Celle Castle facts for kids
Celle Castle (also known as Schloss Celle in German) is a beautiful old castle in the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was one of the main homes for the powerful House of Brunswick-Lüneburg family. This large, square-shaped building is the biggest castle in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath region.
Castle History
Celle Castle began as a strong wall tower around 980 AD. This tower was like a water castle, built to protect a place where people could cross the River Aller. This first fort was called Kellu. Later, around 1292, Otto the Strict built more onto it. You can still see parts of the old cellar and lower tower today, hidden under the castle theatre.
Around 1315, the actual Castrum Celle (Celle Castle) was first written about. After a war in 1378, the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg moved their main home from Lüneburg to Celle. They started turning the old fort, which had ditches and walls, into a grand castle.
About a hundred years later, from 1471 to 1478, Frederick the Pious made the castle even bigger. Its special chapel was finished in 1485. Then, Ernest I the Confessor had the castle decorated in the fancy Renaissance style around 1530. At the same time, strong new walls and bastions were built to protect it. The castle became a typical square building with a courtyard, big corner towers, and a main tower.
From 1670 onwards, Duke George William made more changes to the castle. He wanted to turn the old Renaissance building into a modern home. George William loved building and wanted the castle to remind him of his time in Italy. The outside walls were made to look like buildings from Venice, Italy. Look for the fancy gables around the roofs and the unique shape of the domed towers. The castle theatre and the grand Baroque rooms were also added during this time.
When Duke George William died in 1705, the dukes no longer ruled with absolute power. The area around Lüneburg and Celle became part of the Kingdom of Hanover. The castle then lost its political importance and was empty for a long time.
From 1772, a British-born Danish queen named Caroline Matilda lived there. She was the daughter of Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales. Queen Caroline Matilda lived in Celle Castle until 1775, when she sadly died from scarlet fever.
In the 1800s, the Hanoverian royal family sometimes used the castle as a summer home. Because of this, Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves made some changes to the inside in 1839 and 1840. During World War I, the castle was used as a camp for officers by the German Army.
The Castle Today
Today, Celle Castle still has many rooms and halls from different time periods. The castle chapel was changed after the Reformation and still looks much like it did in the Renaissance. The grand Baroque rooms, created under George William, are also still there.
In the Gothic Hall, you can see changing art shows. A part of Celle's Bomann Museum is in the East Wing. This museum shows the history of the Kingdom of Hanover. You can visit the historic castle rooms and the chapel on a guided tour. The chapel was carefully restored between 1978 and 1981.
Castle Theatre
The castle's own theatre, called the Schlosstheater Celle, is one of the oldest theatres of its kind still standing. It is also one of the few Baroque theatres in northern Germany. It even has its own theatre group today!
Duke George William wanted the theatre built. Before he became duke, he spent time in Venice and loved Italian opera. The Italian architect Giuseppe Arighini designed the theatre. Building started in 1670 and was mostly finished by 1675. The duke invited many theatre groups to perform, from places like France, Italy, and nearby Hanover. After the duke died, the theatre was not used much until Queen Caroline Matilda lived there. A second balcony was added for her.
The theatre was built only for the royal court, not for the public. People were first allowed to watch plays there at the end of the 1700s. The theatre was used regularly until the late 1800s but closed in 1890. It was not used for a long time until it was fully renovated in 1935.
Castle Park
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Celle Castle was never used for military battles. So, between 1785 and 1802, the outer bastions (strong defensive walls) were taken down. The material was used to fill in the deep, wide castle moats. In 1826, gardens were created around the castle by leveling the old defensive walls. Trees, bushes, and lawns were planted in their place. In the 1800s, a landscape garden was made right around the castle.
Part of the park was used for building houses around 1900. Today, the park is about 7 hectares (17 acres) in size. The castle still sits on an island, surrounded by its moats.
Not far from the castle, Duke George William also had the French Garden built in the late 1600s. This was a Baroque park designed in the French style. Later, it was changed into an English landscape garden. However, you can still see parts of the original French design in some areas of the park.
Images for kids
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The facade of the castle which looks onto Celle's Altstadt
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Celle with its castle (right) in an engraving by Matthäus Merian, 1654
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Caroline Matilda, who was banished and lived in Celle Castle; 1771 painting
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Aerial view of Celle Castle and its parks
