diff --git a/li.strolch.model/src/main/java/li/strolch/model/activity/Activity.java b/li.strolch.model/src/main/java/li/strolch/model/activity/Activity.java
index ca4b166ec..d536e9033 100644
--- a/li.strolch.model/src/main/java/li/strolch/model/activity/Activity.java
+++ b/li.strolch.model/src/main/java/li/strolch/model/activity/Activity.java
@@ -166,28 +166,89 @@ public class Activity extends AbstractStrolchRootElement
 	 *
 	 * @param activityElement
 	 * 		the element to add
-	 *
-	 * @return the element added
 	 */
-	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-	public <T extends IActivityElement> T addElement(IActivityElement activityElement) {
+	public void addElement(IActivityElement activityElement) {
+		assertCanAdd(activityElement);
+		activityElement.setParent(this);
+		this.elements.put(activityElement.getId(), activityElement);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * add an activity element to the {@code LinkedHashMap} of {@code IActivityElements} before the given element
+	 *
+	 * @param element
+	 * 		the element before which to add the other element
+	 * @param elementToAdd
+	 * 		the element to add
+	 */
+	public void addElementBefore(IActivityElement element, IActivityElement elementToAdd) {
+		assertCanAdd(elementToAdd);
+
+		Iterator<Entry<String, IActivityElement>> iterator = this.elements.entrySet().iterator();
+		LinkedHashMap<String, IActivityElement> elements = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+		boolean added = false;
+		while (iterator.hasNext()) {
+			Entry<String, IActivityElement> next = iterator.next();
+
+			if (!added && next.getValue().equals(element)) {
+				elements.put(elementToAdd.getId(), elementToAdd);
+				elements.put(next.getKey(), next.getValue());
+				added = true;
+			}
+
+			elements.put(next.getKey(), next.getValue());
+		}
+		if (!added)
+			throw new IllegalStateException("Element " + element.getId() + " was not found, couldn't add before!");
+
+		elementToAdd.setParent(this);
+		this.elements = elements;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * add an activity element to the {@code LinkedHashMap} of {@code IActivityElements} after the given element
+	 *
+	 * @param element
+	 * 		the element before which to add the other element
+	 * @param elementToAdd
+	 * 		the element to add
+	 */
+	public void addElementAfter(IActivityElement element, IActivityElement elementToAdd) {
+		assertCanAdd(elementToAdd);
+
+		Iterator<Entry<String, IActivityElement>> iterator = this.elements.entrySet().iterator();
+		LinkedHashMap<String, IActivityElement> elements = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+		boolean added = false;
+		while (iterator.hasNext()) {
+			Entry<String, IActivityElement> next = iterator.next();
+			elements.put(next.getKey(), next.getValue());
+
+			if (!added && next.getValue().equals(element)) {
+				elements.put(elementToAdd.getId(), elementToAdd);
+				added = true;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!added)
+			throw new IllegalStateException("Element " + element.getId() + " was not found, couldn't add after!");
+
+		elementToAdd.setParent(this);
+		this.elements = elements;
+	}
+
+	private void assertCanAdd(IActivityElement elementToAdd) {
 		assertNotReadonly();
-		DBC.PRE.assertNotEquals("Can't add element to itself!", this, activityElement);
-		DBC.PRE.assertNull("Parent can't already be set!", activityElement.getParent());
+		DBC.PRE.assertNotEquals("Can't add element to itself!", this, elementToAdd);
+		DBC.PRE.assertNull("Parent can't already be set!", elementToAdd.getParent());
 
 		// TODO make sure we can't create a circular dependency
 
 		initElements();
-		String id = activityElement.getId();
+		String id = elementToAdd.getId();
 		if (id == null)
 			throw new StrolchException("Cannot add IActivityElement without id.");
-		else if (this.elements.containsKey(id))
+		if (this.elements.containsKey(id))
 			throw new StrolchException(
-					"Activiy " + getLocator() + " already contains an activity element with id = " + id);
-		else {
-			activityElement.setParent(this);
-			return (T) this.elements.put(activityElement.getId(), activityElement);
-		}
+					"Activity " + getLocator() + " already contains an activity element with id = " + id);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -701,7 +762,6 @@ public class Activity extends AbstractStrolchRootElement
 		return findParameter(BAG_RELATIONS, paramKey, assertExists);
 	}
 
-	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	@Override
 	public <U, T extends Parameter<U>> T findParameter(String bagKey, String paramKey) {
 
@@ -710,7 +770,7 @@ public class Activity extends AbstractStrolchRootElement
 			return parameter;
 
 		if (this.parent != null)
-			return (T) this.parent.findParameter(bagKey, paramKey);
+			return this.parent.findParameter(bagKey, paramKey);
 
 		return null;
 	}
diff --git a/li.strolch.model/src/test/java/li/strolch/model/activity/ActivityTest.java b/li.strolch.model/src/test/java/li/strolch/model/activity/ActivityTest.java
index c37d5d186..649d811c0 100644
--- a/li.strolch.model/src/test/java/li/strolch/model/activity/ActivityTest.java
+++ b/li.strolch.model/src/test/java/li/strolch/model/activity/ActivityTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2016 Robert von Burg <eitch@eitchnet.ch>
- * 
+ *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
  * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * 
+ *
  *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- * 
+ *
  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory;
 import javax.xml.transform.dom.DOMSource;
 import javax.xml.transform.stream.StreamResult;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import li.strolch.exception.StrolchException;
@@ -248,6 +250,48 @@ public class ActivityTest {
 		assertFalse(nextElement.isPresent());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testAddAfter() {
+		Activity a = new Activity("bla", "Bla", "Bla", TimeOrdering.SERIES);
+
+		Action a0 = new Action("a0", "A0", "Wait");
+		a.addElement(a0);
+		Action a1 = new Action("a1", "A1", "Consume");
+		a.addElement(a1);
+		Action a2 = new Action("a2", "A2", "Consume");
+		a.addElement(a2);
+
+		Action a3 = new Action("a3", "A3", "Produce");
+		a.addElementAfter(a0, a3);
+
+		Iterator<Map.Entry<String, IActivityElement>> iter = a.elementIterator();
+		assertEquals(a0, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a3, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a1, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a2, iter.next().getValue());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testAddBefore() {
+		Activity a = new Activity("bla", "Bla", "Bla", TimeOrdering.SERIES);
+
+		Action a0 = new Action("a0", "A0", "Wait");
+		a.addElement(a0);
+		Action a1 = new Action("a1", "A1", "Consume");
+		a.addElement(a1);
+		Action a2 = new Action("a2", "A2", "Consume");
+		a.addElement(a2);
+
+		Action a3 = new Action("a3", "A3", "Produce");
+		a.addElementBefore(a1, a3);
+
+		Iterator<Map.Entry<String, IActivityElement>> iter = a.elementIterator();
+		assertEquals(a0, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a3, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a1, iter.next().getValue());
+		assertEquals(a2, iter.next().getValue());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testActionsWithState() {