Celle

City in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the River Aller, 35 km/22 mi northeast of Hannover; population (2005 est) 71,300; rural district 182,400. The city has a stud farm founded in 1735, and manufactures dyes, foodstuffs, furniture, leather, and electrical goods. The city dates from 1292.

From the 14th century until 1705 Celle was the residence of the dukes of Lüneburg-Celle, a branch of the house of Brunswick. The former ducal palace, which contains a museum, is a late Gothic and baroque building. The theatre (1674) is the oldest in Germany. The Nazi concentration camp of Belsen was located nearby.