Celle

Celle is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Celle. The town is located in the southernmost part of the Lueneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide) and on the banks of the Aller river. Population: 73,600 (1999).

Celle was founded in 1292 on the territory of the duchy of Saxony-Wittenberg. Eighty years later it became the ducal residence. The duke's palace was situated in a triangle between the Aller river and its tributary, the Fuhse river. A moat connecting the rivers was built in 1433, turning the town centre into an island. In the meantime Celle had become a residence of a collateral line within the duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1705 the last duke died, and the town became subject to Hanover.

Many buildings in the centre of Celle date back to the 16th century. The most impressive building is the ducal palace, 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 city 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 very few synagogues surviving the Nazi pogrom night of 1938.

Celle is also known for the Bomann Museum, a museum of regional history and modern art; and for being a touristic gate to the Lueneburg Heath.