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Celle () is a town and capital of the district of
Celle Celle () 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 Lü ...
, in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river
Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...
, a tributary of the
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the
Lüneburg Heath Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the 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 a ...
, has a castle (''
Schloss Celle Celle Castle (german: Schloss Celle) or, less commonly, Celle Palace, in the German town of Celle in Lower Saxony, was one of the residences of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This quadrangular building is the largest castle in the southern ...
'') built in the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
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 Timber-Frame Road The German Timber-Frame Road (German: ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'') is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to the Black Forest and Lake Constance in the south. Numerous cities and towns each with examples of the vernacu ...
. From 1378 to 1705, Celle was the official residence of the
Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
branch of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (
House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
) who had been banished from their original ducal seat by its townsfolk.


Geography

The town of Celle lies in the
glacial valley U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
of the
Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...
, about northeast of
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, northwest of Brunswick and south of
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
. With 71,000 inhabitants it is, next to
Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
, the largest Lower Saxon town between Hanover and Hamburg.


Expansion

The town covers an area of . Flowing from the northeast, the
Lachte The Lachte is a right-hand tributary of the 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. It flows initially s ...
discharges into the
Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...
within the town's borders, as does the
Fuhse The Fuhse is a river 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 ...
flowing from the southeast. The Aller heads westwards towards
Verden an der Aller Verden an der Aller (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Veern''), also called Verden (Aller) or simply Verden, is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the river Aller. It is the district town of the district of Verden in Lower Saxony and an independent munici ...
where it joins the
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
.


Climate

Celle's annual precipitation is which puts it in the middle third of locations in Germany. 39% of the
Deutscher Wetterdienst The () or DWD for short, is the German Meteorological Service, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, which monitors weather and meteorological conditions over Germany and provides weather services for the general public and for nautical, avia ...
'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.


Subdivisions

The town of Celle has the following 17 boroughs or ''Stadtteile'', some of which were previously independent villages (population as at 1 January 2005):
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 The present day na ...
(4,998),
Altenhagen Altenhagen is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous countr ...
(922), Blumlage/Altstadt (8,526), Bostel (455), Boye (832),
Garßen Garßen is a Lower Saxony, 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 The name of the village is derived from ' ...
(2,978),
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 Kreisstraße, K 27 district road which joins the main Bundesstraße 3, B 3 federal highway from Bergen (Landkreis Celle), Be ...
(2,773), Hehlentor (7,974), Hustedt (736),
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. Politics The chair of the parish council (''Ortsbürgermeister'') is Klaus Didschies (CDU). Culture and p ...
(5,782), Lachtehausen (639),
Neuenhäusen Neuenhäusen is a suburb of the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, and lies south of the ''Altstadt'' (old town) in its centre. A particular feature of this suburb is that it is where most of the many authorities and public institutions, tha ...
(8,082), Neustadt/Heese (10,887), Scheuen (1,165), Vorwerk (2,842),
Westercelle Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of the town centre on the river Fuhse. History The village derives its name from its location west of the original settleme ...
(7,183) and
Wietzenbruch Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood (''Bruchwald'') bisected by the river Wietze. Originally, the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm (v. Anderten). Incorp ...
(4,805).


History


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 under the '' Münzrecht'' (minting privileges) during the 11th century and several coins were found in the Sandur hoard in the
Faroes The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway betw ...
. In 1292 Duke Otto II the Strict (1277–1330), a
Welf Welf is a Germanic first name that may refer to: *Welf (father of Judith), 9th century Frankish count, father-in-law of Louis the Pious *Welf I, d. bef. 876, count of Alpgau and Linzgau *Welf II, Count of Swabia, died 1030, supposed descendant of W ...
who ruled the
Principality of Lüneburg The Principality of Lüneburg (later also referred to as Celle) 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 ...
from 1277 to 1330 left
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 The present day na ...
, where there had been a defences in the form of a
circular rampart A circular rampart (German: ''Ringwall'') 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 ...
(the ''
Ringwall von Burg The circular rampart of Burg (German: ''Ringwall von 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 a ...
'') since the 10th century, and founded a rectangular settlement by the existing castle (''Burg'') to the northwest. In 1301 he granted Celle its
town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
, and in 1308 started construction on the town church. In 1378 Celle became the ''
Residenz Residenz () is a German word for "place of living", now obsolete except in the formal sense of an official residence. A related term, Residenzstadt, denotes a city where a sovereign ruler resided, therefore carrying a similar meaning as the modern ...
'' of the dukes of
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. The Ascanian dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity until th ...
and, in 1433, the
princes of Lüneburg A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
took up residence in the castle (''Schloss''). The ducal palace was situated on a triangle between the 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 The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
monastery. In 1464 the grain shipping monopoly generated an economic upturn for the town.


Early modern period

In 1524 the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
was introduced into Celle. In 1570 Duke William the Younger built the castle chapel which was consecrated in 1585. In 1660 Celle had 3 750 inhabitants. 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
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
Christians and Italian architects to Celle. During this time the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and Italian Gardens were laid out and the
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
castle theatre built. Because of the persecution of Huguenots under Louis XIV many French Huguenots sought refuge in Germany, especially in Berlin and in the towns of Celle,
Neuwied Neuwied () is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am Main to Cologne. Th ...
and
Hanau Hanau () is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and is part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ...
. About 300 Huguenots settled down in Celle, where a new residential area was laid out for them in the southwest of the city centre. Its main street, ''Hugenottenstrasse'' is still a sightworthy historical street with well-preserved wooden houses built at the beginning of the 18th century. Many French refugees worked in the castle as cooks and servants, but some of them opened shops in Celle as tailors, carpenters, joiners, confectioners, wig makers and glovers thus introducing some French cuisine, fashion and lifestyle into the town. Some years later protestant refugees from Austria sought refuge in Celle as well. ''Emigrantenstraße'' is another historical street which was laid out for the Austrians. In 1705 the last duke of the Brunswick–Lüneburg line died and Celle, along with the
Principality of Lüneburg The Principality of Lüneburg (later also referred to as Celle) 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 ...
, passed back to the
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
line of the
Welfs The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse ...
. 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'') which was built in a baroque style in the west of the city centre from 1710 to 1731. Sometimes tourists mistake it for a castle because of its typical baroque architecture. That the citizens of Celle once − in a vote − chose 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, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
n during the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
as part of the
province of Hanover The Province of Hanover (german: Provinz Hannover) 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, ...
, Celle was a possession of the British Hanoverian line. In 1786
Albrecht Thaer Albrecht Daniel Thaer (; 14 May 1752 – 26 October 1828) was a German agronomist and a supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition. Biography Family and early life Albrecht Daniel Thaer was born in Celle, a neat little town in Hanove ...
founded the first German Agricultural Testing Institute in the meadows at the Dammasch (''dam marsh'') (today Thaer's Garden). The Albrecht-Thaer School is nowadays part of a vocational centre in the Celle sub-district of
Altenhagen Altenhagen is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous countr ...
.


