diff --git a/common/configparser.cc b/common/configparser.cc
index ece3ef9b49adc59e66a420f574020932e9c7ba73..9b885c2cb53317e1526e00ba92fd405013e0c76c 100644
--- a/common/configparser.cc
+++ b/common/configparser.cc
@@ -229,6 +229,48 @@ bool ConfigParser::get(const string& key, bool defaultValue)
   return (atoi(ret.c_str()) !=0 );
 }
 
+// This namespace here is needed to make the code compile...
+namespace Dune {
+
+  template<>
+  string ConfigParser::get<string>(const string& key)
+  {
+    if (hasKey(key))
+      return (*this)[key];
+
+    DUNE_THROW(RangeError, "Key '" << key << "' not found in parameter file!");
+  }
+
+  template<>
+  int ConfigParser::get<int>(const string& key)
+  {
+    if (hasKey(key))
+      return std::atoi((*this)[key].c_str());
+
+    DUNE_THROW(RangeError, "Key '" << key << "' not found in parameter file!");
+  }
+
+  template<>
+  double ConfigParser::get<double>(const string& key)
+  {
+    if (hasKey(key))
+      return std::atof((*this)[key].c_str());
+
+    DUNE_THROW(RangeError, "Key '" << key << "' not found in parameter file!");
+  }
+
+  template<>
+  bool ConfigParser::get<bool>(const string& key)
+  {
+    if (hasKey(key))
+      return (std::atoi((*this)[key].c_str()) !=0 );
+
+    DUNE_THROW(RangeError, "Key '" << key << "' not found in parameter file!");
+  }
+
+
+}  // end namespace Dune
+
 string ConfigParser::trim(string s)
 {
   int i = 0;
diff --git a/common/configparser.hh b/common/configparser.hh
index 092b7e47860fa06151900c7f9ac936a05c043234..c1736b6c91ee59a7622baafaa13bfd91990d9ffc 100644
--- a/common/configparser.hh
+++ b/common/configparser.hh
@@ -183,6 +183,16 @@ namespace Dune {
      */
     bool get(const std::string& key, bool defaultValue);
 
+    /** \brief Get value
+     *
+     * \param T Type of the value
+     * \param key Key name
+     * \throws RangeError if key does not exist
+     * \throws NotImplemented Type is not supported
+     * \return value as T
+     */
+    template <class T>
+    T get(const std::string& key);
 
     /** \brief get value keys
      *