diff --git a/doc/examples/list_serialization.cxx b/doc/examples/list_serialization.cxx
index 53b17bc..835fe2c 100644
--- a/doc/examples/list_serialization.cxx
+++ b/doc/examples/list_serialization.cxx
@@ -17,14 +17,31 @@ class A: public xml::Serialize {
     xml::List<std::string> list;
   protected:
     void initXmlMembers() {
-      LOG("A::initXmlMembers");
       className("A");
       persist(list, "list");
     }
 };
 
+class B: public xml::Serialize {
+  public:
+    int b;
+    A a;
+    xml::List<A> as;
+  protected:
+    void initXmlMembers() {
+      className("B");
+      persist(b, "b");
+      persist(a, "a");
+      persist(as, "As");
+    }
+};
+
 int main(int, char**) {
-  std::stringstream ss("<A>\n"
+  std::stringstream ss("<B>\n"
+                       "<b>1234</b>"
+                       "<a><list><item>guguseli</item></list></a>"
+                       "<As>"
+                       "<item>\n"
                        "\t<list>\n"
                        "\t\t<item>Hello</item>\n"
                        "\t\t<item>World</item>\n"
@@ -32,12 +49,14 @@ int main(int, char**) {
                        "\t\t<item>are</item>\n"
                        "\t\t<item>you</item>\n"
                        "\t</list>\n"
-                       "</A>");
-  A a;
-  std::cout<<"Schema:\n"<<a.schema()<<std::endl;
-  a.loadXml(ss);
+                       "</item>"
+                       "</As>"
+                       "</B>");
+  B b;
+  std::cout<<"SCHEMA:"<<std::endl<<b.schema()<<std::endl;
+  b.loadXml(ss);
 //   if (a.list.front()=="Hello") a.list.front()="Good Bye";
 //   if (a.list.back()=="you") a.list.back()="we";
-  a.saveXml(std::cout)<<std::endl;
+  b.saveXml(std::cout)<<std::endl;
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx b/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
index 736f1bd..4fc6b22 100644
--- a/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
+++ b/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
@@ -324,6 +324,14 @@ namespace xml {
       Node* _node;
   };
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  class type_not_registered: public exception {
+    public:
+      type_not_registered(std::string type, std::string name, const Node& t):
+          exception("serialized node type is not registered\ntype: "
+                    +type+"\nname: "+name, t) {
+      }
+  };
+  //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   class empty_attribute_list: public exception {
     public:
       empty_attribute_list(const std::string& name) throw():
@@ -701,6 +709,7 @@ namespace xml {
     private:
       friend class stream_error;
       friend class Serialize;
+      template<class T, class A> friend class List;
       Node& operator*() throw(factory_not_valid);
       Node*const operator->() throw(factory_not_valid);
       bool ws(char c) throw();
@@ -867,9 +876,16 @@ namespace xml {
       static void registerToNode(ToNodeFunc toNodeFunc);
     protected:
       virtual void initXmlMembers();
+      void checkInit(const Serialize* const ser=0) const {
+        if (ser) {
+          if (!ser->_xmlFactory) const_cast<Serialize*>(ser)->initXmlMembers();
+        } else {
+          if (!_xmlFactory) const_cast<Serialize*>(this)->initXmlMembers();
+        }
+      }
     private:
     public: //! @todo
-      void clear() throw();
+      void reset() throw();
       void copy(const Serialize& o) throw();
       template<typename TYPE>
           Serialize& persistSimpleType(TYPE& member,
@@ -903,25 +919,41 @@ namespace xml {
       List(const std::string& className) throw(): Serialize(className) {}
       virtual ~List() {}
     protected:
-      /*virtual void initXmlMembers() {
-        LOG("initXmlMembers std::list");
-        //_xmlNames[list] = this;
-        TYPE dummy;
+      virtual void initXmlMembers() {
         std::string itemName("item");
+        TYPE tmp;
+        LOG("initXmlMembers List for: "<<typeid(TYPE).name());
         if (typeid(TYPE*)==typeid(Serialize*)) {
-          Serialize* ser((Serialize*)&dummy);
-          if (!ser->_xmlFactory) ser->initXmlMembers();
+          LOG("Liste von Serialize");
+          Serialize* ser((Serialize*)&tmp);
+          checkInit(ser);
