diff --git a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
index 3b6f2bb9c..0868fda5c 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
@@ -391,6 +391,49 @@ namespace diff{
   
   
   
+  /**
+   * wrapped record reference.
+   * A helper for lib::GenNode and the diff representation.
+   * RecordRef is copyable and assignable, but like a reference
+   * can not be rebound. It can be used to refer to a subtree
+   * within the diff representation, without the need to copy.
+   */
+  template<typename VAL>
+  class RecordRef
+    {
+      using Target = Record<VAL>;
+      
+      Target* record_;
+
+    public:
+      RecordRef(Target& o)  noexcept
+        : record_(&o)
+        { }
+      
+      RecordRef(Target&&) = delete;
+      
+      // standard copy operations acceptable
+      
+      
+      operator Target&()  const
+        {
+          if (!record_)
+            throw error::Logic("attempt to dereference an unbound record reference"
+                              ,error::LUMIERA_ERROR_BOTTOM_VALUE);
+          return *record_;
+        }
+      
+      Target*
+      get()  const noexcept
+        {
+          return record_;
+        }
+    };
+  
+  
+  
+  
+  
   /* === Specialisations to define the handling of attributes === */
   
   template<>
diff --git a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
index 13f0da01f..c20488515 100644
--- a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace test{
   
 //  using lumiera::error::LUMIERA_ERROR_LOGIC;
   using lumiera::error::LUMIERA_ERROR_INVALID;
+  using lumiera::error::LUMIERA_ERROR_BOTTOM_VALUE;
   
   namespace {//Test fixture....
     
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ namespace test{
           verifyMutations();
           copy_and_move();
           equality();
+          wrapRef();
         }
       
       
@@ -294,6 +296,37 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK (Seq({"type=u", "a=α", "a=β", "⟂", "a"}) == contents(a));
           CHECK (Seq({"type=u", "a=1", "a"}) == contents(aa));
         }
+      
+      
+      void
+      wrapRef()
+        {
+          RecS oo({"type = 🌰", "☿ = mercury", "♀ = venus", "♁ = earth", "♂ = mars", "♃ = jupiter", "♄ = saturn"});
+          
+          RecordRef<string> empty;
+          CHECK (bool(empty) == false);
+          CHECK (nullptr == empty.get());
+          VERIFY_ERROR (BOTTOM_VALUE, RecS& (empty));
+          
+          RecordRef<string> ref(oo);
+          CHECK (ref);
+          CHECK (ref.get() == &oo);
+          
+          RecS& oor = ref;
+          CHECK ("🌰" == oor.getType());
+          CHECK (oor.get("♄") == "saturn");
+          
+          // are copyable and assignable
+          RecordRef<string> r2 = ref;
+          CHECK (r2);
+          CHECK (r2.get() == ref.get());
+          CHECK (!isSameObject (r2, ref));
+          
+          empty = std::move(r2);
+          CHECK (empty);
+          CHECK (!r2);
+          CHECK (nullptr == r2.get());
+        }
     };
   
   
diff --git a/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm b/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
index 7073b3232..671867b0f 100644
--- a/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
+++ b/wiki/thinkPad.ichthyo.mm
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@
 <node CREATED="1434205947841" ID="ID_871233558" MODIFIED="1434205955964" TEXT="oder NULL-Zustand mit Exception"/>
 <node CREATED="1434205957177" ID="ID_499991180" MODIFIED="1434205968740" TEXT="inherente Unsicherheit einer Referenz"/>
 </node>
-<node CREATED="1434129167805" ID="ID_819452470" MODIFIED="1434129251779" TEXT="stand-in">
-<arrowlink COLOR="#00ff33" DESTINATION="ID_654762061" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="457;0;" ID="Arrow_ID_724106052" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="457;0;"/>
+<node CREATED="1434129167805" ID="ID_819452470" MODIFIED="1434239007746" TEXT="stand-in">
+<arrowlink COLOR="#00ff33" DESTINATION="ID_654762061" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="-390;37;" ID="Arrow_ID_724106052" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="-48;187;"/>
 <icon BUILTIN="help"/>
-<node CREATED="1434129196709" ID="ID_1004519740" MODIFIED="1434150973939" TEXT="Subklasse von Rec">
+<node CREATED="1434129196709" ID="ID_1004519740" MODIFIED="1434238947122" TEXT="Subklasse von Rec">
 <richcontent TYPE="NOTE"><html>
   <head>
     
