diff --git a/AMDiS/CMakeLists.txt b/AMDiS/CMakeLists.txt
index 4427d078a0793cdf001c2c9620c6ad343d2fc71b..cdadf256d00190ef97abbd5456f064d59979bec7 100644
--- a/AMDiS/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/AMDiS/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ SET(AMDIS_SRC ${SOURCE_DIR}/AdaptBase.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/MeshStructure.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/Operator.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/OperatorTerm.cc
-	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/Parameters.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/Parametric.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/PeriodicBC.cc
 	      ${SOURCE_DIR}/ProblemImplicit.cc
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/AMDiS.h b/AMDiS/src/AMDiS.h
index a33921472fd35e0fc0b3c14d99c79b40ce2ed07c..b950d31a3f8f09f77f3408152b58c4dd5559e7d7 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/AMDiS.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/AMDiS.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 #include "FixVec.h"
 #include "Flag.h"
 #include "Global.h"
+#include "Initfile.h" // replacement for Parameters.h
 #include "ITL_Preconditioner.h"
 #include "ITL_Solver.h"
 #include "Lagrange.h"
@@ -78,7 +79,6 @@
 #include "OEMSolver.h"
 #include "Operator.h"
 #include "OperatorTerm.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
 #include "Parametric.h"
 #include "PeriodicMap.h"
 #include "PeriodicBC.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/AdaptInfo.h b/AMDiS/src/AdaptInfo.h
index 7ef68b226e8b4ff35831ba83e08ef2fab3eec9e5..24e01a68f7bc2fc5165f31f4a6ae5e5631038a5a 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/AdaptInfo.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/AdaptInfo.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define AMDIS_ADAPTINFO_H
 
 #include "MatrixVector.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Serializable.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/AdaptInstationary.cc b/AMDiS/src/AdaptInstationary.cc
index 0306a206ffdff9ee008f5b61808d5f3617260d6f..23dde58e1fda904e7d7ce2125a06d45d9b558b73 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/AdaptInstationary.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/AdaptInstationary.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 
 #include "AdaptInstationary.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Estimator.h"
 #include "ProblemIterationInterface.h"
 #include "ProblemTimeInterface.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/AdaptStationary.cc b/AMDiS/src/AdaptStationary.cc
index a95c7184bc04e302e04a1bb4ad12e20cb67e7bd2..964babed0fd76770492846d734c16f58eda7259a 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/AdaptStationary.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/AdaptStationary.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 
 #include "AdaptStationary.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Estimator.h"
 #include "ProblemIterationInterface.h"
 #include <math.h>
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Boundary.cc b/AMDiS/src/Boundary.cc
index e12d795589570fbcc781dfffb46f5098518948f7..a251bcfcdbfc09c5c06572c58ca289b33c13f45a 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Boundary.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Boundary.cc
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "Boundary.h"
 #include "FixVec.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/DOFVector.hh b/AMDiS/src/DOFVector.hh
index 474b34b07bedf855953c901f0525d96ecb1d6a34..e133c474cbd1ae9eb120bf8d44f1e51fc804d66a 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/DOFVector.hh
+++ b/AMDiS/src/DOFVector.hh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #include "BoundaryManager.h"
 #include "Assembler.h"
 #include "Operator.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
 
 // Defining the interface for MTL4
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Estimator.cc b/AMDiS/src/Estimator.cc
index 97c12bb1e613750bdff6bbfa83add5d0cfdff362..6bb33f49d05c2b65e9c5d5b2de729c51fe99ef8d 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Estimator.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Estimator.cc
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "Estimator.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "DualTraverse.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace AMDiS {
   {
     FUNCNAME("Estimator::Estimator()");
 
-    Parameters::get(name + "->error norm", norm);
+	Parameters::get(name + "->error norm", norm);
   }
 
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Global.cc b/AMDiS/src/Global.cc
index 34eae6a38305a92af5833e9e1f133f7c49f17c69..c18e9013b9dc4519910a21ae317ccc7846190a32 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Global.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Global.cc
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 
 #include "Global.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Element.h"
 #include "Line.h"
 #include "Triangle.h"
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ namespace AMDiS {
 
     // get dimension
     TEST_EXIT(Parameters::initialized())("Parameters not initialized!\n");
-    Parameters::getGlobalParameter(0, "dimension of world","%d",&d);
+    Parameters::get("dimension of world",d,0);
     TEST_EXIT(d > 0)("Cannot initialize dimension!\n");
     TEST_EXIT((d == 1) || (d == 2) || (d == 3))("Invalid world dimension %d!\n",d);
 
