princely House of Welf. The Garrison Museum deals with the history of Celle Garrison from 1866 to the present day, whilst the Shooting Museum (Schützenmuseum) in Haus der Stadtmauer is devoted to Celle's shooting club history. The German Embroidery Museum (Deutsche Stickmuster-Museum) in the Rococo Palace in the Prince's Garden documents four centuries of the history of women using, as an example, the craft of embroidery. The work of Celle's Neues Bauen architect, Otto Haesler, is charted by the Haesler Museum. And in the old storage barn (Treppenspeicher
Treppenspeicher
A Treppenspeicher is the German term for a small barn or secondary farm building used for storage and typical of the Lüneburg Heath area in northern Germany...
) built in 1607, as well as the orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
, built in 1677 for the Institute of Apiculture, an exhibition of beekeeping may be viewed.
Theatre
The Schlosstheater CelleSchlosstheater Celle
The Castle Theatre in Celle is the court theatre which was established between 1670 and 1674/75 on the initiative of the opera lover, George William , Prince of Lüneburg from the House of Brunswick and Lüneburg, as part of the refurbishment and baroque restyling of Celle Castle...
was founded in 1674 and is the oldest, still working theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in Germany and the oldest baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
theatre in Europe. It had a main auditorium and a smaller stage, called the Malersaal.
On the edge of the old town (Altstadt) is the performing arts theatre supported by the town whose repertoire ranges from comedy to songs, jazz, cabaret and films.
Parks
The picturesque French GardenFrench Garden, Celle
The French Garden in Celle is a public park in the south of the historic old town or Altstadt. On both sides of a straight avenue of lime trees forming its east-west axis are flowerbeds, lawns, copses and a pond with a fountain....
lies immediately south of the Altstadt and is where the Lower Saxon Institute of Apiculture may be found. The Castle Park, with its moats, is on the site of the former defensive fortifications of the ducal castle. And along Bahnhofstraße there is an area of common pasture used as a public park and play area.
On the right bank of the Aller are the Dammasch Meadows, a popular destination for trips, and immediately next to them is the garden of medicinal plants and the Thaers Garden with its little castle. By the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) is the recently laid-out town park. Other important open areas include the various town cemeteries, such as the picturesque forest cemetery, the Waldfriedhof, with its nature garden.
Events
The Congress Union Celle is an event centre for conferences and exhibitions as well as stage, music and festive events.The Bunte Haus is a charitable cultural centre. It focusses on projects and events dealing with social questions covering aspects of culture, social work and civic education. Its workers are volunteers.
The CD-Kaserne ("Cambridge Dragoons (CD) Barracks") is a municipal, youth, cultural centre with exhibition rooms covering the subject areas of music, film, art and society.
Sport
From 1968 to the mid-1970s Celle's football club, TuS CelleTuS Celle FC
TuS Celle FC is a German association football club based in Celle, Lower Saxony. The club is currently a member of the Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg, the sixth tier of German football...
, played in the German second division (then called the Regionalliga or "regional league"). After two bankruptcies and relegation, it was promoted to the Lower Saxony league for the 2004/2005 season and, since 2005 has played in the Northeast Lower Saxony league (Oberliga
Oberliga (football)
The Oberliga is currently the name of the fifth tier of the German football leagues. Before the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier...
Niedersachsen Nordost), which is fifth tier of the German football league system.
The handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
club, SV Garßen-Celle, has fielded a women's team that had played in the women's Second Division North since the mid-1990s. In 2009 it came first and was promoted to the First Division.
Since 1983 the Celle Wasa Run (Celler Wasa-Lauf) has taken place every year on the second Sunday of March in Celle's town centre. This has become one of the biggest running events in Germany for distances less than a marathon and is divided into runs of several distances: a children's run of 2.5 km and runs of 5, 10, 15 and 20 km distance. For several years there has also been a hiking (Wandern) event over 11 km along the Aller as well as Walking and Nordic Walking events. 2004 saw a record number of participants with 11,232 men and women taking part.
