diff --git a/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh b/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6bc1bde0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# This script creates a new local issue branch for the given issue id.
+# Previous changes are stashed before the issue branch is created and are reapplied after branch creation.
+# 
+# executing new-issue-branch.sh DATACMNS-42 
+# will create a new (local) branch issue/DATACMNS-42
+
+TICKET_ID=${1:?"TICKET_ID Parameter is missing!"}
+OLD_VERSION_TMP=$(mvn -o org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-help-plugin:2.1.1:evaluate -Dexpression=project.version | grep -Ev '^\[.*')
+
+OLD_POM_VERSION=${OLD_VERSION_TMP:?"Could not extract current project version from pom.xml"}
+
+# Replaces BUILD in BUILD-SNAPSHOT with the given TICKET_ID
+NEW_POM_VERSION=${OLD_POM_VERSION/"BUILD"/$TICKET_ID}
+ISSUE_BRANCH="issue/$TICKET_ID"
+
+echo "Creating feature branch $TICKET_ID: $OLD_POM_VERSION -> $NEW_POM_VERSION"
+
+echo "Stashing potential intermediate changes..." && git stash\
+&& git checkout -b $ISSUE_BRANCH\
+&& mvn -o -q versions:set -DgenerateBackupPoms=false -DnewVersion=$NEW_POM_VERSION\
+&& ( \
+      (\
+         git commit -am "$TICKET_ID - Prepare branch"\
+         && echo "Created feature branch: $ISSUE_BRANCH"\
+         && echo "Reapplying potentially stashed changes... " && git stash pop)\
+  || echo "Something went wrong!")
+