           itemName = **ser->_xmlFactory;
         }
-        persist(dummy, itemName);
-        _xmlFactory->limits(0, 0);
+        _xmlFactory = xml::Node("dummyroot"); // dummy root, (uninitialized exc)
+        persist(tmp, itemName); // add _reference as child of dummyroot
+        (*_xmlFactory)[0].limits(0, 0); // any number of children possible
       }
       virtual void fromNode(boost::any member, const xml::Node& node) {
-        LOG("fromNode std::list");
+        this->clear();
+        for (xml::Node::size_type i(0); i<node.parent().children(); ++i) {
+          TYPE tmp;
+          Serialize::fromNode(&tmp, node.parent()[i]); // reads into tmp
+          push_back(tmp);
+        }
       }
       virtual void toNode(const boost::any member, xml::Node& node) const {
-        LOG("toNode std::list");
-          }*/
+        std::auto_ptr<xml::Node> tpl(node.clone());
+        xml::Node& parent(node.parent());
+        parent.clear(); // "node" is now invalid
+        for (typename List::const_iterator it = this->begin();
+             it!=this->end(); ++it) {
+          TYPE tmp;
+          tmp = *it;
+          std::auto_ptr<xml::Node> item(tpl->clone());
+          Serialize::toNode(&tmp, *item);
+          parent<<*item;
+        }
+      }
   };
   
   //@}
diff --git a/src/xml.cxx b/src/xml.cxx
index c5bae4f..5778656 100644
--- a/src/xml.cxx
+++ b/src/xml.cxx
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ namespace xml {
          it!=o._contents.end(); ++it)
       _contents.push_back((*it)->clone(this).release());
   }
-  //! Clones But clears the parent.
+  //! Clones But resets the parent reference.
   /*! You get a new instance of the node, but detached from the
       parent. It is then ready to be inserted below a new parent.
       
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ namespace xml {
     copy(other);
   }
   Serialize::~Serialize() {
-    clear();
+    reset();
   }
   Serialize& Serialize::operator=(const Serialize& other) throw() {
     copy(other);
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ namespace xml {
   }
   Serialize& Serialize::persist(Serialize& ser,
                                 const std::string& name) throw() {
-    if (!ser._xmlFactory) ser.initXmlMembers();
+    ser.checkInit();
     _xmlNames[name] = &ser;
     xml::Node schema(*_xmlFactory);
     xml::Node node(xml::Node(name).limits(1,1));
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ namespace xml {
   }
   std::ostream& Serialize::saveXml(std::ostream& os,
                                    const std::string& name) const throw() {
-    if (!_xmlFactory) const_cast<Serialize*>(this)->initXmlMembers();
+    checkInit();
     xml::Node node(*_xmlFactory);
     if (name.size()) node.name(name);
     for (std::map<std::string, boost::any>::const_iterator
@@ -1117,7 +1117,7 @@ namespace xml {
     return os;
   }
   std::istream& Serialize::loadXml(std::istream& is, const std::string& name) {
-    if (!_xmlFactory) initXmlMembers();
+    checkInit();
     xml::Factory factory(_xmlFactory);
     if (name.size()) factory->name(name);
     std::auto_ptr<xml::Node> node(factory.read(is));
@@ -1128,21 +1128,54 @@ namespace xml {
     return is;
   }
   std::string Serialize::schema() const throw() {
-    if (!_xmlFactory) const_cast<Serialize*>(this)->initXmlMembers();
+    checkInit();
     std::stringstream ss;
     ss<<*_xmlFactory;
     return ss.str();
   }
+
+  void Serialize::registerFromNode(Serialize::FromNodeFunc fromNodeFunc) {
+    _fromNode.insert(fromNodeFunc);
+  }
+
+  void Serialize::registerToNode(Serialize::ToNodeFunc toNodeFunc) {
+    _toNode.insert(toNodeFunc);
+  }
+  void Serialize::initXmlMembers() {}
+  void Serialize::reset() throw() {
+    _xmlFactory.reset();
+    _xmlNames.clear();
+  }
+  void Serialize::copy(const Serialize& o) throw() {
+    reset();
+    initXmlMembers();
+  }
+  void Serialize::fromNode(boost::any member, const xml::Node& node) {
+    for (std::set<FromNodeFunc>::const_iterator it(_fromNode.begin());
+         it!=_fromNode.end(); ++it)
+      if ((**it)(member, node)) return; // found match
+    throw type_not_registered(member.type().name(), node.name(), node);
+  }