Celle is one of five centres for the Lower Saxony Rowing Club. The Celle Sprint Regatta takes place annually in October on the Upper Aller at the Ziegeninsel and is hosted by the Hermann Billung Celle, Celler Ruderverein and Ruderclub Ernestinum-Hölty Celle rowing clubs.
The Celle Triathlon always takes place in August. This was originally organised by the Celle branch of the German Alpine Club
German Alpine Club
The German Alpine Club or DAV is the largest climbing association in the world and the eighth largest sports union in Germany. It is organised into 354 legally independent branches with a total of around 815,000 members...
(Deutscher Alpenverein), but for several years has been run by SV Altencelle.
Since 2001 Celle has played host to the In-Line Skating and Handbike Marathon from Hanover to Celle. This is one of the biggest races of its kind in Germany. In 2007 the European Masters speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
championship took place as part of this event.
Celle also hosted Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
's national football team during the 2006 Football World Cup.
Economy
Tourism is a large contributor to Celle’s economy, especially in the summer months during jazz, wine, and other festivals, which attract thousands of visitors.The town is not really known for heavy industry, but many businesses which have started up in Celle and some, such as Rosa Graf Cosmetics, have reached the world market. Celle does have some links to the oil industry, though, particularly firms engineering parts for drilling; notably Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes Baker Hughes provides the world's oil & gas industry with products and services for drilling, formation evaluation, completion, production and reservoir consulting. Baker Hughes operates in over 90 countries worldwide mainly based in countries with a mature petroleum industry as is...
(INTEQ
Baker Hughes INTEQ
Baker Hughes INTEQ is among the world's leading oilfield drilling and evaluation service companies. INTEQ was formed from the legacy companies of Eastman Christensen, Teleco MWD, Milchem and EXLOG, which were acquired by Baker Hughes Incorporated in the late 1980s...
and Hughes Christensen
Hughes Christensen
Hughes Christensen, is one of the worlds largest oil and gas drilling and evaluation service companies primarily responsible for the production of drill bits. It was formed from the merger of Hughes Tool Company and Christensen Diamond Products. In 1987, Baker International acquired and merged with...
divisions; oil and gas industry service companies specialising in MWD
Measurement While Drilling
MWD stands for Measurement While Drilling in the oil & gas industry. The simplest way to describe MWD is to relate it to the measurements a pilot takes. A pilot needs to know the direction they are flying , the angle they are fly at , and what type of skies they will be flying through...
, Wireline, Drill-bits
Drill bit (well)
A ', is a device attached to the end of the drill string that breaks apart, cuts or crushes the rock formations when drilling a wellbore, such as those drilled to extract water, gas, or oil....
, Drilling Applications Engineering, etc.), Cameron (global provider of pressure control, processing, flow control and compression systems as well as project management and aftermarket services for the oil and gas and process industries), and ITAG (drilling contractors and manufacturing plant). Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
, founded in 1919, is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry and has an office in Celle. There is also a school for advance drilling techniques.
Other light industries include electronics, food manufacture, and metal, wood and plastic processing. In addition there an ink manufacturer (Hostmann-Steinberg), paper factory (Werner Achilles Glanzfolien-Kaschieranstalt) and musical instruments makers (including Moeck
Moeck Musikinstrumente + Verlag
Moeck Musikinstrumente + Verlag is a leading German manufacturer of recorders and a music publisher.The company was founded in 1925 by Hermann Moeck in Celle. In 1960 his son Dr. Hermann Alexander Moeck took over the business. The current owner is Sabine Haase-Moeck.The company produces recorders...
). Celle is also home to Germany's Bee institute which carries out scientific studies on the bee species as well as keeping its own bee hives.
Celle is also known as a town of civil servants, due to the large number of government officials and lawyers who work there providing important administrative and judicial services to the region. Agriculture and forestry also play a role.
