Harnack House of the MPG in Berlin

Berlin 1, Berlin 2003

A congress organised by the Max Planck Society and the European Cultural Heritage Online (ECHO) project took place at Harnack House in Berlin’s Dahlem district in October 2003 with the aim of developing a new web-based research environment. 

The most significant result of the congress was the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

Strategic Aims of the Conference

The 3−day conference aims to bring together key players from national and international research organizations, learned societies, museums, archives, libraries and research funding agencies and political institutions, commercial and non−for profit publishing services concerned about the future of scientific e−publishing and scholarly communication. The declared aim of the meeting is to provide guidance to all players involved on how to help build a future−proof, flexible, open, and high−quality scholarly and scientific publishing system. Prepare the transformation of all areas of research from the print into the electronic world.

  • Establish an open−access policy on the Internet for scientific information, including cultural heritage.
  • Define future models for web−based scientific/scholarly communication and publishing and for making cultural heritage accessible on the Web.
  • Provide blueprints on how to make publishing alternatives work in a sustainable way.
  • Encourage funding agencies and research organizations to support the creation and implementation of open access models for scientific publishing.
  • Encourage funding agencies and research organizations to support the transfer of existing content both from science and culture to the new medium.
  • Define prerequisites for a future Web of Culture and Science


The meeting was attended by more than 120 German and international experts and decision-makers from the following organisations:

  • Research organisations
  • Professional societies
  • Museums
  • Archives
  • Libraries
  • Research funding organisations
  • Political institutions
  • Commercial and non-profit providers of scientific information

The discussion focussed predominantly on ways of providing access to research findings, otherwise known as the Open Access paradigm. The most significant result of the congress that was later dubbed the Berlin Conference (Berlin 1) was the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

The initial signatories of the Berlin Declaration agreed to organise regular follow-up conferences. 

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