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Lüneburg-Celle

Principality of Lüneburg
also: Brunswick-Celle, Celle
or Brunswick and Lüneburg
Fürstentum Lüneburg
also: Braunschweig und Lüneburg
State of the Holy Roman Empire
1269–1705


Coat of arms

Capital Lunenburg (Lüneburg), Celle after 1370
Languages Low Saxon, German
Religion Roman Catholic until 1527; then Lutheran
Government Monarchy
Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg,
Prince of Lüneburg(-Celle)
 •  1269–1277 John I
 •  1369–1373 Magnus II Torquatus
 •  1520–1546 Ernest I the Confessor
 •  1665–1705 George William
Historical era Middle Ages
 •  Saxo-Bavarian Duke
    Henry the Lion defeated
    ensued by break-up of
    the Duchy of Saxony

1180/1181
 •  Partition of the
    Duchy of Brunswick
    and Lüneburg

    among the heirs
    (Salic law)
1269
 •  Inherited by
    George Louis,
    Prince of Calenberg;
    became King George I in 1714
28 August 1705
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Brunswick-Lüneburg Arms.svg Brunswick-Lüneburg
Electorate of Hanover


Coat of arms

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 lay within the modern-day state of Lower Saxony in Germany. The Principality was named after its first capital, Lüneburg (Lunenburg), which was ruled jointly by all Brunswick-Lüneburg lines until 1637. From 1378, the seat of the Principality was in Celle. It lost its independence in 1705 when it was annexed by the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, but retained its vote in the Reichstag as Brunswick-Celle.

When the Principality of Lüneburg emerged as a result of the division of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1269, the domain of the Lüneburg princes consisted of a large number of territorial rights in the region of Lüneburg, but it could not be described as a unified state because many rights were owned by other vassals of the imperial crown. Not until the acquisition of numerous counties and rights in the 13th and 14th centuries did the rulers of Lüneburg succeed in building a unified state. Following the division of the principalities of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Lüneburg between Bernard and Henry in 1409 the territorial development of the state was largely complete. At that time, the Principality of Lüneburg included the larger part of the Lüneburg Heath and the Wendland and measured about 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi).


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