diff --git a/mpicbg/pom.xml b/mpicbg/pom.xml
index 9ca74db..f3ba98e 100644
--- a/mpicbg/pom.xml
+++ b/mpicbg/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>mpicbg</groupId>
 		<artifactId>pom-mpicbg</artifactId>
-		<version>1.5.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>1.6.0</version>
 	</parent>
 
 	<artifactId>mpicbg</artifactId>
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 	<scm>
 		<connection>scm:git:git://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</connection>
 		<developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:axtimwalde/mpicbg</developerConnection>
-		<tag>HEAD</tag>
+		<tag>mpicbg-1.6.0</tag>
 		<url>https://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</url>
 	</scm>
 	<issueManagement>
diff --git a/mpicbg_/pom.xml b/mpicbg_/pom.xml
index fc00f12..49cfbb8 100644
--- a/mpicbg_/pom.xml
+++ b/mpicbg_/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>mpicbg</groupId>
 		<artifactId>pom-mpicbg</artifactId>
-		<version>1.5.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>1.6.0</version>
 	</parent>
 
 	<artifactId>mpicbg_</artifactId>
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
 	<scm>
 		<connection>scm:git:git://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</connection>
 		<developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:axtimwalde/mpicbg</developerConnection>
-		<tag>HEAD</tag>
+		<tag>mpicbg-1.6.0</tag>
 		<url>https://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</url>
 	</scm>
 	<issueManagement>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ed83afe..aadae7c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 	<groupId>mpicbg</groupId>
 	<artifactId>pom-mpicbg</artifactId>
-	<version>1.5.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>1.6.0</version>
 	<packaging>pom</packaging>
 
 	<name>Aggregator project for Stephan Saalfeld's mpicbg library and plugin collection</name>
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 	<scm>
 		<connection>scm:git:https://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</connection>
 		<developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:axtimwalde/mpicbg</developerConnection>
-		<tag>HEAD</tag>
+		<tag>mpicbg-1.6.0</tag>
 		<url>https://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg</url>
 	</scm>
 	<issueManagement>
diff --git a/release.properties b/release.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7fdf60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#release configuration
+#Thu Feb 22 11:00:14 EST 2024
+projectVersionPolicyId=default
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg.connection=scm\:git\:git\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg.url=https\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg_.tag=HEAD
+project.scm.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg.tag=HEAD
+pushChanges=false
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg.tag=HEAD
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg_.developerConnection=scm\:git\:git@github.com\:axtimwalde/mpicbg
+project.scm.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg.connection=scm\:git\:https\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+project.dev.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg=1.6.1-SNAPSHOT
+project.rel.mpicbg\:mpicbg=1.6.0
+project.scm.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg.developerConnection=scm\:git\:git@github.com\:axtimwalde/mpicbg
+remoteTagging=true
+scm.commentPrefix=[maven-release-plugin] 
+project.scm.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg.url=https\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+completedPhase=end-release
+scm.url=scm\:git\:https\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+project.rel.mpicbg\:pom-mpicbg=1.6.0
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg.developerConnection=scm\:git\:git@github.com\:axtimwalde/mpicbg
+exec.additionalArguments=-Dgpg.skip\=true  -P deploy-to-scijava
+scm.tagNameFormat=mpicbg-@{project.version}
+project.dev.mpicbg\:mpicbg=1.6.1-SNAPSHOT
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg_.url=https\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg
+scm.tag=mpicbg-1.6.0
+project.dev.mpicbg\:mpicbg_=1.6.1-SNAPSHOT
+exec.snapshotReleasePluginAllowed=false
+preparationGoals=clean verify
+project.rel.mpicbg\:mpicbg_=1.6.0
+project.scm.mpicbg\:mpicbg_.connection=scm\:git\:git\://github.com/axtimwalde/mpicbg