Naugarten wins Brandenburg competition: Strong together for the future!

Naugarten wins Brandenburg competition: Strong together for the future!

What great news from the Uckermark! The small town of Naugarten, which belongs to the municipality of Nordwestuckermark, took first place in this year's “Our Village has a Future” competition. With a strong sense of community and the commitment of its residents, Naugarten prevailed against 71 other villages and convinced the jury. The prize, a plaque and a cash sum of 10,000 euros, was presented by Minister Hanka Mittelstädt (SPD) last Friday in Fredersdorf. Her statement that cohesion and community engagement are of paramount importance in villages spoke to the hearts of the many people present. The Daily Mirror reports that active initiatives, associations and offers not only strengthen the local spirit, but also provide newcomers with easy access to village life.

Naugarten is one of the smallest places in the competition and has distinguished itself through numerous activities and strong cooperation. Particularly noteworthy is the vision of a “village living room”, which is being created as a barrier-free meeting place in a former agricultural hall. Young and old should be able to come together here and have conversations. RBB24 reports that the jury visited 16 villages in seven days in July to choose the best concepts. Frankena in the Elbe-Elster district secured second place, followed by Kletzke from Prignitz.

Outlook for the national competition

With this placement, Naugarten is now ready to represent the state of Brandenburg at the national competition next year. Frankena also fought for this honor, while Kletzke was rewarded with a prize of 3,000 euros for third place. Four other villages received special prizes of 1,500 euros each, which shows how diverse and committed the rural communities in Brandenburg are.

Naugarten also benefits from funding from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Community, which supports innovative projects to strengthen communities. The federal program for rural development and regional value creation (BULEplus) provides funding of up to 200,000 euros for projects that strengthen social cohesion and resilience in rural regions. Ble.de informed that applications from structurally weak municipalities are particularly welcome, and Naugarten could serve as a role model for other villages.

The awards and recognition that Naugarten has received are more than just an award. They are a sign of the future viability of rural communities that can achieve impressive things with commitment, creativity and strong cohesion. We can't wait to see what the coming months have in store for Naugarten!