diff --git a/util/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/util/StringUtil.java b/util/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/util/StringUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8967665
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/src/main/java/de/muehlencord/shared/util/StringUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+/*
+ * StringUtil.java
+ *
+ * Created on 4. Mai 2007, 12:36
+ */
+package de.muehlencord.shared.util;
+
+import java.text.ParseException;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author joern@muehlencord.de
+ */
+public abstract class StringUtil {
+
+    /** the logging object */
+    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(StringUtil.class);
+
+    /**
+     * returns the given string in ISO-8859-1 encoding
+     *
+     * @param input the input string in UTF-8
+     * @return the converted string in
+     *
+     * @throws StringEncodingException if the string cannot be converted
+     */
+    public static String getISOString(String input) throws StringEncodingException {
+        try {
+            byte[] b = input.getBytes("UTF-8");
+            return new String(b, "ISO-8859-1");
+        } catch (Exception ex) {
+            logger.debug(getStackTraceString(ex));
+            throw new StringEncodingException("Cannot convert string from UTF-8 to ISO-8859-1. Reason: " + ex.getMessage(), ex);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * returns the stackstrace as one string
+     *
+     * @param ex the exception to return the string for
+     * @return the stackstrace as one string
+     */
+    public static String getStackTraceString(Throwable ex) {
+        String logString = ex.toString() + "\n";
+        StackTraceElement[] stack = ex.getStackTrace();
+        for (int i = 0; i < stack.length; i++) {
+            logString += (stack[i].toString()) + "\n";
+        }
+        return logString;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fills s with blanks if s < length
+     *
+     *
+     *
+
+     *
+     * @param length the needed length for this field
+     * @param s the field to extend with blanks
+     * @return s extended by trainling blanks. s.length == length
+     */
+    public static String getBlankedString(int length, String s) {
+        if (s == null) {
+            return "";
+        }
+
+        String returnValue = s;
+        while (s.length() < length) {
+            returnValue += " ";
+        }
+        return returnValue;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * returns the string located between the two given keywords
+     * @param content the string to get the value from
+     * @param keyWord1 the starting keyword
+     * @param keyWord2 the end keywod
+     * @return the string between keyword1 and keyword2
+     * @throws ParseException if the value cannot be determined - e.g. if one of the keywords is not found
+     */
+    public static String getValueBetweenKeywords(String content, String keyWord1, String keyWord2) throws ParseException {
+        int pos1 = content.indexOf(keyWord1);
+        if (pos1 == -1) {
+            throw new ParseException("Keyword1=" + keyWord1 + " not found in content string",0);
+        }
+
+        int pos2 = content.indexOf(keyWord2, pos1);
+        if (pos2 == -1) {
+            throw new ParseException("Keyword2=" + keyWord2 + " not found in content string",0);
+        }
+        String returnValue = content.substring(pos1+keyWord1.length(), pos2);
+        returnValue = returnValue.trim();
+        return returnValue;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * returns true, if given string is either null or a blank string
+     * @param s the string to check
+     * @return true, if s is either null or s.equals("")
+     */
+    public static boolean isEmpty(String s) {
+        return (s != null) && (!s.equals (""));
+    }
+}