Modern period

In 1842 the Cambridge Dragoons Barracks (''Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne'') for the homonymous regiment named after the Hanoveran Viceroy Duke
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, (Adolphus Frederick; 24 February 1774 – 8 July 1850) was the tenth child and seventh son of the British king George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 18 ...
, 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 The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
. In 1989 it was renamed again to Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne. Since 1996 the area 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 which also gave the main street (running the length of the front of the barracks) its name of 77er Strasse. In 1938 it was renamed the ''Heidekaserne'' ("Heath Barracks"). After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the barracks was used by
British troops The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkhas ...
until 1993 during which time 94 Locating Regiment Royal Artillery held residency for over 25 years, followed briefly by 14 Signal Regiment, who relocated from Scheuen until the barracks were handed back to the local authorities. 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 Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...
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 Peine (; Eastphalian: ''Paane'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of the district Peine. It is situated on the river Fuhse and the Mittellandkanal, approximately west of Braunschweig, and east of Hanover. History A deed from 11 ...
to become the ''Seidenwerk Spinnhütte AG''. This concern expanded itself during the
Nazi era Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
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 () 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. east by north from Weimar. Apolda station lies on the Hall ...
,
Plauen Plauen (; Czech language, Czech: ''Plavno'') is, with around 65,000 inhabitants, the fifth-largest city of Saxony, Germany after Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz and Zwickau, the second-largest city of the Vogtland after Gera, as well as the larges ...
, Osterode,
Pirna Pirna (; hsb, Pěrno; ) is a town in Saxony, Germany and capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 37,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as ...
and
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 (''Stadt''), but whose population is below 5,000. It ...
. Its only product was
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
silk that was needed for the paratroopers of the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. In September 1929
Rudolph Karstadt Rudolph Karstadt (16 February 1856 – 15 December 1944 in Schwerin) was a German entrepreneur. Biography Karstadt was born in Grevesmühlen near Lübeck on 16 February 1856, he apprenticed in Rostock and then worked in his father’s textile ...
opened a
Karstadt Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH was a German department store chain whose headquarters were in Essen. Until 30 September 2010 the company was a subsidiary of Arcandor AG (which was known until 30 June 2007 as KarstadtQuelle AG) and was responsible wi ...
department store in Celle town centre, the façade of which was identical with that of the Karstadt store on
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
's Hermannplatz. The Celle branch was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a controversial new building, whose aluminium braced facade was meant to represent Celle's timber-framed houses.


Nazi era

During
Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...
, the anti-Jewish
pogrom A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russia ...
in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
on 9/10 November 1938, the synagogue in Celle was only saved from complete destruction because it is a very narrow lane and there would have been a risk to the adjacent leather factory and other parts of the historical city centre with its old wooden houses. 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 or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
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 , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...
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. A memorial with an information board and a copper beech tree was inaugurated in Triftanlagen park on 8 April 1992. The German word for copper beech is "Blutbuche" meaning blood beech. About 2.2% of Celle (67 houses) was destroyed in the Second World War. 550 houses were heavily damaged and 614 were slightly damaged. Celle was spared from further destruction by surrendering without a fight to advancing allied troops on 12 April 1945, so that the historical city centre and the castle survived the war completely unscathed.


Military

In
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, 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 German Army barracks (including the Freiherr von Fritsch Barracks in Scheuen and the Cambridge Dragoons Barracks in the city) were used as sites for the German 33rd Armoured Brigade until the 1990s. The
Celle Air Base Celle Air Base German: ''Heeresflugplatz Celle'' 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. Today the a ...
(Immelmann Barracks) in the District of Wietzenbruch is now the site of the Training Centre of the Army Aviation School and the Cambridge Dragoons Barracks has now become a youth cultural centre (CD-Kaserne). The
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
barracks, which as Celle Station formed part of
Bergen-Hohne Garrison Bergen-Hohne Garrison was a major British garrison in the post-Cold War period, with facilities located close to Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen at ''Lager Hohne'', at ''Lager Oerbke'' near Bad Fallingbostel, Fallingbostel and at Celle in Lower Saxo ...
, were handed over to the German authorities on 5 November 2012. Since
German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
, Celle has largely lost its role as a major garrison town.


Post-war era

After the war Celle applied, along with
Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
and
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, to become the seat for the Parliamentary Council (''
Parlamentarischer Rat The ''Parlamentarischer Rat'' (German for "Parliamentary Council") was the West German constituent assembly in Bonn that drafted and adopted the constitution of West Germany, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, promulgated on 23 Ma ...
''), the immediate post-war governmental body in Germany, later superseded by the West German
Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...
. In the end the privilege went to
Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
. Trenchard Barracks in Celle was the most modern barracks in Germany during the war, with blackout blinds between the double-glazed windows and other features which became commonplace afterwards. The cellar doors were trial rooms for the number of inmates from Belsen who could be gassed. When Belsen concentration camp was liberated Trenchard Barracks was used as a hospital for surviving inmates who needed treatment. Later it became the Barracks for the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. 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 A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
'') of
Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
. At the same time the localities of Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn were incorporated into
Gifhorn district Gifhorn () is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography The district is located at the border of Saxony-Anhalt and extends from the southern edge of the Lüneburg Heath () in the north to the suburbs of Braunschweig and Wolfsburg in the so ...
. Since then the parish of Hohne has looked after six villages (
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. It should not be confused with the British Army camp of Hohne (German: ...
, Helmerkamp,
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 Schwar ...
, 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 The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. The ...
, but was later revealed to have been perpetrated by
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
's intelligence service, the
Verfassungsschutz The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (german: Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV, often ''Bundesverfassungsschutz'') is Germany's federal domestic intelligence agency. Together with the Landesämter für Verfassungss ...
. 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 Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
.


