Abstract. We present CCD photometry and proper motion studies of the three open star clusters NGC 4103, NGC 5281, and NGC 4755 (κ Cru). By fitting isochrones to the colour magnitude diagrams, we found that all three objects are young open star clusters with ages of at most t = 45 Myr. They are located at distances from approx. 1600 pc to 2200 pc, derived from distance moduli (m−M )0 ranging from 11 mag to 12 mag. We combined membership determinations based on proper motions and statistical field star subtraction to derive the initial mass function (

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Abstract. We present the first results of a photometric and astrometric investigation of stars in the region of the globular cluster M 71 (NGC 6838). Using wide field CCD observations we determined B and V magnitudes of 4450 stars up to a limiting magnitude of V ≤ 18.5 mag. Relative proper motions were used to derive membership probabilities for stars with R < 3 around the centre of M 71. Our colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) of 320 probable cluster members reaches down to V = 18. A well defined red giant bump -for the first time seen in M 71 -could be detected in our CMD. From isochrone fitting we find M 71 metal poorer and older than previously assumed. Four faint variable stars were confirmed to be members of M 71. Moreover, we detected 13 blue stragglers among our cluster members.