diff --git a/config/t8_vtk.m4 b/config/t8_vtk.m4
index c830e9528d..e3abb32506 100644
--- a/config/t8_vtk.m4
+++ b/config/t8_vtk.m4
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ T8_ARG_WITH([vtk],
 
     T8_VTK_LIBS="-lvtkIOXML-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkCommonExecutionModel-$t8_vtk_version \
 -lvtkCommonDataModel-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkIOXMLParser-$t8_vtk_version \
--lvtkIOParallelXML-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkParallelMPI-$t8_vtk_version \
--lvtkCommonCore-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkzlib-$t8_vtk_version -lvtksys-$t8_vtk_version"
+-lvtkIOParallelXML-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkParallelMPI-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkIOPLY-$t8_vtk_version \
+-lvtkCommonCore-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkzlib-$t8_vtk_version -lvtksys-$t8_vtk_version \
+-lvtkIOGeometry-$t8_vtk_version -lvtkIOMovie-$t8_vtk_version"
     if test "x$T8_WITH_VTK" != xyes ; then
       T8_VTK_LIBS="$T8_WITH_VTK"
       dnl AC_MSG_ERROR([Please provide --with-vtk without arguments])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index a3141548e2..950f0f7ba6 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ libt8_internal_headers = \
   src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_types.h src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_partition.h \
   src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_refine.h src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_copy.h \
   src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_offset.h \
+  src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.hxx \
   src/t8_forest/t8_forest_cxx.h  \
   src/t8_forest/t8_forest_ghost.h \
   src/t8_forest/t8_forest_balance.h src/t8_forest/t8_forest_types.h \
@@ -117,7 +118,8 @@ libt8_compiled_sources = \
   src/t8_forest/t8_forest_netcdf.cxx \
   src/t8_element_shape.c \
   src/t8_netcdf.c \
-  src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_testcases.c  \
+  src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_testcases.c \
+  src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.cxx \
   src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_unstructured.cxx
 
 
diff --git a/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.cxx b/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9363d3f653
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*
+This file is part of t8code.
+t8code is a C library to manage a collection (a forest) of multiple
+connected adaptive space-trees of general element classes in parallel.
+
+Copyright (C) 2015 the developers
+
+t8code 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.
+
+t8code 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 t8code; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+*/
+
+#include <t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.hxx>
+#if T8_WITH_VTK
+#include <vtkPolyData.h>
+#include <vtkBYUReader.h>
+#include <vtkOBJReader.h>
+#include <vtkPLYReader.h>
+#include <vtkPolyDataReader.h>
+#include <vtkSTLReader.h>
+#include <vtkXMLPolyDataReader.h>
+
+int
+t8_read_poly (const char *filename, vtkSmartPointer < vtkPolyData > grid)
+{
+  char                tmp[BUFSIZ];
+  char               *extension;
+  /* Get the file-extension to decide which reader to use. */
+  strcpy (tmp, filename);
+  extension = strrchr (tmp, '.') + 1;
+  T8_ASSERT (strcmp (extension, ""));
+
+  /* Check if we can open the file. */
+  FILE               *first_check;
+  first_check = fopen (filename, "r");
+  if (first_check == NULL) {
+    t8_errorf ("Can not find the file %s\n", filename);
+    fclose (first_check);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  fclose (first_check);
+
+  /* Read the file depending on the extension. Not all readers have
+   * a built-in check if the file is readable. */
+  if (strcmp (extension, "ply") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkPLYReader > reader;
+    reader->SetFileName (filename);
+    reader->Update ();
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else if (strcmp (extension, "vtp") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkXMLPolyDataReader > reader;
+    reader->SetFileName (filename);
+    if (!reader->CanReadFile (filename)) {
+      t8_errorf ("Unable to read file %s.\n", filename);
+      return 1;
+    }
+    reader->Update ();
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else if (strcmp (extension, "obj") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkOBJReader > reader;
+    reader->SetFileName (filename);
+    reader->Update ();
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else if (strcmp (extension, "stl") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkSTLReader > reader;
+    reader->SetFileName (filename);
+    reader->Update ();
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else if (strcmp (extension, "vtk") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkPolyDataReader > reader;
+    reader->SetFileName (filename);
+    reader->Update ();
+    if (!reader->IsFilePolyData ()) {
+      t8_errorf
+        ("File-content is not polydata. If it is a vtkUnstructuredGrid use the unstructured Grid reader.");
+      return 1;
+    }
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else if (strcmp (extension, "g") == 0) {
+    vtkNew < vtkBYUReader > reader;
+    reader->SetGeometryFileName (filename);
+    reader->Update ();
+    grid->ShallowCopy (reader->GetOutput ());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  else {
+    /* Return NULL if the reader is not used correctly. */
+    t8_global_errorf
+      ("Please use .ply, .vtp, .obj, .stl, .vtk or .g file %s\n", filename);
+    return 1;
+  }
+}
+#endif /* T8_WITH_VTK */
diff --git a/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.hxx b/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.hxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3bb0824b6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_to_t8/t8_cmesh_vtk_polydata.hxx
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+This file is part of t8code.
+t8code is a C library to manage a collection (a forest) of multiple
+connected adaptive space-trees of general element classes in parallel.
+
+Copyright (C) 2015 the developers
+
+t8code 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.
+
+t8code 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 t8code; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+*/
+
+/**
+ * This file contains all helper functions to translate vtk-polydata. 
+ * 
+ */
+
+#ifndef T8_CMESH_VTK_POLYDATA
+#define T8_CMESH_VTK_POLYDATA
+
+#include <t8.h>
+#if T8_WITH_VTK
+#include <vtkPolyData.h>
+#include <vtkSmartPointer.h>
+#include <vtkCellData.h>
+#include <vtkDataSet.h>
+
+/**
+ * Given a filename to a file containing Polydata, read
+ * the file using the vtk-library. 
+ * 
+ * \param[in] filename  The name of the file
+ * \param[in, out] grid On input a vtkSmartPointer, that will hold the grid described in
+ *                      \a filename.
+ * \return              0 if the file was read successfully, non-zero otherwise.               
+ * 
+ */
+int                 t8_read_poly (const char *filename,
+                                  vtkSmartPointer < vtkPolyData > grid);
+
+#endif /* T8_WITH_VTK */
+
+#endif /* T8_CMESH_VTK_POLYDATA */