diff --git a/Core/Code/CMakeLists.txt b/Core/Code/CMakeLists.txt
index 134a3418c1..7bffd38c3c 100644
--- a/Core/Code/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Core/Code/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,40 +1,52 @@
 FIND_PACKAGE(OpenGL)
 IF(NOT OPENGL_FOUND)
   MESSAGE("GL is required for MITK rendering")
 ENDIF(NOT OPENGL_FOUND )
 
 SET(TOOL_CPPS "")
 
 MITK_CREATE_MODULE( Mitk
   INCLUDE_DIRS Algorithms DataManagement Controllers Interactions IO Rendering ${MITK_BINARY_DIR}
   INTERNAL_INCLUDE_DIRS ${OPENGL_INCLUDE_DIR} ${IPSEGMENTATION_INCLUDE_DIR} ${ANN_INCLUDE_DIR}
   PROVIDES mitkCore
   DEPENDS mitkIpFunc mbilog tinyxml 
   DEPENDS_INTERNAL IIL4MITK pic2vtk
   PACKAGE_DEPENDS ITK VTK
 )
 
 # this is needed for libraries which link to mitkCore and need
 # symbols from explicitly instantiated templates like
 # mitk::SurfaceVtkWriter<vtkSTLWriter> which is referenced in
 # QmitkCommonFunctionality in the QmitkExt library.
 IF(MINGW)
   GET_TARGET_PROPERTY(_mitkCore_MINGW_linkflags mitkCore LINK_FLAGS)
   IF(NOT _mitkCore_MINGW_linkflags)
     SET(_mitkCore_MINGW_linkflags "")
   ENDIF(NOT _mitkCore_MINGW_linkflags)
   SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(mitkCore PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "${_mitkCore_MINGW_linkflags} -Wl,--export-all-symbols")
 ENDIF(MINGW)
 
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(mitkCore ${LIBRARIES_FOR_${KITNAME}_CORE}  ${IPFUNC_LIBRARY} ipSegmentation ann)
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(mitkCore ${OPENGL_LIBRARIES} )
 
 IF(MSVC_IDE OR MSVC_VERSION OR MINGW)
   TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(mitkCore psapi.lib)
 ENDIF(MSVC_IDE OR MSVC_VERSION OR MINGW)
 
+
+# verify ITK has been built with GDCM > 2.0.14
+set(GDCM_FULL_VERSION "${GDCM_MAJOR_VERSION}.${GDCM_MINOR_VERSION}.${GDCM_BUILD_VERSION}")
+set(MITK_REQUIRED_GDCM_VERSION "2.0.14")
+if(GDCM_FULL_VERSION VERSION_LESS MITK_REQUIRED_GDCM_VERSION)
+  message(SEND_ERROR "mitkCore: MITK requires ITK with at least GDCM version ${MITK_REQUIRED_GDCM_VERSION}.\nFound version ${GDCM_FULL_VERSION} (GDCM NOT found if you don't see a version here)")
+else(GDCM_FULL_VERSION VERSION_LESS MITK_REQUIRED_GDCM_VERSION)
+  message(STATUS "mitkCore: Found GDCM version ${GDCM_FULL_VERSION}")
+endif(GDCM_FULL_VERSION VERSION_LESS MITK_REQUIRED_GDCM_VERSION)
+
+
+# build tests?
 OPTION(BUILD_TESTING "Build the MITK Core tests." ON)
 IF(BUILD_TESTING)
 ENABLE_TESTING()
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(Testing)
 ENDIF(BUILD_TESTING)