@@ -304,8 +304,7 @@ namespace AMDiS {
     }
 
     // set msgWait
-    Parameters::getGlobalParameter(0, "WAIT", "%d", &d);  
-    Msg::setMsgWait(!(d == 0));
+    Msg::setMsgWait(!(Parameters::getMsgWait() == 0));
   }
 
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Initfile.h b/AMDiS/src/Initfile.h
index 70b30b1a900c3fbdde7c2a1e17fea45d8abb5464..71c80a1a3f94356cf50a8e0b74c6d829ab884667 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Initfile.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Initfile.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/trim.hpp>
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
+#include <boost/type_traits.hpp>
 
 
 namespace AMDiS {
@@ -118,15 +119,32 @@ namespace AMDiS {
 	}
 
 	/// convert string to intrinsic type
-	template< typename T >
-	inline void convert(const std::string valStr, T& value) {
+	template< typename T >	
+	inline void convert(const std::string valStr, T& value , 
+	        typename boost::enable_if< boost::is_pod< T > >::type* p = NULL , 
+	        typename boost::disable_if< boost::is_enum< T > >::type* p2 = NULL ) {
 		using boost::lexical_cast;
+
 		try {
 			value = lexical_cast< T >(trim(valStr));
 		}catch(boost::bad_lexical_cast e) {
 			throw WrongValueFormat< T >(valStr);
 		}
 	}
+
+	template< typename T >
+	inline void convert(const std::string valStr, T& value, 
+	        typename boost::enable_if< boost::is_enum< T > >::type* p = NULL) {
+
+		unsigned int swap= 0;
+		try {
+			swap = boost::lexical_cast< unsigned int >(trim(valStr));
+		}catch(boost::bad_lexical_cast e) {
+			throw WrongValueFormat< T >(valStr);
+		}
+		value = static_cast< T >(swap);
+	}
+
 	/// convert string to WorldVector
 	template< typename T >
 	inline void convert(const std::string valStr, WorldVector<T>& c) {
@@ -378,5 +396,7 @@ protected:
 	
 };
 
+typedef Initfile Parameters;
+
 } // end namespace AMDiS
 #endif
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Mesh.cc b/AMDiS/src/Mesh.cc
index b54f9ea28315606b82aa0d20ae3a6305ea7ace6f..0b15134351fb767ad239b64581073b23267a79c6 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Mesh.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Mesh.cc
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include "MacroElement.h"
 #include "Mesh.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "FixVec.h"
 #include "DOFVector.h"
 #include "CoarseningManager.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/OEMSolver.h b/AMDiS/src/OEMSolver.h
index ef7fb8950a7ce79e82e8fdf854146ceccf300092..8d30802b570ff1c0f266ee6f1cac9bac6e529eb3 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/OEMSolver.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/OEMSolver.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 #include "Global.h"
 #include "AMDiS_fwd.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "SolverMatrix.h"
 #include "DOFVector.h"
 #include "SystemVector.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/ProblemStat.h b/AMDiS/src/ProblemStat.h
index 1f579610de175deeb529fc240fffa0aea781759e..6e870973311e641670b9b9d24e0aeffef2a543ec 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/ProblemStat.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/ProblemStat.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <list>
 #include "AMDiS_fwd.h"
 #include "ProblemStatBase.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Boundary.h"
 #include "MatrixVector.h"
 #include "StandardProblemIteration.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/RecoveryEstimator.cc b/AMDiS/src/RecoveryEstimator.cc
index 61445bcb917bab17653c630f611a3a6050485914..7fd9b63f3cb42ef55b872e13f341ef3224f50e80 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/RecoveryEstimator.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/RecoveryEstimator.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 
 #include "RecoveryEstimator.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/ResidualEstimator.cc b/AMDiS/src/ResidualEstimator.cc
index e8a06efea38ba28bceeac93ae81294eb62846325..703b22aef4b9603e8d2a62ad84435903aea22112 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/ResidualEstimator.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/ResidualEstimator.cc
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include "DOFVector.h"
 #include "Assembler.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_PARALLEL_DOMAIN_AMDIS
 #include <mpi.h>
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/Serializer.h b/AMDiS/src/Serializer.h
index 4862dd407ab7d92d4d7cd380c0226ed25455d97f..aac826f297574654a36096f9464fb932459d81e2 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/Serializer.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/Serializer.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 #include "Global.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "AdaptInfo.h"
 #include "io/FileWriter.h"
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/SolutionDataStorage.h b/AMDiS/src/SolutionDataStorage.h
index b0ed65641759d3e45068d02cb66f5cb27f821348..65d90622614de9839e00abd7fc33bf0a52ed66d0 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/SolutionDataStorage.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/SolutionDataStorage.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include <map>
 #include "DOFVector.h"
 #include "SystemVector.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/CompositeFEMMethods.cc b/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/CompositeFEMMethods.cc
index 4c92d9286dc5ac4a48675293e21fdc58654e93d3..a6df47aa38489034dcc3d6d0df88b1e9a22ee534 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/CompositeFEMMethods.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/CompositeFEMMethods.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include "FiniteElemSpace.h"
 #include "Global.h"
 #include "Mesh.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
 
