Special cases were brought before the so-called "closed aristocratic courts" ("geschlossenen adeligen Gerichte") in Gartow and Wathlingen. Here the local families, the von Bernstorffs and the von Lüneburgs, were not only responsible for lower and higher courts, but also ran the administration of the principality on behalf of the duke. The towns of Celle, Harburg, Lüchow, Dannenberg, Hitzacker and Soltau were independent administrations and not part of the "Ämter" system. In addition to their own administration, they also ran their own lesser jurisdictions; the chancery court ("Kanzleigericht") in Celle was only responsible for dealing with major offences. Lüneburg achieved even greater independence and had both greater and lesser jurisdictions.