diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/BaseProperty.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/BaseProperty.hh
index 1e63d6d3..e4d552f1 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/BaseProperty.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/BaseProperty.hh
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ public: // I/O support
   /// persistency.
   virtual void set_persistent( bool _yn ) = 0;
 
+  ///returns a unique string for the type of the elements
+  virtual std::string get_storage_name() const = 0;
+
   /// Number of elements in property
   virtual size_t       n_elements() const = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
index 71e2f86f..dad06f61 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <OpenMesh/Core/Utils/typename.hh>
 
 
 //== NAMESPACES ===============================================================
@@ -207,6 +208,10 @@ public: // data access interface
     return p;
   }
 
+  std::string get_storage_name() const override
+  {
+    return get_string_for_type(T());
+  }
 
 private:
 
@@ -371,6 +376,11 @@ public:
     return p;
   }
 
+    std::string get_storage_name() const override
+    {
+      return get_string_for_type(bool());
+    }
+
 
 private:
 
@@ -457,6 +467,11 @@ public:
     PropertyT<value_type>* p = new PropertyT<value_type>( *this );
     return p;
   }
+
+  std::string get_storage_name() const override
+  {
+    return get_string_for_type(std::string());
+  }
 private:
 
   vector_type data_;