 #include "CompositeFEMMethods.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/ElementLevelSet.h b/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/ElementLevelSet.h
index b293803dacc1c1fd5b02d1b7fc583003c1874621..4fd0fa78d4e2d8478aa90f0ffbe60ed1ac0af2fa 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/ElementLevelSet.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/compositeFEM/ElementLevelSet.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "ElementFunction.h"
 #include "FixVec.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 namespace AMDiS {
   class Element;
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/io/ElementFileWriter.cc b/AMDiS/src/io/ElementFileWriter.cc
index dfbfc0490741ec59dcdc70b8aec5d16c58b313ac..b8f202702ce7c2e37745991192fd93cdd9019f9d 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/io/ElementFileWriter.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/io/ElementFileWriter.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #include "ElementFileWriter.h"
 #include "BasisFunction.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "Traverse.h"
 #include "AdaptInfo.h"
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/io/FileWriter.cc b/AMDiS/src/io/FileWriter.cc
index d75be90098d26303151ec46207f32e2f88bdf684..2b1feedcb638dd852008e018474042ff63f4af56 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/io/FileWriter.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/io/FileWriter.cc
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #include "boost/lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "FileWriter.h"
 #include "SystemVector.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "ValueWriter.h"
 #include "MacroWriter.h"
 #include "VtkWriter.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/io/MacroReader.cc b/AMDiS/src/io/MacroReader.cc
index 484c64671ec1d51e39e7740798f6e22076781a6d..80343b35c1cb711ba8ed770b1ebf3c3edd924f9d 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/io/MacroReader.cc
+++ b/AMDiS/src/io/MacroReader.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #include "FixVec.h"
 #include "PeriodicMap.h"
 #include "ElInfo.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "DOFIterator.h"
 #include "LeafData.h"
 #include "VertexVector.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/parallel/PetscSolver.h b/AMDiS/src/parallel/PetscSolver.h
index d5f344f09c707780e2b3cca373526bfa8eb0d389..a0d28124b0ddcb09743b9c648b09e191224b8523 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/parallel/PetscSolver.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/parallel/PetscSolver.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 #include "AMDiS_fwd.h"
 #include "Global.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "DOFMatrix.h"
 #include "parallel/MeshDistributor.h"
 
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/reinit/ElementLevelSet.h b/AMDiS/src/reinit/ElementLevelSet.h
index d2169d5333ae10ae400bb1a575cbe28b141a681c..0a45ca5cc3c8d72e54ce7a29555ba80003cb1f05 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/reinit/ElementLevelSet.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/reinit/ElementLevelSet.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #include "AMDiS_fwd.h"
 #include "ElementFunction.h"
 #include "FixVec.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 using namespace AMDiS;
 using namespace std;
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/reinit/HL_SignedDist.h b/AMDiS/src/reinit/HL_SignedDist.h
index 04b4fbbec5423de06804d879f597183c4c2c46d9..014c1db926fff89b32ce373c84278fece9c35359 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/reinit/HL_SignedDist.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/reinit/HL_SignedDist.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include "io/FileWriter.h"
 #include "FixVec.h"
 #include "Flag.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 #include "ElementLevelSet.h"
 #include "BoundaryElementDist.h"
 #include "BoundaryElementLevelSetDist.h"
diff --git a/AMDiS/src/reinit/NormEps.h b/AMDiS/src/reinit/NormEps.h
index 392b74e2ad3b8692cef21b2cbc6d97aee98aad13..dd03fbd575c433a5cda1a44f994f402d4c832086 100644
--- a/AMDiS/src/reinit/NormEps.h
+++ b/AMDiS/src/reinit/NormEps.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  
 #include "FixVec.h"
 #include "Global.h"
-#include "Parameters.h"
+#include "Initfile.h"
 
 using namespace AMDiS;