Celle
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| Celle | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Lower Saxony |
| District | Celle |
| Town subdivisions | 17 districts |
| Mayor | Martin Biermann (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 176.01 km² (68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 40 m (131 ft) |
| Population | 71,185 (01/01/2007) |
| - Density | 404 /km² (1,047 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | CE |
| Postal codes | 29221–29229 |
| Area codes | 05141, 05145, 05086 |
| Website | www.celle.de |
Celle (IPA: [ˈtsɛlə]) is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated in the southernmost part of the Lüneburg Heath on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser.
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[edit] Geography
Celle includes 17 sections, some of which were previously independent villages: Altencelle, Altenhagen, Blumlage/Altstadt, Bostel, Boye, Garssen, Gross Hehlen, Hehlentor, Hustedt, Klein Hehlen, Lachtehausen, Neuenhaeusen, Neustadt/Heese, Scheuen, Vorwerk, Westercelle, and Wietzenbruch.
[edit] History
Celle was first mentioned in a document of A.D. 986 as Kellu, (settlement on the river) and had the right to mint and circulate its own coins (Münzrecht [minting privileges]) during the 11th century. In 1292 Duke Otto II the Strict (1277–1330), a Welf who ruled the Principality of Lüneburg from 1277 to 1330, granted Celle its town privileges. In 1378 Celle became the residence of dukes of Saxony-Wittenberg and in 1433, the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The ducal palace was situated on a triangle between the river Aller and its tributary, the Fuhse. A moat connecting the rivers was built in 1433, turning the town centre into an island. In 1705 the last duke of the Brunswick–Lüneburg line died, and Celle, along with the Principality of Lüneburg, passed back to the Hanover line of the Welfs. 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 Prussian during the Austro-Prussian War as part of the province of Hanover, Celle was a possession of the British Hanoverian line.
On April 1, 1939 Altenhäusen, Klein Hehlen, Neuenhäusen, Vorwerk and Wietzenbruch were incorporated into Celle. April 8, 1945 is when the only serious allied bombing attack occurred, especially on the industrial areas and main train station, in which about 4,000 prisoners were. The attack claimed hundreds of casualties, but some of the prisoners managed to escape into the nearby woods. SS guards and Celler citizens participated in the so-called 'Celler rabbit hunt.' The 'hunt' claimed several hundred dead and went on until April 10th, 1945. The exact number of victims has not been determined.
[edit] Military
During the Third Reich, Celle was an important garrison location. Parts of infantry regiments 17 and 73 and the 19th artillery regiment were garrisoned in the town. Celle was the seat of a military district command and a brigade reporting office.
The different barracks (including the Freiherr von Fritsch Barracks in Cambridge and the dragoons barracks in the city) into the nineties were used as sites for the Armored Brigade 33 "Celle." The Celle Air Base (Immelmann barracks) in the District of Wietzenbruch is now the site of the Training Centre of the Army Aviation School. In some barracks British troops withdrew, although one of which even today serves as a British garrison (formerly von Seeckt barracks, currently Trenchard Barracks). The barracks now are in the process of conversion to civilian use. The new City Hall is in the former Heidemarie barracks, and the former British Cambridge Dragoons barracks has now become a youth cultural centre. Today Celle has, since reunification, in large part lost its function as a major garrison town.
[edit] Landmarks
The buildings in Celle’s old town centre date back to the 16th century, among them numerous (and some 480 restored) half-timber houses, making Celle an important city for tourism in the southern Lüneburg Heath region. The most impressive building is the ducal palace, Schloss Celle, which was built in 1530 at the site of the former castle. Another major attraction is the Stadtkirche (town church, 1308) with its white tower, from where the town trumpeter blows a fanfare twice a day (an old tradition that was revived as a tourist attraction). Celle has a synagogue built in 1740, one of the few synagogues that survived the Nazi pogrom night of 1938, thanks to its location next to an important leather factory that would have been collaterally damaged.
Celle is also known for the Bomann Museum, a museum of regional history and modern art; and for being an entry point for tourists to the Lüneburg Heath.
During World War II, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where Anne Frank died, was located near Celle; today, a memorial and exhibition center mark the camp site.
The Albrecht-Thaer-Schule, a school in Celle, was founded by Albrecht Daniel Thaer in 1796.
Celle also hosts a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) every year in the old town centre.
[edit] Industry
Tourism is a large contributor to Celle’s economy, especially in the summer months during jazz, wine, and other festivals, which thousands of visitors. The town is also known for its links to the oil industry and engineers many parts for drilling; notable companies are Baker Hughes and Itag. Celle is also known as a Beamtenstadt—city of civil servants, due to the large number of government officials and lawyers who work there.
[edit] Twin towns
Since January 17, 1990, Celle has been a twin town of Sumy, Ukraine. Celle also has city partnerships with:
Celle Ligure, Italy
Hämeenlinna, Finland
Holbæk, Denmark
Kwidzyn, Pomeranian Voivodship, Poland
Meudon, France
Tavistock, United Kingdom
Tyumen, West Siberia, Russia
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
[edit] See also
- Lüneburg-Celle
- Celler Hasenjagd Massacre in Celle to inmates of a concentration camp after the air raid on April 8, 1945
[edit] External links
- Official site (German)
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