Incorporation of municipalities

* 1 April 1939: Altenhäusen,
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. Politics The chair of the parish council (''Ortsbürgermeister'') is Klaus Didschies (CDU). Culture and p ...
,
Neuenhäusen Neuenhäusen is a suburb of the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, and lies south of the ''Altstadt'' (old town) in its centre. A particular feature of this suburb is that it is where most of the many authorities and public institutions, tha ...
,
Vorwerk Vorwerk may refer to: *Vorwerk, Lower Saxony, a municipality in the Rotenburg district, Lower Saxony *a locality of Altenmedingen, in the Uelzen district, Lower Saxony *a subdivision of Celle, Lower Saxony *a Vorwerk (fortification), an advanced fo ...
und
Wietzenbruch Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood (''Bruchwald'') bisected by the river Wietze. Originally, the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm (v. Anderten). Incorp ...
* 1 January 1973:
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 The present day na ...
,
Altenhagen Altenhagen is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous countr ...
, Alvern, Bostel, Boye, Burg,
Garßen Garßen is a Lower Saxony, 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 The name of the village is derived from ' ...
,
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 Kreisstraße, K 27 district road which joins the main Bundesstraße 3, B 3 federal highway from Bergen (Landkreis Celle), Be ...
, Hustedt, Lachtehausen, Scheuen and
Westercelle Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of the town centre on the river Fuhse. History The village derives its name from its location west of the original settleme ...
.


Growth in population

In the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
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. ¹ Census results


Government

For the purposes of
Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...
elections the town of Celle belongs to the
constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
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 The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...
) won the majority of votes. In 2009
Henning Otte Henning Otte (born 1968) is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). Life and career Otte was born on 27 October 1968 in Celle, Lower Saxony. After taking his A levels (''Abitur'') in the Christian Gym ...
(CDU) received the direct mandate. For Lower Saxony State Parliament (''
Landtag A Landtag (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence in non- ...
'') 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 Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...
''). Since the local elections of 11 September 2016, it has consisted of ten parties or voting groups: * CDU − 16 seats *
SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...
− 9 seats * AfD - 4 seats *
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (for ...
− 3 seats * Zukunft Celle − 3 seats * FDP − 2 seats *
Die Linke The Left (german: Die Linke; stylised as and in its logo as ), commonly referred to as the Left Party (german: Die Linkspartei, links=no ), is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The party was founded in 2007 as the result of th ...
/Alliance for Social Justice (''Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit'') – Celle (BSG-CE) − 2 seats * Die Unabhängigen - 2 seats *
Die Partei (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazin ...
- 1 seat * WG (Wählergemeinschaft) − 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: Kurt Blanke (1900–1997) * 1973–1985: Helmuth Hörstmann (1909–1993) * 1986–2001: Herbert Severin * 2001–2008: Martin Biermann (CDU) * 2009–2017: Dirk-Ulrich Mende (SPD) * since 2017: Jörg Nigge (CDU)


Coat of arms

Blazoning: ''
Azure Azure may refer to: Colour * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 ...
, a
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
, triple-towered, embattled above the
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, all argent, masoned
sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
, the port sable, the towers roofed
gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...
. The port charged with a
lion rampant The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christia ...
azure surrounded by seven hearts gules on an
inescutcheon In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...
bendwise In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter (the bearer's right side and the viewer's left) corner of the shield to the lower sinister (the bearer's left side, and the viewer's right). Authorities differ as to how muc ...
or.'' The
helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
on the full
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
is described as follows: ''On the shield is a blue and white wreathed helmet with a
mantling In heraldry, mantling or "lambrequin" (its name in French) is drapery tied to the Helmet (heraldry), helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmet ...
, blue on the outside and white on the inside. The
crest Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
consists of two
sickle A sickle, bagging hook, reaping-hook or grasshook is a single-handed agricultural tool designed with variously curved blades and typically used for harvesting, or reaping, grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock, ei ...
s leaning outwards with red handles. The sickles have their points upwards, blades inward-facing and are decorated with
peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
'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 Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
.


Twin towns – sister cities

Celle is twinned with: *
Celle Ligure Celle Ligure ( lij, Çelle) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about west of Genoa and about northeast of Savona. It borders the comuni of: Albisola Superiore, Stella, and Varazze. ...
, Italy *
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; sv, Tavastehus; krl, Hämienlinna; la, Tavastum or ''Croneburgum'') is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Tavastia and the modern province of Kanta-Häme in the south of F ...
, Finland *
Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Kwidzyn Kwidzyn (pronounced ; german: Marienwerder; Latin: ''Quedin''; Old Prussian: ''Kwēdina'') is a town in northern Poland on the Liwa River, with 38,553 inhabitants (2018). It is the capital of Kwidzyn County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Geogra ...
, Poland *
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. The city is known for many historic monuments and some extraordinary trees. One of t ...
, France *
Mazkeret Batya Mazkeret Batya ( he, מַזְכֶּרֶת בַּתְיָה) (lit. "Batya Memorial") is a local council in central Israel located southeast of Rehovot and from Tel Aviv. Mazkeret Batya spans an area of 7,440 dunams (7 km²). In it had a pop ...
, Israel *
Sumy Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...
, Ukraine *
Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town within West Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy from which its name derives. At the 2011 census the three electoral wards (North, South and South West) had a population of 13,028 ...
, England, United Kingdom *
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, United States *
Tyumen Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura River. Fueled by the Russian oil and gas indu ...
, Russia


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 houses with wood carvings, making Celle an important city for tourism in the southern
Lüneburg Heath Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the 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 a ...
region. One of the most famous houses is ''Hoppenerhaus'' dating from 1532. The Old Latin School was built in 1602. The most impressive building in Celle is the ducal palace,
Schloss Celle Celle Castle (german: Schloss Celle) or, less commonly, Celle Palace, in the German town of Celle in Lower Saxony, was one of the residences of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This quadrangular building is the largest castle in the southern ...
, which was built in 1530 in a well-kept park at the site of the former castle. It was enlarged in a baroque style in the 17th century, and a renaissance chapel and a special theatre which is the oldest theatre in Germany were added in 1674. The Old City Hall which is famous for its sandstone carvings was built 1561-1579 in a
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
style. Another major attraction is the ''Stadtkirche'' (town church) 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). Originally it was a small gothic chapel built in 1380, but it was enlarged from 1675 to 1698 and transformed into a baroque church with impressive stucco ornaments. ''Hugenottenstrasse'' is a historical street with well-preserved wooden houses built at the beginning of the 18th century. It was the main street of a residential area specially laid out for French
Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...
who sought refuge in Celle because of the
Persecution of Huguenots under Louis XV The persecution of Huguenots under Louis XV refers to hostile activities against French Protestants between 1715 and 1774 during the reign of Louis XV. Under previous kings The members of the Protestant religion in France, the Huguenots, had been ...
in the 17th century. The oldest house dates from 1693. On the corner of Emigrantenstraße, another historical street which was laid out for Austrian refugees at the beginning of the 18th century, Neuhäuser Kirche, a Lutheran church was founded in 1710. It was enlarged from 1852 to 1866. Its steeple dates from the same period. Even a large prison (''Justizvollzugsanstalt, JVA'') was built in a baroque style in the west of the city centre from 1710 to 1731. It was the only historical building of Celle which was damaged during the air raid on 8 April 1945. It was repaired after the war. Sometimes tourists walking from the railway station to the centre mistake it for a castle because of its typical baroque architecture. 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. The Albrecht Thaer School, a school in Celle, was founded by
Albrecht Daniel Thaer Albrecht Daniel Thaer (; 14 May 1752 – 26 October 1828) was a German agronomist and a supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition. Biography Family and early life Albrecht Daniel Thaer was born in Celle, a neat little town in Hanove ...
in 1796.