Foodstuffs
Celle is the base for a crispbread factory, Barilla Wasa Deutschland. Regional and to some extent national suppliers are the high-alcohol drink manufactures of the RatzeputzRatzeputz
Ratzeputz is a schnaps, a type of spirit popular in Germany, which contains extracts and distillates of root ginger. The fresh ginger it contains is said to be beneficial to the stomach....
and Alter Provisor brands. Originally made in Celle's Altstadt, these herb-based spirits are now distilled on the Westercelle
Westercelle
Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres south of the town centre on the river Fuhse.- History :...
industrial estate. Celler Bier is also established here with its six varieties of beer. Another Celle speciality is Rohe Roulade, which initially gained fame in the Gasthaus Krohne in the district of Blumlage and is now offered in many of Celle's restaurants and pubs.
Transport and logistics
The East Hanoverian Railways (Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen or OHE) is a goods and passenger transport company covering the north German area with its headquarters in Celle.Also based in Celle are the postal distribution centre for Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
's post code district 29 and the transport company DTLS – Drilling Tools Logistic & Service.
Rail
Celle lies on the Hanover – Celle – Uelzen – Lüneburg – Hamburg lineHanover–Hamburg railway
The Hanover–Hamburg railway is one of the most important railway lines in Lower Saxony and Germany. It links the Lower Saxon state capital of Hanover with Hamburg, running through Celle, Uelzen and Lüneburg.- History :...
. Intercity (IC)
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
trains to Hanover and Hamburg stop hourly at the station as do individual ICE trains during the rush hour. metronom
Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft
Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH is a non State-owned railway company based in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, the largest since December 2005. The company is exclusively for passenger and operates on behalf of the public transportation trains on the lines Hamburg-Bremen, Hannover and...
trains link Celle to Uelzen, Hanover and Göttingen as part of the regional transport network. Celle is the terminus for routes S 6 and S 7 of the Hanover S-Bahn
Hanover S-Bahn
The Hanover S-Bahn is an S-Bahn network operated by DB Regio in the area of Hanover in the German state capital of Lower Saxony...
.
The section between Celle and Großburgwedel
Großburgwedel
Großburgwedel is a village northeast of Hanover and is the administrative centre of the town of Burgwedel.Großburgwedel is home to the town hall of Burgwedel and other town institutions such as the library, a hospital for the region of Hanover...
was built in the 1920s as a high-speed line for testing and record journeys across the heath-like, so-called Wietzenbruch. It was nicknamed the Hare Railway (Hasenbahn) due to its environment which was devoid of habitation and the numerous hares killed on the line in its early days. In 1965 this section via Langenhagen
Langenhagen
Langenhagen is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony, Germany.-International relations:Langenhagen is twinned with: - Joinville - - Economy :...
was electrified for the TEE and IC services from Hamburg to Hanover, in order to save routing them via Lehrte and having to change direction in Hanover. Later it was upgraded for traffic operating regularly at 200 km/h.
Formerly there were railway links from Celle via Schwarmstedt
Schwarmstedt
Schwarmstedt is a municipality in the Heidekreis in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the confluence of the rivers Aller and Leine, approx. 20 km south of Bad Fallingbostel, and 30 km east of Nienburg...
to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
(Aller Valley Railway
Aller Valley Railway
The Aller Valley Railway was a railway line of regional importance in Lower Saxony. It ran along the river Aller and linked Gifhorn with Verden via Celle, Schwarmstedt, Rethem and Wahnebergen....
) and via Plockhorst to Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
; these were closed in the 1970s and have largely been dismantled. In 2004 the last remaining branch line from Gifhorn
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
to Celle via Wienhausen
Wienhausen
Wienhausen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is known for Wienhausen Abbey, referenced in the municipal coat of arms....
, that was still used in places for goods traffic, was finally closed and work on lifting the line in the area of the town has begun.
The East Hanoverian Railways run goods trains on several branch lines in the Celle area, including those to Wittingen
Wittingen
Wittingen is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 30 km southeast of Uelzen.- Division of the town :Wittingen consists of 27 districts:- Demographic data :...
, Soltau
Soltau
- Middle Ages :The region of the Lüneburg Heath had already been settled by the start of the New Stone Age about 4,000 years ago. The Soltau area was initially occupied by a few individual farms. The parish of Soltau was probably founded around 830 and the first wooden church Sante Johannis...
and Munster. Occasionally heritage trains and specials also run on these lines.
