diff --git a/jeeutil/pom.xml b/jeeutil/pom.xml
index 43dbec1..a180a7b 100644
--- a/jeeutil/pom.xml
+++ b/jeeutil/pom.xml
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>log4j</groupId>
+            <artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.17</version>
+            <type>jar</type>
+            <scope>compile</scope>            
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>javax</groupId>
             <artifactId>javaee-api</artifactId>
@@ -35,8 +42,8 @@
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>2.3.2</version>
                 <configuration>
-                    <source>1.6</source>
-                    <target>1.6</target>
+                    <source>1.7</source>
+                    <target>1.7</target>
                     <compilerArguments>
                         <endorseddirs>${endorsed.dir}</endorseddirs>
                     </compilerArguments>
diff --git a/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/AuthenticationFilter.java b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/AuthenticationFilter.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c29f42c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/AuthenticationFilter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/*
+ * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
+ * and open the template in the editor.
+ */
+package de.muehlencord.shared.jeeutil;
+
+import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.FileReader;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.PrintStream;
+import java.io.PrintWriter;
+import javax.servlet.Filter;
+import javax.servlet.FilterChain;
+import javax.servlet.FilterConfig;
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
+import javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream;
+import javax.servlet.ServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.ServletResponse;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpSession;
+import org.apache.log4j.Level;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author Jörn Mühlencord (<a href="mailto:joern@muehlencord.de">joern@muehlencord.de</a>
+ */
+public class AuthenticationFilter implements Filter {
+
+    private final static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(AuthenticationFilter.class.getName());
+    private final static String USER = AuthenticationFilter.class.getName() + "_user";
+    private String loginPage;
+    private String errorPage;
+    private FilterConfig filterConfig;
+
+    @Override
+    public void init(FilterConfig filterConfig) throws ServletException {
+        this.filterConfig = filterConfig;
+        if (filterConfig != null) {
+            errorPage = filterConfig.getInitParameter("error_page");
+            loginPage = filterConfig.getInitParameter("login_page");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void doFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response, FilterChain chain) throws IOException, ServletException {
+
+        if ((loginPage == null) || (errorPage == null)) {
+            returnError(request, response, "AuthenticationFilter not properly configured! Contact Administrator.");
+        }
+
+        User currentUser = null;
+        HttpSession session = ((HttpServletRequest) request).getSession();
+
+        if (session != null) {
+            if (session.getAttribute(USER) != null) {
+                currentUser = (User) session.getAttribute(USER);
+            } else {
+                logger.debug("No active session found - going to force login");
+                filterConfig.getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher(loginPage).forward(request, response);
+            }
+        } else {
+
+            if (currentUser == null) {
+                logger.debug("No logged in user found - going to force login");
+                filterConfig.getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher(loginPage).forward(request, response);
+            } else {
+                logger.debug("User is authenticated, continue filter chain");
+                // user is authenticated, continue with filter chain
+                chain.doFilter(request, response);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void destroy() {
+        this.filterConfig = null;
+    }
+
+    private void returnError(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response, String errorMsg) {
+        response.setContentType("text/html");
+
+
+        try (
+                ServletOutputStream servletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream();
+                PrintStream ps = new PrintStream(servletOutputStream);
+                PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(ps)) {
+
+            pw.print("<html>");
+            pw.print("<head><title>Error</title></head>");
+            pw.print("<body>");
+            pw.print("<h1>");
+            pw.print(errorMsg);
+            pw.print("</h1>");
+            pw.print("</body");
+            pw.print("</html>");
+
+        } catch (Exception ex) {
+            logger.log(Level.ERROR, errorMsg, ex);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static String readFirstLineFromFile(String path) throws IOException {
+        try (BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(path))) {
+            return br.readLine();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/Authenticator.java b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/Authenticator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56317d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/Authenticator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+ * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
+ * and open the template in the editor.
+ */
+package de.muehlencord.shared.jeeutil;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author jomu
+ */
+public interface Authenticator {
+    
+    public User getUser ();
+    
+}
diff --git a/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/User.java b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/User.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8834a85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jeeutil/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/jeeutil/User.java
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/*
+ * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
+ * and open the template in the editor.
+ */
+package de.muehlencord.shared.jeeutil;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author jomu
+ */
+public class User {
+    
+}