Museums

The Bomann Museum opposite the castle has works by the artist
Eberhard Schlotter Eberhard Schlotter (June 3, 1921 – September 8, 2014) worked as an international painter in Spain and Germany. He is the brother of the sculptor Gotthelf Schlotter (1922–2007). Schlotter was born in Hildesheim, eldest son of the sculptor Hei ...
and has exhibitions of local folklore and town history. It houses the Tansey Collection, a collection of
portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...
s. The Celle Art Museum (''Kunstmuseum Celle'') with its Robert Simon collection is affiliated with the Bomann Museum. 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 House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
. 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 work of Celle's ''Neues Bauen'' architect, Otto Haesler, is charted by the Haesler Museum. And in the old storage barn (''
Treppenspeicher A ''Treppenspeicher'' (literally "staircase store") is the German term for a granary or secondary farm building used for storage and typical of the Lüneburg Heath area in northern Germany. The upper storey of the store was usually accessed via a fl ...
'') built in 1607, as well as the
orangery An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very large ...
, built in 1677 for the Institute of Apiculture, an exhibition of beekeeping may be viewed.


Theatre

The ''
Schlosstheater Celle The Castle Theatre in Celle (german: Schlosstheater Celle) is the court theatre which was established between 1670 and 1674/75 on the initiative of the opera lover, George William (1624-1705), Prince of Lüneburg from the House of Brunswick and L ...
'' was founded in 1674 and is the oldest, still working theatre in Germany and the oldest
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
theatre in Europe. It has a main auditorium and two smaller stages (''Malersaal'' and ''Turmbühne'') as well as an additional external venue (''Halle 19''). Located at the edge of the old town (''Altstadt'') is the performing arts theatre ''Kunst & Bühne'' which is supported by the town and whose repertoire ranges from comedy to songs, jazz, cabaret and films.


Parks

The picturesque
French Garden The French formal garden, also called the (), is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. Its epitome is generally considered to be the Gardens of Versailles designed during the 17th century by the ...
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. Along ''Bahnhofstraße'' there is an area of common pasture used as a public park and play area (''Triftanlagen''). On the right bank of the Aller are the Dammasch Meadows, a popular destination for trips and recreation, and immediately next to them is the garden of medicinal plants and the Thaers Garden with its little manor house. 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.


Image gallery

File:CelleRathaus.jpg, Old City Hall File:Celle3.jpg, Houses in the ''Altstadt'' File:CelleNeuenhäuserKirche2.jpg, Neuenhäuser Kirche File:Hoppener Haus-1.jpg, ''Hoppener Haus'', the most famous and attractive timber-framed house in Celle's ''Altstadt'' File:Hoppener Haus Inschrift-1.jpg, Portrait of Ernest the Confessor on the ''Hoppener Haus'' in Celle File:Celle, St. Ludwigs-Kirche.jpg, St Ludwig's, the Catholic Church of Celle File:Cellestreets.jpg, A half-timber house-lined street in Celle


Events

The Congress Union Celle is an event centre for conferences and exhibitions as well as stage, music and festive events. The CD-Kaserne ("Cambridge Dragoons (CD) Barracks") is a municipal youth and cultural centre with exhibition rooms covering the subject areas of music, film, art and society. Also located there is the ''Bunte Haus'' which is a charitable cultural centre. It focuses on projects and events dealing with social questions covering aspects of culture, social work and civic education. Its workers are volunteers. Celle also hosts a Christmas market every year in the old town centre.


Sports

The Celler Oilers are an ice hockey team that play in the Regionalliga or regional league. From 1968 to the mid-1970s Celle's football club,
TuS Celle TuS Celle FC is a football club based in Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. The club is currently a member of the Landesliga Lüneburg, the sixth tier of German football. Home matches are played at the Günther-Volker-Stadion. History The club wa ...
, played in the German second division (then called the
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
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 Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
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 and runs of 5, 10, 15 and distance. For several years there has also been a hiking (''Wandern'') event over 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 The German Alpine Club (german: links=no, Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV for short) is the world's largest climbing association and the eighth-largest sporting association in Germany. It is a member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the ...
(''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 is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors racing, race each other in travelling a certain distance on Ice skate, skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marath ...
championship took place as part of this event. Celle also hosted
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
's national football team during the
2006 Football World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
.


Economy and Infrastructure


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 Company, organized in Delaware and headquartered in Houston, is one of the world's largest oil field services companies. The company provides products and services for oil well drilling, formation evaluation, completion, productio ...
( INTEQ and
Hughes Christensen Baker Hughes Company, organized in Delaware and headquartered in Houston, is one of the world's largest oil field services companies. The company provides products and services for oil well drilling, formation evaluation, completion, productio ...
divisions; oil and gas industry service companies specialising in MWD, Wireline, Drill-bits, Drilling Applications Engineering, etc.),
Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 197 ...
(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 Company is an American multinational corporation responsible for most of the world's hydraulic fracturing operations. In 2009, it was the world's second largest oil field service company. It has operations in more than 70 countries ...
, 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 ''(formerly Hostmann-Steinberg now hubergroup)'', paper factory ''(Werner Achilles Glanzfolien-Kaschieranstalt)'' and musical instruments makers (including ''
Moeck Moeck Musikinstrumente + Verlag is a leading German manufacturer of recorders and a music publisher. The company was founded in 1925 by ''Hermann Moeck'' (1896-1982) in Celle. In 1960 his son Hermann Alexander Moeck (1922-2010) took over the busi ...
''). 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 Crispbread ( sv, knäckebröd (lit. crack bread), ''hårt bröd'' (hard bread), ''hårdbröd'', ''spisbröd'' (stove bread), ''knäcke'', da, knækbrød, no, knekkebrød, fi, näkkileipä or näkkäri, et, näkileib, is, hrökkbrauð, fo, k ...
factory, Barilla Wasa Deutschland. Regional and to some extent national suppliers are the high-alcohol drink manufactures of the ''
Ratzeputz 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. Ratzeputz today (2006) only contains 58% alcohol; whereas ...
'' and ''Alter Provisor'' brands. Originally made in Celle's Altstadt, the herb-based spirit ''
Ratzeputz 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. Ratzeputz today (2006) only contains 58% alcohol; whereas ...
'' is now distilled on the
Westercelle Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of the town centre on the river Fuhse. History The village derives its name from its location west of the original settleme ...
industrial estate, ''Alter Provisor'' is still produced and sold in the ''Altstadt''. ''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'' (now ''Dackel's 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 The Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG (OHE) is a Celle based transportation company with railway network in North-eastern Lower Saxony around the Lüneburg Heath area of over 250 km. The OHE's main business is the transportation of freight ...
(''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 The Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL Group, is a German multinational package delivery and supply chain management company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is one of the world's largest courier companies. T ...
's post code district 29 and the transport company DTLS – Drilling Tools Logistic & Service.


