diff --git a/Core/Code/IO/mitkImageWriter.cpp b/Core/Code/IO/mitkImageWriter.cpp
index 64602ea..a1eb3ac 100644
--- a/Core/Code/IO/mitkImageWriter.cpp
+++ b/Core/Code/IO/mitkImageWriter.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,9 @@ void mitk::ImageWriter::GenerateData()
   bool vti = (m_Extension.find(".vti") != std::string::npos);
 #endif
 
-  if ( m_Extension.find(".pic") == std::string::npos )
+  // If the extension is NOT .pic and NOT .nrrd the following block is entered
+  if ( m_Extension.find(".pic") == std::string::npos
+       && m_Extension.find(".nrrd") == std::string::npos)
   {
     if(input->GetDimension() > 3)
     {
@@ -196,6 +198,9 @@ void mitk::ImageWriter::GenerateData()
   }
   else
   {
+    // use the PicFileWriter for the .pic data type
+    if( m_Extension.find(".pic") != std::string::npos )
+    {
     PicFileWriter::Pointer picWriter = PicFileWriter::New();
     size_t found;
     found = m_FileName.find( m_Extension ); // !!! HAS to be at the very end of the filename (not somewhere in the middle)
@@ -212,6 +217,16 @@ void mitk::ImageWriter::GenerateData()
     }
     picWriter->SetInput( input );
     picWriter->Write();
+    }
+
+    // use the ITK .nrrd Image writer
+    if( m_Extension.find(".nrrd") != std::string::npos )
+    {
+        ::itk::OStringStream filename;
+        filename <<  this->m_FileName.c_str() << this->m_Extension;
+        WriteByITK(input, filename.str());
+    }
+
   }
   m_MimeType = "application/MITK.Pic";
 }