+  void Serialize::toNode(const boost::any member, xml::Node& node) const {
+    for (std::set<ToNodeFunc>::const_iterator it(_toNode.begin());
+         it!=_toNode.end(); ++it)
+      if ((**it)(member, node)) return; // found match
+    throw type_not_registered(member.type().name(), node.name(), node);
+  }
+  std::set<Serialize::FromNodeFunc> Serialize::_fromNode;
+  std::set<Serialize::ToNodeFunc> Serialize::_toNode;
+  
+  //=============================================================== Assign Types
   template<typename TYPE> bool assignFromNode(boost::any member,
                                               const xml::Node& node) {
-    if (member.type()!=typeid(TYPE*)) return false;
+    if (!boost::any_cast<TYPE*>(&member)) return false;
     *boost::any_cast<TYPE*>(member) =
       (TYPE)dynamic_cast<const xml::String&>(node);
     return true;
   }
   template<typename TYPE> bool assignToNode(const boost::any member,
                                             xml::Node& node) {
-    if (member.type()!=typeid(TYPE*)) return false;
+    if (!boost::any_cast<TYPE*>(&member)) return false;
     std::stringstream ss;
     ss<<*boost::any_cast<TYPE*>(member);
     node.text(ss.str());
@@ -1172,66 +1205,26 @@ namespace xml {
   }
   template<> bool assignFromNode<Serialize>(boost::any member,
                                             const xml::Node& node) {
-    if (member.type()!=typeid(Serialize*)) return false;
+    if (!boost::any_cast<Serialize*>(&member)) return false;
     //! @todo improve this (inefficient)
     std::stringstream ss; // simple but inefficient: rewrite and reread
     ss<<node;
     boost::any_cast<Serialize*>(member)->loadXml(ss, node.name());
+    /*
+    Serialize* ser(boost::any_cast<Serialize*>(member));
+    for (xml::Node::size_type i(0); i<node.children(); ++i)
+        ser->fromNode(ser->_xmlNames[*node[i]], node[i]);*/
     return true;
   }
   template<> bool assignToNode<Serialize>(const boost::any member,
                                           xml::Node& node) {
-    if (member.type()!=typeid(Serialize*)) return false;
+    if (!boost::any_cast<Serialize*>(&member)) return false;
     std::stringstream ss;
     boost::any_cast<Serialize*>(member)->saveXml(ss, node.name());
     xml::Factory factory(node);
     node = *factory.read(ss);
     return true;
   }
-//   template<typename TYPE, template<class TYPE> class CONTAINER>
-//       bool containerFromNode(boost::any member,
-//                              const xml::Node& node) {
-//     if (member.type()!=typeid(TYPE*)) return false;
-//     LOG("ASSIGN List");
-//     return false;
-//   }
-//   template<typename TYPE, class ALLOC>
-//       bool assignToNode(const boost::any member, xml::Node& node) {
-//   }
-
-  void Serialize::registerFromNode(Serialize::FromNodeFunc fromNodeFunc) {
-    _fromNode.insert(fromNodeFunc);
-  }
-
-  void Serialize::registerToNode(Serialize::ToNodeFunc toNodeFunc) {
-    _toNode.insert(toNodeFunc);
-  }
-  void Serialize::initXmlMembers() {}
-  void Serialize::clear() throw() {
-    _xmlFactory.reset();
-    _xmlNames.clear();
-  }
-  void Serialize::copy(const Serialize& o) throw() {
-    clear();
-    initXmlMembers();
-  }
-  void Serialize::fromNode(boost::any member, const xml::Node& node) {
-    if (!_fromNode.size()) registerFromNode(&assignFromNode<std::string>);
-    for (std::set<FromNodeFunc>::const_iterator it(_fromNode.begin());
-         it!=_fromNode.end(); ++it)
-      if ((**it)(member, node)) return; // found match
-    throw std::runtime_error(node.name());
-  }
-  void Serialize::toNode(const boost::any member, xml::Node& node) const {
-    if (!_toNode.size()) registerToNode(&assignToNode<std::string>);
-    for (std::set<ToNodeFunc>::const_iterator it(_toNode.begin());
-         it!=_toNode.end(); ++it)
-      if ((**it)(member, node)) return; // found match
-    throw std::runtime_error(node.name());
-  }
-  std::set<Serialize::FromNodeFunc> Serialize::_fromNode;
-  std::set<Serialize::ToNodeFunc> Serialize::_toNode;
-  
   // Register for all simple Types =============================================
   template<int NUM> struct SimpleTypes {};
   template<> struct SimpleTypes<1>  {typedef std::string    Type;};