Transport


Rail

Celle lies on the Hanover – Celle – Uelzen – Lüneburg – Hamburg line. Intercity (IC) trains to Hanover and Hamburg stop hourly at the station as do individual
ICE Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
trains during the rush hour.
metronom Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH is a German non-entirely-state-owned railway company based in Uelzen, Lower Saxony since December 2005. The company's activities focus exclusively on passenger transport, operating services from Hamburg to Bre ...
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 Hanover S-Bahn (in German: ''S-Bahn Hannover'') is an S-Bahn network operated by DB Regio and Transdev Hannover in the area of Hanover in the German state capital of Lower Saxony. It went operational shortly before Expo 2000 and is focused o ...
. The section between Celle and
Großburgwedel Großburgwedel is a village northeast of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany. Formerly an independent municipality, it is part of the town Burgwedel since 1974. Großburgwedel is home to the town hall of Burgwedel and other town institutions such as th ...
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 ( Eastphalian: ''Langenhogen'') is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony, Germany. History From 1866 to 1868 Robert Koch worked in Langenhagen. On June 18, 1972, Red Army Faction terrorist Ulrike Meinhof was arrested in La ...
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 . Formerly there were railway links from Celle via
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. Further districts of the ...
to
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
(
Aller Valley Railway The Aller Valley Railway (german: Allertalbahn) was a railway line of regional importance in Lower Saxony. It ran along the River Aller (Germany), Aller and linked Gifhorn with Verden (Aller) via Celle, Schwarmstedt, Rethem (Aller) and Dörverden ...
) 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 Gifhorn () is a town and capital of the district of 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 more industrial and commercially important cities nearby, ...
to Celle via
Wienhausen Wienhausen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is known for Wienhausen Abbey Wienhausen Abbey or Convent (german: Kloster Wienhausen) near Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, is a community of Evangelical Luth ...
, 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 The Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG (OHE) is a Celle based transportation company with railway network in North-eastern Lower Saxony around the Lüneburg Heath area of over 250 km. The OHE's main business is the transportation of freight ...
run goods trains on several branch lines in the Celle area, including those to
Wittingen Wittingen () is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is about northeast of Gifhorn, and southeast of Uelzen. Division of the town Wittingen consists of 27 districts: History The earliest identified record of Wittin ...
,
Soltau Soltau () is a mid-sized town in the Lüneburg Heath in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has around 22,000 inhabitants. The city is centrally located in the Lüneburg Heath and is known nationwide especially for its touri ...
and
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
. Occasionally
heritage train Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles aims to preserve historic rail vehicles. Trains It may concern trains that have been removed from service and later restored to their past condition, or have never been removed from service, like UP ...
s and specials also run on these lines. The
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. Until the opening of the "Hare Railway" ...
is an important route for goods trains and was converted in 1998 into a modern S-Bahn line. A tramway 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
Soltau Soltau () is a mid-sized town in the Lüneburg Heath in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has around 22,000 inhabitants. The city is centrally located in the Lüneburg Heath and is known nationwide especially for its touri ...
/
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
and south to
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
* Southeast-west: the B 214 running southeast to Brunswick and west to Nienburg * Northeast: the B 191 to
Uelzen Uelzen (; officially the ''Hanseatic Town of Uelzen'', German: ''Hansestadt Uelzen'', , Low German ''Ülz’n'') is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the county of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a ...
/
Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
/
Ludwigslust Ludwigslust () is a central castle town of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. Since 2011 it has been part of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. Ludwigslust is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The former royal r ...
*
Landesstraße ''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'') 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 t ...
310 via Fuhrberg southwest to the junction at Mellendorf on the A 7 motorway * Landesstraße 282 east-northeast via
Beedenbostel Beedenbostel is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, ...
,
Eldingen Eldingen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. History The first mention of Eldingen occurs in a document, affixed with seal, from the year 1231. It confirms the purchase of the Eldingen (''Elthinge'') church by ...
and Steinhorst to
Wittingen Wittingen () is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is about northeast of Gifhorn, and southeast of Uelzen. Division of the town Wittingen consists of 27 districts: History The earliest identified record of Wittin ...
* Landesstraße 180 via
Winsen (Aller) Winsen an der Aller () or Winsen (Aller) 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, s ...
west-northwest to the motorway services of ''Raststätte Allertal'', on the A 7


Air

Hanover-Langenhagen airport with international flight connections is about away. The Army airfield at Celle is 4.5 kilometres southwest of the town centre on the edge of the district of
Wietzenbruch Wietzenbruch is a suburb in the southwest of the Lower Saxon town of Celle, which was named after the fen wood (''Bruchwald'') bisected by the river Wietze. Originally, the centre of Wietzenbruch was a small estate farm (v. Anderten). Incorp ...
. Operated as
RAF Celle Celle Air Base German: ''Heeresflugplatz Celle'' 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. Today the a ...
after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it was from here in 1948–49 that supply flights to Berlin took off as part of the
Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road ...
. 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 A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
is only used by tourists today. From Celle the
Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...
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 Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
via
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. Origin and meaning of the name The ...
, Aller and the (Lower)
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
. Bremen and Brunswick merchants had specific tasks from the Dukes of
Celle Celle () 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 Lü ...
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 steadily decreased 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 Zeitung The ''Cellesche Zeitung'' is a medium-size local newspaper with a circulation of 32,200.Informationsgemeinschaft zur Feststellung der Verbreitung von Werbeträgern e.V. II/05 It is distributed in the town and district of Celle in North Germany by ...
'' 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.


