Lüneburg-Celle

Lüneburg-Celle was a dynastic division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire. It existed from 1267 until 1705. While named after Lüneburg, since the 14th century its capital was Celle. It is also known as "Brunswick-Celle", or simply "Celle".

History

Lüneburg was created when the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was split in 1267, when Duke John forced his elder brother Duke Albert to share the duchy with him. John's last male-line descendant died in 1369, and a succession war broke out between the Dukes of Saxony and the Wolfenbüttel line of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Lüneburg-Celle was briefly under control of the dukes of Saxony, but it finally fell to Wolfenbüttel in 1388. In 1582, Duke William of Lüneburg-Celle inherited half of the County of Hoya, and in 1585, the County of Diepholz. In 1633, the Duke inherited the Principality of Grubenhagen, and in 1689, Duke George William acquired the Duchy of Lauenburg. From 1648 on, Calenberg was ruled by the younger brothers or nephews of the Dukes of Celle. In 1705, Celle was inherited by George Louis, Duke of Calenberg. Celle and Calenberg thereafter remained permanently united as parts of the Electoral state of Hanover.

Dukes of Lüneburg

House of Lüneburg (I)

* John ruled 1269-1277 (b. 1242)
* Otto II the Strict, son of John 1277-1330
* Sons of Otto II:
** Otto III 1330-1352 (b. 1296)
** William II, 1330-1369

House of Brunswick

* Magnus II Torquatus, 2nd cousin once removed of William II, 1369-1373 (b. 1328)

Ascanian House

* Albert, Duke of Saxony 1370-1385
* Wenceslaus, Elector of Saxony 1385-1388

House of Brunswick

*Sons of Magnus II:
** Bernard I 1388-1409
** Henry the Mild (of Brunswick) 1400-1416
*Sons of Henry the Mild:
**William I the Victorious, 1416-1428 (b. 1392, d. 1482)
**Henry the Peaceful 1416-1428 (b. 1411, d. 1473)

House of Lüneburg (II)

* Bernard I ("again") 1428-1434
*Sons of Bernard I:
** Otto IV Crookleg 1434-1446
** Frederick II the Pious 1446-1457

*Sons of Frederick II:
** Bernard II 1457-1464 (b. 1432)
** Otto V the Magnanimous 1457-1471 (b. 1439)
* Frederick II the Pious ("again") 1472-1478

* Henry I of Lüneburg, son of Otto V 1486-1520 (b. 1468, d. 1532)
* Sons of Henry I:
** Otto 1520-1527 (b. 1495, d. 1549)
** Ernest I the Confessor 1520-1546 (b. 1497, d. 1546) – progenitor of the Calenberg-Celle and Wolfenbüttel lines
** Francis 1536-1539 (b. 1508, d. 1549)

*Sons of Ernest I:
** Francis Otto 1555-1559 (b. 1530)
** William the Younger 1559-1592 (b. 1535)
** Henry of Dannenberg 1559-1569 (b. 1533, d. 1598), ancestor of the Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel line
*Sons of William the Younger:
** Ernest II 1592-1611 (b. 1564)
** Christian 1611-1633 (b. 1566)
** Augustus the Elder 1633-1636 (b. 1568)
** Frederick 1636-1648 (b. 1571)

*Sons of George of Calenberg, youngest son of William the Younger:
** Christian Louis, nephew of Frederick 1648-1665 (b. 1622)
** John Frederick 1665 (b. 1625, d. 1679)
** George William 1665-1705 (b. 1624)

From 1705 on Celle and Calenberg were united as the state of Hanover under George Louis, nephew of George William.

External links

* [http://www.welfen.de] (German)

Further reading

* Wilhelm Havemann: "Geschichte der Lande Braunschweig und Lüneburg." 3 Bände. Nachdruck. Hirschheydt, Hannover 1974/75, ISBN 3-7777-0843-7 (Originalausgabe: Verlag der Dietrich'schen Buchhandlung, Göttingen 1853-1857) (in German)