diff --git a/dumux/io/CMakeLists.txt b/dumux/io/CMakeLists.txt
index 64e7dd84f325c880f3452c372b213e0babd218c6..4ca95d94126e6b3e9cb17cee801319aeb33818ca 100644
--- a/dumux/io/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/dumux/io/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
install(FILES
adaptivegridrestart.hh
artgridcreator.hh
+container.hh
cpgridcreator.hh
gnuplotinterface.hh
gridcreator.hh
diff --git a/dumux/io/container.hh b/dumux/io/container.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5f81750cd6caa4996423c5d74348dc1bb0875298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dumux/io/container.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// -*- mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*-
+// vi: set et ts=4 sw=4 sts=4:
+/*****************************************************************************
+ * See the file COPYING for full copying permissions. *
+ * *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify *
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by *
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or *
+ * (at your option) any later version. *
+ * *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, *
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of *
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the *
+ * GNU General Public License for more details. *
+ * *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License *
+ * along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+/*!
+ * \file
+ * \brief Free functions to write and read a sequence container to and from a file
+ * \note Reading should work for all sequence containers providing begin, end, and push_back
+ * (e.g. std::vector, std::deque, std::list), so not for e.g. std::array.
+ * Writing only needs begin and end member functions returning iterators.
+ */
+#ifndef DUMUX_IO_CONTAINER_HH
+#define DUMUX_IO_CONTAINER_HH
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+
+namespace Dumux {
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Writes a container to file
+ * \param v The container, requires being() and end() method
+ * \param filename The filename to write to
+ *
+ * \usage std::vector<double>(5, 0.0) v; writeContainerToFile(v, "myvector.txt");
+ */
+template<typename Container>
+void writeContainerToFile(const Container& v,
+ const std::string& filename)
+{
+ std::ofstream outfile(filename, std::ios::out);
+ std::ostream_iterator<typename Container::value_type> it(outfile, "\n");
+ std::copy(v.begin(),v.end(), it);
+}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Read a simple text file into a container
+ * \param filename The filename to write to
+ * \tparam Container The container type, requires being(), end(), push_back() method
+ *
+ * \usage auto v = readFileToContainer<std::vector<double>>("myvector.txt");
+ */
+template<typename Container>
+Container readFileToContainer(const std::string& filename)
+{
+ Container v;
+ std::ifstream infile(filename, std::ios::in);
+ std::istream_iterator<typename Container::value_type> it(infile);
+ std::copy(it, std::istream_iterator<typename Container::value_type>(), std::back_inserter(v));
+ return v;
+}
+
+} // end namespace Dumux
+
+#endif
diff --git a/test/io/CMakeLists.txt b/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
index 8194b9046a686c925e75a3bea16791219896195c..ad790477b5a6a8d445b5ef4a345ccdf8c84a1ac6 100644
--- a/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
add_subdirectory("gnuplotinterface")
-add_subdirectory("gridcreator")
\ No newline at end of file
+add_subdirectory("gridcreator")
+add_subdirectory("container")
diff --git a/test/io/container/CMakeLists.txt b/test/io/container/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..fd7a6fde772ad55a612522e5721a6f4e3eb8c372
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/io/container/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+add_dumux_test(test_container_io test_container_io test_container_io.cc
+ ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/test_container_io)
+
+#install sources
+install(FILES
+test_container_io.cc
+DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/dumux/test/io/container)
diff --git a/test/io/container/test_container_io.cc b/test/io/container/test_container_io.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c5814c3f3e032b77ce3e6d56c9492de5a3b85c45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/io/container/test_container_io.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+// -*- mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*-
+// vi: set et ts=4 sw=4 sts=4:
+/*****************************************************************************
+ * See the file COPYING for full copying permissions. *
+ * *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify *
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by *
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or *
+ * (at your option) any later version. *
+ * *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, *
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of *
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the *
+ * GNU General Public License for more details. *
+ * *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License *
+ * along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+/*!
+ * \file
+ * \brief Test writing and reading sequence container to and from file
+ */
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
+#include <list>
+#include <deque>
+#include <array>
+#include <initializer_list>
+
+#include <dune/common/float_cmp.hh>
+#include <dune/common/fvector.hh>
+#include <dune/istl/bvector.hh>
+
+#include <dumux/io/container.hh>
+
+namespace Dumux {
+
+template<typename T>
+bool testContainerIO(const T& c0)
+{
+ writeContainerToFile(c0, "container.txt");
+ auto c1 = readFileToContainer<T>("container.txt");
+ return std::equal(c0.begin(), c0.end(), c1.begin());
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+bool testContainerIO(const std::initializer_list<typename T::value_type>& init)
+{
+ T c0(init);
+ writeContainerToFile(c0, "container.txt");
+ auto c1 = readFileToContainer<T>("container.txt");
+ return std::equal(c0.begin(), c0.end(), c1.begin());
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+bool testContainerWriter(const T& c0)
+{
+ writeContainerToFile(c0, "container.txt");
+ auto c1 = readFileToContainer<std::vector<std::decay_t<decltype(*c0.begin())>>>("container.txt");
+ return std::equal(c0.begin(), c0.end(), c1.begin());
+}
+
+} // end namespace Dumux
+
+////////////////////////
+// the main function
+////////////////////////
+int main()
+{
+ bool passed = true;
+
+ // we can read and write into
+ // std::vector, std::list, std::deque
+ // we can even read and write containers of FieldVectors (very convenient!)
+ auto doublei = {5.3, 6.1, 7.2, 5.66, 2.89, 8.123};
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::vector<double>>(doublei);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::list<double>>(doublei);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::deque<double>>(doublei);
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ auto inti = {5, 6, 7, 5, 2, 8};
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::vector<int>>(inti);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::list<int>>(inti);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::deque<int>>(inti);
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ std::initializer_list<std::string> stringi = {"5", "6", "7", "5", "2", "8"};
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::vector<std::string>>(stringi);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::list<std::string>>(stringi);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::deque<std::string>>(stringi);
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ auto fvector2i = {Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>(0.0), Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>(1.0), Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>(2.0)};
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::vector<Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>>>(fvector2i);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::list<Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>>>(fvector2i);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::deque<Dune::FieldVector<double, 2>>>(fvector2i);
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ auto fvector3i = {Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>(0.0), Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>(1.0), Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>(2.0)};
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::vector<Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>>>(fvector3i);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::list<Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>>>(fvector3i);
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerIO<std::deque<Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>>>(fvector3i);
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ // we can write also std::arrays (all container providing begin and end)
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerWriter<std::array<double, 2>>(std::array<double, 2>{1.0, 2.0});
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerWriter<std::array<int, 2>>(std::array<int, 2>{1, 2});
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerWriter<std::array<std::string, 2>>(std::array<std::string, 2>{"1.0", "2.0"});
+ passed = passed && Dumux::testContainerWriter<std::array<Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>, 2>>(
+ std::array<Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>, 2>{Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>(0.0), Dune::FieldVector<double, 3>(1.0)});
+ if (!passed) return 1;
+
+ return 0;
+}