Education


Schools

The
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
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, the Gymnasium Ernestinum with Latin and ancient Greek, which was founded in 1328 as the
Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...
, 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'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...
n'') (Westercelle, Auf der Heese, Burgstraße), six combined primary (''
Grundschule Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German States of Germany, states (), with the federal government playing a minor role. Optional Kindergarten, Kindergarden (nursery school) education is provided for all child ...
n'') and
secondary modern A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usually ...
(''
Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...
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 The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...
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
mechatronics Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...
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 songwriters, from 1996 to 2008, before it moved to
Springe Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover. Town structure * Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184 * Bennigsen, population 4, ...
. In addition there is an
adult education centre Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
in Celle, which has numerous branches in the surrounding districts.


Around Celle

Celle is known for being an entry point for tourists to the
Lüneburg Heath Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the 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 a ...
.
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...
, where
Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...
died in 1945, is located in the district of
Celle Celle () 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 Lü ...
; today, a memorial and exhibition centre mark the camp site.


Notable people


Born in Celle before 1850

* George, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (1582–1670), ruled as
Prince of Calenberg A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
from 1635. *
Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of future King George I of Great Britain. The union with George, her first cousin, was a marriage of state, arranged by her father Geor ...
(1666–1726), wife of
George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first ...
and mother of
George II of Great Britain , house = Hanover , religion = Protestant , father = George I of Great Britain , mother = Sophia Dorothea of Celle , birth_date = 30 October / 9 November 1683 , birth_place = Herrenhausen Palace,Cannon. or Leine ...
*
Johann Ernst Galliard Johann Ernst Galliard (?1666/?1687–1749 ) was a German composer. Galliard was born in Celle, Germany to a French wig-maker. His first composition instruction began at age 15. Galliard studied composition under Jean-Baptiste Farinel, the direc ...
(1687–1749), German composer *
Anton Wilhelm von L'Estocq Anton Wilhelm von L'Estocq (16 August 1738 – 5 January 1815) was a Prussian cavalry general best known for his command of the Prussian troops at the Battle of Eylau. Biography L'Estocq was born in Celle, Electorate of Hanover, the son of a ...
(1738–1815), Prussian cavalry general, commanded Prussian troops at the
Battle of Eylau The Battle of Eylau, or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, was a bloody and strategically inconclusive battle on 7 and 8 February 1807 between Napoléon's ''Grande Armée'' and the Imperial Russian Army under the command of Levin August von Bennigs ...
*
Albrecht Thaer Albrecht Daniel Thaer (; 14 May 1752 – 26 October 1828) was a German agronomist and a supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition. Biography Family and early life Albrecht Daniel Thaer was born in Celle, a neat little town in Hanove ...
(1752–1828), founder of agricultural science *
Ernst von Gemmingen Ernst von Gemmingen (11 February 1759 - 3 March 1813) was a German composer and aristocrat. Born in Celle, von Gemmingen attended the University of Göttingen. He was not a professional composer but was evidently a highly proficient musician. He ...
(1759–1813), a German composer and aristocrat *
Ernst Schulze Ernst Schulze may refer to: * Ernst Schulze (poet), a German Romantic poet * Gottlob Ernst Schulze, a German philosopher * Ernst Schulze (chemist), a German Chemist and the grandson of Gottlob Ernst Schulze * Sadananda Swami Sadananda Das ( sa, ...
(1789–1817), Romantic poet *
Ludwig Aaron Gans Ludwig Aaron Gans (born 17 July 1794 in Celle, died 27 June 1871 in Frankfurt) (also spelled ''Ludwig Ahron Gans'') was a German industrialist and owner of the company Cassella. Biography Ludwig Aaron Gans was the son of Jewish parents Philipp A ...
(1794–1871), a German industrialist and owner of the company
Cassella Cassella AG, formerly Leopold Cassella & Co. and Cassella Farbwerke Mainkur AG, commonly known as Cassella, was a German chemical and pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. Founded in 1798 in the Frankfurt Jewish Alley by ...
* Georg Seyler (1800–1866), theologian, priest and the adoptive father of
Felix Hoppe-Seyler Ernst Felix Immanuel Hoppe-Seyler (''né'' Felix Hoppe; 26 December 1825 – 10 August 1895) was a German physiologist and chemist, and the principal founder of the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology. Biography Hoppe-Seyler was b ...
*
Friedrich Wieseler Friedrich Wieseler (19 October 1811, in Altencelle – 3 December 1892, in Göttingen) was a German classical archaeologist and philologist. He studied classical philology at the University of Göttingen, where he was a disciple of Karl Otfried ...
(1811–1892), German classical archaeologist and philologist *
Karl Goedeke Karl Friedrich Ludwig Goedeke (15 April 1814 – 28 October 1887) was a German historian of literature, an author, and a professor. He was born at Celle and was educated at Göttingen (1833-1838), where he attended lectures by Jacob Grimm, with w ...
(1814–1887), literary historian * Georg Bergmann (1821–70), a German painter of historical subjects and portraits * Wilhelm Hauers (1836–1905), architect in Hamburg


