diff --git a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ElementMap.java b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ElementMap.java
index d49a909cc..3d89779f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ElementMap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ElementMap.java
@@ -38,6 +38,25 @@ public interface ElementMap<T extends StrolchElement> {
 
 	public long querySize(StrolchTransaction tx, String type);
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the element with the type "Template" and the id = type
+	 * 
+	 * @param tx
+	 *            the open {@link StrolchTransaction}
+	 * @param type
+	 *            The template id to return
+	 * @return the template, or null if it does not exist
+	 */
+	public T getTemplate(StrolchTransaction tx, String type);
+
+	/**
+	 * 
+	 * 
+	 * @param tx
+	 * @param type
+	 * @param id
+	 * @return
+	 */
 	public T getBy(StrolchTransaction tx, String type, String id);
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/CachedElementMap.java b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/CachedElementMap.java
index fee93197b..de7b43ec2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/CachedElementMap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/CachedElementMap.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import li.strolch.model.StrolchElement;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchDao;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchPersistenceException;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchTransaction;
+import li.strolch.runtime.StrolchConstants;
 import ch.eitchnet.utils.dbc.DBC;
 
 /**
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ public abstract class CachedElementMap<T extends StrolchElement> implements Elem
 		return getKeysBy(tx, type).size();
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public T getTemplate(StrolchTransaction tx, String type) {
+		return getBy(tx, StrolchConstants.TEMPLATE, type);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public T getBy(StrolchTransaction tx, String type, String id) {
 		Map<String, T> byType = this.elementMap.get(type);
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/TransactionalElementMap.java b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/TransactionalElementMap.java
index 13a412eda..745fffd07 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/TransactionalElementMap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/TransactionalElementMap.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import li.strolch.agent.api.ElementMap;
 import li.strolch.model.StrolchElement;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchDao;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchTransaction;
+import li.strolch.runtime.StrolchConstants;
 
 /**
  * @author Robert von Burg <eitch@eitchnet.ch>
@@ -38,6 +39,11 @@ public abstract class TransactionalElementMap<T extends StrolchElement> implemen
 		return getDao(tx).querySize(type);
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public T getTemplate(StrolchTransaction tx, String type) {
+		return getBy(tx, StrolchConstants.TEMPLATE, type);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public T getBy(StrolchTransaction tx, String type, String id) {
 		return getDao(tx).queryBy(type, id);
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java b/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
index 1e7f4bf4d..6d114a5a2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ public class StrolchConstants {
 	public static final String DEFAULT_XML_VERSION = "1.0"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	public static final String DEFAULT_ENCODING = "utf-8"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
+	public static final String TEMPLATE = "Template";
+
 	/**
 	 * This interpretation value indicates that the value of the {@link Parameter} should be understood as a reference
 	 * to a {@link Resource}