The Lehrte–Celle railway
Lehrte–Celle railway
The Lehrte–Celle railway is a main line in the east of Hanover Region in Germany. It links the railway hub of Lehrte with the town of Celle, where it connects to the present-day Hanover–Hamburg railway...
is an important route for goods trains and was converted in 1998 into a modern S-Bahn line.
A tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way network of 2 lines had been operated since 1907 by the Celler Straßenbahn but this was closed and dismantled between 1954 and 1956.
Road
Important links are:- North-south: the B 3 running north to SoltauSoltau- Middle Ages :The region of the Lüneburg Heath had already been settled by the start of the New Stone Age about 4,000 years ago. The Soltau area was initially occupied by a few individual farms. The parish of Soltau was probably founded around 830 and the first wooden church Sante Johannis...
/HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and south to HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... - Southeast-west: the B 214Bundesstraße 214The Bundesstraße 214 is a federal road that runs from Lingen to Brunswick in North Germany.- Route :The B 214 begins on the Lingen Heights, the highest elevation in the Emsland, where it branches off the B 70 and B 213, and runs eastwards in the north of Osnabrück district, where it crosses the...
running southeast to BrunswickBraunschweigBraunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and west to Nienburg - Northeast: the B 191Bundesstraße 191The Bundesstraße 191 or B 191 is a German federal road. It begins in Celle at the B 3 and ends in Plau am See at the B 103.- Origins :The old unmetalled road between Ludwigslust and Parchim was upgraded in 1845 to a surfaced road...
to UelzenUelzenUelzen is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the county of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a Hanseatic town and an independent municipality....
/LüneburgLüneburgLüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
/LudwigslustLudwigslustLudwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:... - LandesstraßeLandesstraßeLandesstraßen are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district...
310 via Fuhrberg southwest to the junction at Mellendorf on the A 7 motorway - Landesstraße 282 east-northeast via BeedenbostelBeedenbostelBeedenbostel is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, EldingenEldingenEldingen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
and Steinhorst to WittingenWittingenWittingen is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 30 km southeast of Uelzen.- Division of the town :Wittingen consists of 27 districts:- Demographic data :... - Landesstraße 180 via Winsen (Aller)Winsen (Aller)Winsen an der Aller or Winsen is a town in the district of Celle in the German state of Lower Saxony.-Geography:Winsen has around 12,900 inhabitants and lies on the southern perimeter of the Lüneburg Heath, on the banks of the Aller, somewhat to the west of its tributary, the Örtze and about...
west-northwest to the motorway services of Raststätte Allertal, on the A 7
Air
The Army airfield at Celle
Celle Air Base
Celle Air Base is a military airbase of the German Army. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since...
is 4.5 kilometres southwest of the town centre on the edge of the district of Wietzenbruch
Wietzenbruch
Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood bisected by the river Wietze. Originally the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named...
. Operated as RAF Celle
RAF Celle
The former Royal Air Force Station Celle , more commonly known as RAF Celle , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, in Germany, situated in the south-western suburbs of Celle, Lower Saxony...
after the Second World War, it was from here in 1948/49 that supply flights to Berlin took off as part of the Berlin Airlift. Today the airfield is mainly used by the Army Aviation School (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) as a training airfield for helicopter pilots.
Celle-Arloh airfield near the district of Scheuen is a recreational airfield. It also offers round trips over the town of Celle and the Lüneburg Heath. There is also a glider airfield at Scheuen.
Water
Celle harbour is only used by tourists today. From Celle the AllerAller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
is classified downstream as a federal shipping lane; upstream a weir prevents ships passing. In former centuries Celle was an important transhipment station for ships between Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and the ports in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
via Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
, Aller and the (Lower) Weser. Bremen and Brunswick merchants had specific tasks from the Dukes of Celle and later the town of Celle in order to ensure the safety of transport, because the speed of the Aller in the area of Celle made loading and unloading in the port necessary.
From 1900 the quantity of trade through Celle Harbour increasingly felle and switched to road and rail. Until 1970 the transport of grain to the Celle Rathsmühle and the transport of potash salts were still significant.
