Principality of Lüneburg(-Celle)

Landesteil Lüneburg

The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg first split into two Principalities in 1269, just 34 years after the Duchy was founded as part of Welfian Germany.  One of the principalities covered the southern section (Brunswick) and the other covered the northern section (Lüneburg). The Lüneburg line died out in 1369, and the subsequent war of succession forced the Welfian claimant to the principality to relocate to Celle. The Welfian claim was not solidified until 1388. At that time, another Brunswick/Lüneburg split was implemented, which lasted until 1400 when the Brunswick line died out. Yet another split was implemented in 1409, and a Principality of Lüneburg existed uninterrupted between then and 1705. However, it was not until 1512 that the other Welfian lines gave up their claims to the city of Lüneburg itself, so the government remained in Celle. In 1527, the principality became Protestant and the first spin-off principality was created. I being the database at that point.

 

The naming of the Welfian principalities was complicated. The original Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was legally indivisible. The principalities into which it was divided, therefore, had to maintain the fiction that the original Duchy remained intact if the princes wanted to retain the title of “duke”. Therefore, all Welfian entities began their names with “Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg” followed by the name of the specific principality. During the period covering the data base, however, the Duchy was coterminous with Welfian Germany, so I ignore it to (a) avoid redundancy and (b) keep the name lengths manageable.

 

In the 16th century, it was not uncommon for brothers to agree to rule from Celle jointly. However, such arrangements rarely lasted for long. The Principality generated several nonsovereign spin-off principalities when it became expedient to remove one of the rulers because of an inappropriate marriage or at his own request. The spin-offs were as follows:

 

• Lüneburg-Harburg (1527-1642)
• Lüneburg-Gifhorn (1539-1549)
• Lüneburg-Dannenberg (1569-1671).

 

Between 1527 and 1671, when those spinoffs existed, I use Lüneburg-Celle as the name of the core principality to distinguish it from the spinoffs. After 1671, I simply use Lüneburg as the simplified name.

 

In 1617, Lüneburg-Celle acquired the whole of the Principality of Grubenhagen, which it held until 1665. During that period, I split Lüneburg-Celle into two Landesteile—Lüneburg and Grubenhagen. Between, 1665 and 1689, identifying Landesteile was unnecessary. In 1689, however, Lüneburg acquired the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, so I thereafter split the Principality into the two Landesteile of Lüneburg and Lauenburg. In 1705, the Lüneburg line once again died out and both the Lüneburg and Lauenburg Landesteile were absorbed into the Electorate of Hannover.