Born in Celle 1850 to 1950

* Admiral
Eduard von Capelle Admiral Eduard von Capelle (10 October 1855 – 23 February 1931) was a German Kaiserliche Marine, Imperial Navy officer from Celle. He served in the navy from 1872 until his retirement in October, 1918. During his career, Capelle served in ...
(1855–1931), a German Imperial Navy officer *
Friedrich Pfotenhauer Friedrich Pfotenhauer (April 22, 1859, Altencelle, Kingdom of Hanover – October 9, 1939, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) was the fifth president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, from 1911 to 1935. Pfotenhauer emigrated from Germany to the Unit ...
(1859–1939), fifth president of the
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...
* Ernst Emil Herzfeld (1879–1948), German Near Eastern archaeologist, orientalist and epigraphists; Co-founder of the Near Eastern and Islamic archaeology, architecture and art history and founder of Iranian archeology *
Robert Lehr Robert Lehr (20 August 1883 – 13 October 1956) was a German politician (DNVP, CDU). He served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 1950 to 1953 under chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Early life Robert Lehr was born on 20 August 1883 in Celle ...
(1883–1956), politician (
DNVP The German National People's Party (german: Deutschnationale Volkspartei, DNVP) was a National conservatism, national-conservative party in Germany during the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the Nazi Party, it was the major Conservatism, cons ...
, CDU) *
Theodor Krüger Theodor Krüger (13 January 1891Harald Müller (text), Ulrich Loeper (images): ''Biographisch-bibliographisches Lexikon Celler Musiker. Komponisten, Sänger, Instrumentalmusiker, Musikpädagogen, Musikwissenschaftler, Instrumentenbau'' – 28 Dece ...
(1891–1966), composer and musician *
Roland Freisler Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945), a German Nazi jurist, judge, and politician, served as the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice from 1934 to 1942 and as President of the People's Court from 1942 to 1945. As ...
(1893–1945), lawyer, judge and politician (
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
) * August Schirmer (1905–1948), architect, civil engineer, main branch manager of
Amt Rosenberg Amt Rosenberg (ARo, Rosenberg Office) was an official body for cultural policy and surveillance within the Nazi party, headed by Alfred Rosenberg. It was established in 1934 under the name of ''Dienststelle Rosenberg'' (''DRbg'', Rosenberg Depar ...
and member of parliament (Nazi Party) *
Hermann Schridde Hermann Schridde (3 July 1937, in Celle – 18 May 1985 in Meißendorf, near Winsen) was a German equestrian. Schridde won the German show jumping championship in 1960. Schridde was a show jumper at the 1964 Summer Olympics for t ...
(1937–1985), show jumper and manager of the German show jumping team *
Heiko Harborth Heiko Harborth (born 11 February 1938, in Celle, Germany)Harborth's web site http://www.mathematik.tu-bs.de/harborth/ . Accessed 14 May 2009. is Professor of Mathematics at Braunschweig University of Technology, 1975–present, and author of mor ...
(born 1938), Professor of Mathematics at
Braunschweig University of Technology Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the No ...
*
Volker Ullrich __NOTOC__ Volker Ullrich (born 21 June 1943) is a German historian, journalist and author. Career Volker Ullrich was born in Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany.Hans Mueh (born 1944), emigrated to USA 1951, director of athletics at the
United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
*
Wolfgang Kubin Wolfgang Kubin (; born December 17, 1945 in Celle) is a German poet, essayist, sinologist and translator of literary works. He is the former director of the Institute for Oriental and Asian Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany. Kubin has fr ...
(born 1945), a German poet, essayist, sinologist and translator of literary works *
Bettina Hohls Bettina Hohls (born 26 June 1947, in Celle) is a German artist and designer. She raised the attention of an international audience with her design and photographic work for the covers of two Peter Hammill albums in 1973 and 1974 as well as with h ...
(born 1947), a German artist and designer *
Claude Gewerc Claude Gewerc (; born 21 June 1947 in Bergen-Belsen, Germany) is a retired British-born French politician, and former President of the regional council of Picardy. In March 1998, he was elected to the Regional Council of Picardy to represent t ...
(born 1947), a retired French politician,
President of the regional council The following is a list of current presidents of the regional councils of France and the Corsican Assembly. List Since 2011, the Departmental Council of Mayotte has simultaneously exercised the competencies of a regional council. Since 2015, t ...
of Picardy *
Gustav Humbert Gustav Humbert (born February 1950 in Celle, West Germany) is the former chief executive officer and president of Airbus SAS, and a former member of the EADS executive committee. Airbus Humbert joined Airbus management in July 2000, as the chief ...
(born 1950), German manager (Airbus)


Born in Celle since 1950

*
Kersten Meier Kersten Meier (23 February 1954 in Celle – 3 April 2001) was a German swimmer who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He died in 2001 in Düsseldorf. The cause of death was suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's ...
(1954–2001), a German swimmer who competed in the
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
* Ernie Reinhardt (born 1955), actor (pseudonym
Lilo Wanders Ernst-Johann "Ernie" Reinhardt (born 22 September 1955), better known as Lilo Wanders, is a German transvestite actor, comedian and theatre/television host. Born in Celle, Reinhardt attended the Gymnasium Walsrode and went on to become an enter ...
) * Karl-Henning Rehren (born 1956), a German physicist who focuses on
algebraic quantum field theory Algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT) is an application to local quantum physics of C*-algebra theory. Also referred to as the Haag–Kastler axiomatic framework for quantum field theory, because it was introduced by . The axioms are stated in te ...
*
Gabi Bauer Gabi Bauer (born 21 July 1962 in Celle) 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. ...
(born 1962), journalist television presenter *
Ante Zelck Ante Zelck (born Andreas Zelck, December 23, 1963) is a German entrepreneur and hostel pioneer. Life Ante Zelck was born and raised in Celle, Lower Saxony. After finishing high school he completed an apprenticeship as a locksmith. In 1988 he we ...
(born 1963), entrepreneur and hostel pioneer * Michael Renkel (born 1965), German concert guitarist *
Matthias Blazek Matthias Blazek (born 1966) is a German local historian and journalist. Biography Matthias Blazek was born in Celle and spent his youth in Hanover, where he completed his '' Abitur'' at the Lutherschule Hannover in 1987. From 1987 to 1999 he ...
(born 1966), German free journalist, historian and publicist *
Frauke Eickhoff Frauke-Imke Eickhoff (born October 24, 1967) is a German former Olympic judoka. She was born in Celle, Niedersachsen, Germany. When she competed in the Olympics, she was 5-4 (163 cm) tall and weighed 137 lbs (62 kg). Judo career ...
(born 1967), German Olympic judoka *
Silke Schatz Silke Schatz (born 1967, Celle, Germany) is an artist based in Cologne. Life From 1987 until 1995, she attended Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (the Braunschweig Academy of Fine Arts), interrupted in 1991-92 by a stay in Chicago, ...
(born 1967), an artist who makes drawings, sculptures and installations * Robert Hermes DVM, PhD (born 1969), a veterinarian researcher at The Leibniz-Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin *
Christian Oliver Christian Oliver (born 3 March 1975) is a German actor. Oliver was born in Celle and grew up in Frankfurt am Main. He relocated to the United States to work as a model and subsequently took acting lessons in New York and Los Angeles. From 200 ...
(born 1972), actor *
Feleknas Uca Feleknas Uca (born 17 September 1976) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish descent. From 1999 to 2009, she was member of the European Parliament from Germany, serving with Die Linke. Feleknas Uca was at one time the world's only Yazidi parliament ...
(born 1976), politician (The Left) * Alex Boyd (born 1984), Scottish photographer * Dustin Brown (born 1984), Jamaican-German
tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...
* Merle Frohms (born 1995),
German football Association football, Football (or "soccer") is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund, link=no or ) is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members (roughly eight ...
player


