Press release
Herzberg (Elster) and Potsdam University of Applied Sciences jointly launch the open data project "OPEN_HERZ"
The town of Herzberg (Elster) has been selected in the nationwide "Land.OpenData" competition and will receive funding of around 50,000 euros from the Federal Rural Development and Regional Value Creation Programme (BULEplus) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs. On 21 January 2026, the funding decision for the open data project "OPEN_HERZ" was ceremoniously handed over as part of the 19th Future Forum for Rural Development 2026 in Berlin.
Together with the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (FHP), the city is launching the "OPEN_HERZ" pilot project in 2026, which aims to show how open data can be used as a driver for innovation, citizen participation and sustainable urban development in small municipalities. Herzberg is a committed small town that is boldly breaking new ground - the cooperation with the FHP also brings valuable expertise, methodological know-how and fresh perspectives.
Research meets practice
The Potsdam University of Applied Sciences is supporting the project both in terms of content and methodology and is contributing expertise from areas such as the use of data for urban development in the current implementation project MOSIDI of the joint project InNoWest and from the Master's degree programme Urban Future. Together, data sets are identified, processed and discussed in practical participation formats with the administration, citizens and regional stakeholders. This creates a lively learning process between science and municipal practice.
MOSIDIas a technical basis
A central technical element of the project is the use of the open source platform MOSIDI from Postdam University of Applied Sciences. It enables municipal data from different sources to be brought together, made available as open data and utilised for a wide range of applications. Herzberg (Elster) will test MOSIDI as part of OPEN_HERZ and adapt it for municipal practice - an important step towards strengthening digital self-determination and data sovereignty at local level.
Participation and continuity
The project starts on 1 January 2026 and runs until 31 December 2026. The newly established project office for transformation and open data management, which acts as an interface between administration, research and citizens, plays a central role. The aim is to make the potential of open data for greater transparency, innovation and participation visible and usable. Workshops, training courses, virtual exhibitions and participation formats will be organised over the course of the project. At the end of the project, a municipal implementation plan will be drawn up describing how Herzberg (Elster) intends to continue along the path it has begun - organisationally, technically and strategically.
In order to make the potential of open data tangible for everyone, the town is planning to set up a digital information point on the market square. In future, it will display real-time data on urban development topics such as climate, environment, mobility and demographics and show how municipal data can be made visible, understandable and useful for citizens.
With "OPEN_HERZ", the town of Herzberg (Elster) is working together with the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences to bring open data to rural areas - in a practical, citizen-centred and scientifically sound way. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (BMLEH) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag and supervised by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE).
Stadt Herzberg (Elster)
The town of Herzberg (Elster) in the district of Elbe-Elster is one of the smaller towns in southern Brandenburg with a population of around 9,000, located close to the border triangle with Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The district town and the entire district of Elbe-Elster are among the coal mining regions of Lusatia that have been severely affected by demographic change and structural transformation. With a forward-looking and integrated urban development policy and as an innovative and service-orientated employer, the town aims to meet the challenges and leverage existing potential.
Contact the town of Herzberg (Elster):
Stadt Herzberg (Elster)
Projekt OPEN_HERZ
Contact Stephanie Kuntze
FBL Zentrale Steuerung & Services sowie Familie & Bildung
Markt 1, 04916 Herzberg (Elster)
Tel.03535 482 210
E-mail: kuntze@stadt-herzberg.de
Internet: www.herzberg-elster.de
Contact persons FH Potsdam:
Prof. Dr rer. nat. Heike Neuroth, Department of Information Sciences
heike.neuroth@fh-potsdam.de
Leonard Higi, M.A., Research Associate InNoWest, MOSIDI
leonard.higi@fh-potsdam.de