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
 </richcontent>
 <icon BUILTIN="button_cancel"/>
 </node>
-<node CREATED="1434129204149" ID="ID_1688475597" MODIFIED="1434129212537" TEXT="GenNode">
+<node CREATED="1434129204149" ID="ID_1688475597" MODIFIED="1434236628128" TEXT="GenNode">
+<linktarget COLOR="#66ff66" DESTINATION="ID_1688475597" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="219;91;" ID="Arrow_ID_57985873" SOURCE="ID_60404225" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="23;-52;"/>
 <node CREATED="1434205661969" ID="ID_1484374626" MODIFIED="1434205705054">
 <richcontent TYPE="NODE"><html>
   <head>
@@ -73,8 +74,7 @@
       <font size="1">-- im DataCap</font>
     </p>
   </body>
-</html>
-</richcontent>
+</html></richcontent>
 </node>
 <node BACKGROUND_COLOR="#ffcccc" COLOR="#990033" CREATED="1434205598709" ID="ID_235720343" MODIFIED="1434205652458" TEXT="stand-in hei&#xdf;t...">
 <icon BUILTIN="messagebox_warning"/>
@@ -111,9 +111,23 @@
 <node CREATED="1434128764893" ID="ID_1430586148" MODIFIED="1434128768689" TEXT="Gefahr von clashes"/>
 <node CREATED="1434128769325" ID="ID_866845827" MODIFIED="1434128777908" TEXT="entscheide">
 <icon BUILTIN="messagebox_warning"/>
-<node CREATED="1434128779661" ID="ID_1739097548" MODIFIED="1434128836241" TEXT="marker-ID + string-Payload"/>
-<node CREATED="1434128917125" ID="ID_392407967" MODIFIED="1434128927937" TEXT="&quot;fehlkonstruierte&quot; ID + pr&#xfc;f-Pr&#xe4;dikat"/>
-<node CREATED="1434128981381" ID="ID_101281763" MODIFIED="1434128988113" TEXT="spezielle Ref-Payload"/>
+<node CREATED="1434128779661" ID="ID_1739097548" MODIFIED="1434236311060" TEXT="marker-ID + string-Payload">
+<icon BUILTIN="button_cancel"/>
+</node>
+<node CREATED="1434128917125" ID="ID_392407967" MODIFIED="1434238970157" TEXT="&quot;fehlkonstruierte&quot; ID + pr&#xfc;f-Pr&#xe4;dikat"/>
+<node CREATED="1434128981381" ID="ID_101281763" MODIFIED="1434236527554" TEXT="spezielle Ref-Payload">
+<richcontent TYPE="NOTE"><html>
+  <head>
+    
+  </head>
+  <body>
+    <p>
+      m.E. die einzig saubere Desgin-Variante!
+    </p>
+  </body>
+</html>
+</richcontent>
+</node>
 </node>
 </node>
 <node CREATED="1434128446029" ID="ID_1779802587" MODIFIED="1434128654842" TEXT="hash-identisch">
@@ -156,10 +170,10 @@
     </p>
   </body>
 </html></richcontent>
-<node CREATED="1434128996949" ID="ID_654762061" MODIFIED="1434129237484" TEXT="k&#xf6;nnte zur Ref ausgebaut werden">
-<linktarget COLOR="#00ff33" DESTINATION="ID_654762061" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="457;0;" ID="Arrow_ID_724106052" SOURCE="ID_819452470" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="457;0;"/>
+<node CREATED="1434128996949" ID="ID_654762061" MODIFIED="1434239007746" TEXT="k&#xf6;nnte zur Ref ausgebaut werden">
+<linktarget COLOR="#00ff33" DESTINATION="ID_654762061" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="-390;37;" ID="Arrow_ID_724106052" SOURCE="ID_819452470" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="-48;187;"/>
 </node>
-<node CREATED="1434130839653" ID="ID_60404225" MODIFIED="1434130915643">
+<node CREATED="1434130839653" HGAP="22" ID="ID_60404225" MODIFIED="1434236628128" VSHIFT="8">
 <richcontent TYPE="NODE"><html>
   <head>
     
@@ -170,6 +184,7 @@
     </p>
   </body>
 </html></richcontent>
+<arrowlink COLOR="#66ff66" DESTINATION="ID_1688475597" ENDARROW="Default" ENDINCLINATION="219;91;" ID="Arrow_ID_57985873" STARTARROW="Default" STARTINCLINATION="23;-52;"/>
 <icon BUILTIN="idea"/>
 <node CREATED="1434130866693" ID="ID_1402852366" MODIFIED="1434130886826">
 <richcontent TYPE="NODE"><html>