Residents of Celle

*
Urbanus Rhegius Urbanus Henricus Rhegius or Urban Rieger (May 1489, in Langenargen – 23 May 1541, in Celle) was a Protestant Reformer who was active both in Northern and Southern Germany in order to promote ''Lutheran unity'' in the Holy Roman Empire. He w ...
, (or Urban Rieger) (1489–1541), reformer *
Johann Arndt Johann Arndt (or Arnd; 27 December 155511 May 1621) was a German Lutheran theologian who wrote several influential books of devotional Christianity. Although reflective of the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy, he is seen as a forerunner of Pietism, a ...
(1555–1621), post-Reformation theologian *
George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg George William (german: Georg Wilhelm; 26 January 1624 – 28 August 1705) was the first Welf Duke of Lauenburg after its occupation in 1689. From 1648 to 1665, he was the ruler of the Principality of Calenberg as an appanage from his eldest b ...
(1624–1705), ruled from 1665 to this death from Celle Castle as the last "Heath Duke" of the
House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
*
Samuel Chappuzeau Samuel Chappuzeau (16 June 1625, Paris – 31 August 1701) was a French scholar, author, poet and playwright whose best-known work today is ''Le Théâtre François'', a description of French Theatre in the seventeenth century. Chappuzeau's pl ...
(1625-1701), playwright and author. Head of Pages for Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1682 to 1701 * Christoph Chappuzeau, (German Wiki) (1656-1734), (Son of Samuel) private secretary of Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1676 *
Louise von Plessen Louise Scheel von Plessen (''née'' Countess Louise von Berckentin; Vienna, 26 April 1725 – Celle, 14 September 1799) was a Danish lady-in-waiting and memoir writer. She wrote the memoirs of her time at the Danish court: ''Mémoires de la cour ...
(1725–1799), a Danish lady-in-waiting and memoir writer * Caroline Mathilde (1751–1775), Queen of Denmark and Norway in exile *
Johann Anton Leisewitz Johann Anton Leisewitz (born 9 May 1752 in Hanover, died 10 September 1806 in Braunschweig) was a German lawyer and dramatic poet, and a central figure of the Sturm und Drang era. He is best known for his play ''Julius of Taranto'' (1776), that ins ...
(1752–1806), writer and lawyer *
Hermann Löns Hermann Löns (29 August 1866 – 26 September 1914) was a German journalist and writer. He is most famous as "The Poet of the Heath" for his novels and poems celebrating the people and landscape of the North German moors, particularly the L ...
(1866–1914), editor and heath poet, lived in the years 1903–1912 in Celle *
Otto Haesler Otto Haesler (13 June 1880 – 2 April 1962) was an influential German architect. He is often grouped with Bruno Taut, Ernst May and Walter Gropius as being among the most significant representatives of the Modernist (''"Neues Bauen"'') archite ...
(1880–1962), architect, along with
Walter Gropius Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in conne ...
and
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...
an important representative of the New Architecture outside the
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
* Heinrich-Hermann von Hülsen (1895–1982),
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
generalmajor *
Siegfried Westphal __NOTOC__ Siegfried Carl Theodor Westphal (18 March 1902 – 2 July 1982) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He served as operations officer under Rommel and chief of staff under Kesselring and Rundstedt. He was a recipi ...
(1902–1982),
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
officer, general of cavalry * Ernst Zierke (1905–1972),
Unterscharführer ''Unterscharführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives. That event caused an SS reorganisation and the creation o ...
, SS member involved in the " T4" euthanasia program and "
Aktion Reinhardt or ''Einsatz Reinhard'' , location = Occupied Poland , date = October 1941 – November 1943 , incident_type = Mass deportations to extermination camps , perpetrators = Odilo Globočnik, Hermann Höfle, Richard Thomalla, Erwin ...
" *
Heinrich Schmidt Heinrich Schmidt may refer to: People * Heinrich Schmidt (composer) (1904-1988), Austrian composer * Heinrich Schmidt (philosopher) (1874–1935), German archivist, naturalist and philosopher professor * Heinrich Schmidt (politician) (1902–1960), ...
(1912–2000),
Hauptsturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Hstuf'') was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organizations such as the SS, NSKK and the NSFK. The rank of ''Hauptsturmführer'' was a mid-level commander and had equivalent seniority to a ...
and camp doctor in
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s *
Fritz Darges Fritz Darges (8 February 1913 – 25 October 2009) was an ''Obersturmbannführer'' (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He served as an adjutant to Martin Bormann and la ...
(1913–2009),
Obersturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Obersturmbannführer'' (Senior Assault-unit Leader; ; short: ''Ostubaf'') was a paramilitary rank in the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) which was used by the SA (''Sturmabteilung'') and the SS (''Schutzstaffel''). The rank of ''Obersturm ...
and personal aide of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
*
Fritz Grasshoff Fritz Graßhoff (9 December 1913 – 9 February 1997) 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 participated in important exhibitions; as a writer, he ...
(1913–1997), artist, painter, writer and hit songwriter, lived in Celle 1946 to 1967 *
Heinrich Albertz Heinrich Albertz (22 January 1915 – 18 May 1993) was a German Protestant theologian, priest and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as Governing Mayor of Berlin (West Berlin) from 1966 to 1967. Life Heinrich Albertz was ...
(1915–1993), Protestant theologian, after the Second World War pastor in Celle, head of the municipal refugee office, politician (SPD) and mayor of (West) Berlin (1966–1967) *
Yisroel Moshe Olewski , honorific-suffix = , title = Chief Rabbi of Celle , image = Ymolewski.jpeg , caption = , synagogue = , synagogueposition = , yeshiva = , yeshivaposition ...
(1916-1966), Rabbi of Celle *
Harald Range Harald Range (16 February 1948 – 2 May 2018) was a German jurist and was Attorney General of Germany. Early life and career After completing his studies at the University of Göttingen Range began his career with the judiciary of Lower Saxony, ...
(1948–2018), lawyer, 2011–2015
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
at the Federal Court


Honorary citizen

*
Otto Telschow Otto Telschow (27 February 1876 – 31 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official who served as ''Gauleiter'' in Eastern Hanover from 1925 to 1945. Early years Telschow was born in Wittenberge, the son of a judicial officer. Until 1893 he was ...
(1876–1945), Nazi Party official, Member of Reichstag 1930–1945. Honorary citizenship granted 1936 and revoked in 2007


See also

* Celle massacre *
Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a ...


References


External links


Official municipal website
* {{Authority control Celle (district) Towns in Lower Saxony Huguenot history in Germany