Town public transport services
The firm of CeBus runs eight bus lines around the town. There are 15 bus lines for regional services, with which the villages in the district of Celle can be reached. Sometimes town and region bus services are combined.Media
The Cellesche ZeitungCellesche Zeitung
The Cellesche Zeitung is a medium-size local newspaper with a circulation of 32,200.It is distributed in the town and district of Celle in North Germany by Schweiger & Pick Verlag...
is the local daily newspaper with a circulation of 34,977 (as at: 2nd quarter 2005). In addition there is the bi-weekly Celler Kurier and weekly Celler Blitz as well as a monthly town magazine, the Celler Scene. Another monthly is the Celler Blickpunkt. The revista appears roughly every 2 months with a left-wing perspective of politics and culture.
Schools
The grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s (Gymnasien
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
) in Celle are the Hermann Billung Gymnasium which majors in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish and bilingual education (history to level 7 in English), the Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria Gymnasium with a focus on music and European studies, which was founded in 1328 as the Latin school
Latin School
Latin School may refer to:* Latin schools of Medieval Europe* These schools in the United States:** Boston Latin School, Boston, MA** Brooklyn Latin School, New York, NY** Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School, Long Island, NY...
, Ernestinum, with Latin and ancient Greek, and the Hölty Gymnasium with courses in Russian and which has a mathematics and science branch.
The other general schools are the three secondary schools (Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
n) (Westercelle, Auf der Heese, Burgstraße), six combined primary (Grundschulen) and secondary modern (Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
n) schools (Altstadt, Blumlage, Groß Hehlen, Heese-Süd, Neustadt, Wietzenbruch) as well as nine primary schools. In addition there are also the Catholic primary school (Katholische Schule) and the Montessori primary and secondary school, Freie Aktive Schule Celle.
Vocational schools
Celle has four vocational establishments (Berufsbildende Schulen or BBS): BBS I − Economics and Administration, BBS II (Axel Bruns Schule) − Technology, Design and IT, BBS III − Health and Social Studies − and BBS IV (Albrecht Thaer Schule) − Agriculture, Domestic Science and Nutrition.Other educational establishments
Since 2003 Celle has been the location for the private College of Economics (Fachhochschule der Wirtschaft or FHDW), which offers courses of studies in mechatronicsMechatronics
Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, that is...
and the Bachelor of Business Administration.
Another important educational establishment in Celle is the Bohrmeisterschule which is a technical college for drilling, extraction and pipeline technology.
Celle is home to one of the two Lower Saxony State Firefighting Schools. It was also the location for the Celler Schule, one of the GEMA
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte is a performance rights organization from Germany. It is the only such institution in Germany and a member of BIEM and CISAC...
foundation institutions for up and coming songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s, from 1996 to 2008, before it moved to Springe
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.-City Structure:* Springe with 12,666 Inhabitants* Bennigsen with 4,095 Inhabitants...
.
In addition there is an adult education centre in Celle, which has numerous branches in the surrounding districts.
Native people
- Sophia Dorothea of CelleSophia Dorothea of CelleSophia Dorothea of Brunswick and Lunenburg was the wife and cousin of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, later George I of Great Britain, and mother of George II through an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of Duchess Sophia of Hanover...
(1666–1726) - wife of George I of Great BritainGeorge I of Great BritainGeorge I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
and mother of George II of Great BritainGeorge II of Great BritainGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany... - Albrecht Daniel Thaer (1752–1828) − founder of agricultural science
- Ernst SchulzeErnst SchulzeErnst Conrad Friedrich Schulze was a German Romantic poet, born at Celle.-Early life and education:The son of the Mayor of Celle, his mother died while he was only two years old and much of his early education was overseen by his two grandfathers, who were a Celle bookseller and a minister.Widely...
(1789–1817) − Romantic poet - Karl GoedekeKarl GoedekeKarl Friedrich Ludwig Goedeke was a German historian of literature, an author, and a professor. He was born at Celle and was educated at Göttingen, where he was professor from 1873 until his death...
(1814–1887) − famous literary historian - Wilhelm HauersWilhelm HauersWilhelm Hauers was a German architect. His works include the St. Johannis Harvestehude Hamburg....
(1836–1905) – architect in Hamburg - Wilhelm Meyer (1867–1929), industrialist ReichstagReichstag (German Empire)The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
MP - Ernst Emil Herzfeld (1879–1948) − German archaeologist, Assyriologist and epigraphist
- Robert Lehr (1883–1956) − politician (DNVP, CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
) - Roland FreislerRoland FreislerRoland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
(1893–1945) − lawyer and politician (NSDAP) - Hermann SchriddeHermann SchriddeHermann Schridde was a German equestrian.Schridde won the German show jumping championship in 1960....
(1937–1985) − show jumper and manager of the German show jumping team - Gustav HumbertGustav HumbertDr. Gustav Humbert is the former Chief Executive Officer and President of Airbus SAS, and a former member of the EADS Executive Committee.- Airbus :...
(born 1950) − German manager - Ernie Reinhardt (born 1955) − actor (pseudonym Lilo WandersLilo WandersErnie Reinhardt, better known as Lilo Wanders, is a famous German transvestite actor....
) - Gabi BauerGabi BauerGabi Bauer is a German journalist and television presenter.- Life :Bauer studied politics, pedagogic and philosophy in Hamburg, Hannover, Grenoble and Kalamazoo. She works for German broadcaster ARD in Tagesthemen. She is married with journalist Ulrich Exner...
(born 1962) - journalist - Ante ZelckAnte ZelckAnte Zelck is a German entrepreneur and hostel pioneer.- Life :Ante Zelck grew up in Celle, Lower Saxony. After finishing high school he completed an apprenticeship as a locksmith. In 1988 he went to Berlin to complete his Abitur as a second course of education...
(born 1963) − entrepreneur and hostel pioneer - Harald BergmannHarald BergmannHarald M. Bergmann is a Dutch politician of the VVD. In November 2005 he became mayor of the municipality Albrandswaard ....
(born 1963) − director, film producer - Christian OliverChristian OliverChristian Oliver is a German actor.Oliver was born in Celle and grew up in Frankfurt am Main. He relocated to the US to work as a model and subsequently take acting lessons in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003 and 2004, Christian Oliver co-starred in 28 episodes of the German action TV series...
(born 1972) − actor - Feleknas UcaFeleknas UcaFeleknas Uca is a German Die Linke politician of Kurdish ancestry. From 1999 to 2009 she was member of the European Parliament from Germany...
(born 1976) − politician (Die Linke) - Alex Boyd (born 1984) − British photographer
- Dustin BrownDustin Brown (tennis)Dustin Brown is a German-Jamaican professional tennis player. Brown competes mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour, both in singles and doubles. He reached his highest ATP singles ranking, No. 89, and his highest ATP doubles ranking, No...
(born 1984) - Jamaican tennis player
People who have worked in Celle
- Urbanus RhegiusUrbanus RhegiusUrbanus Henricus Rhegius or Urban Rieger was Protestant Reformer who was active both in Northern and Southern Germany in order to promote Lutheran unity in the Holy Roman Empire.- Life :...
, actually Urban Rieger (1489–1541) − reformerProtestant ReformersProtestant Reformers were those theologians, churchmen, and statesmen whose careers, works, and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century... - Johann ArndtJohann ArndtJohann Arndt was a German Lutheran theologian who wrote several influential books of devotional Christianity...
(1555–1621) − post-Reformation theologian - George William, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgGeorge William, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgGeorge William was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. In 1689 he occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg....
(1624–1705) − ruled from 1665 to this death from Celle Castle as the last "Heath Duke" of the House of Welf - Fritz GraßhoffFritz GrasshoffFritz Graßhoff was a German painter, poet and songwriter. He was known for hits sung by Lale Andersen, Freddy Quinn and Hans Albers. As a painter, he showed at important exhibitions; as a writer, he was known for his important lyric volume Halunkenpostille and his autobiographical novel Der blaue...
(1913–1997), painter, poet and writer