diff --git a/Core/Code/DataManagement/mitkImageDescriptor.cpp b/Core/Code/DataManagement/mitkImageDescriptor.cpp
index e46f832534..0cd62854d7 100644
--- a/Core/Code/DataManagement/mitkImageDescriptor.cpp
+++ b/Core/Code/DataManagement/mitkImageDescriptor.cpp
@@ -1,99 +1,105 @@
 #include "mitkImageDescriptor.h"
 
 mitk::ImageDescriptor::ImageDescriptor()
 {
+  //initialize the dimensions array
+  for(unsigned int i=0; i<MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSIONS; i++)
+  {
+    m_Dimensions[i] = 1;
+  }
+
   this->m_NumberOfChannels = 0;
 }
 
 // FIXME manage memory flag
 void mitk::ImageDescriptor::AddNewChannel(mitk::PixelType ptype, const char *name)
 {
   size_t elems = 1;
 
   for( unsigned int i=0; i<this->m_NumberOfDimensions; i++)
     elems *= this->m_Dimensions[i];
 
   mitk::ChannelDescriptor desc(ptype, elems);
 
   this->m_ChannelDesc.push_back( desc );
 
   if( name == 0)
     m_ChannelNames.push_back( "Unnamed ["+ptype.GetItkTypeAsString()+"]");
   else
     m_ChannelNames.push_back(name);
 
   this->m_NumberOfChannels++;
 
   return;
 }
 
 void mitk::ImageDescriptor::Initialize(const ImageDescriptor::Pointer refDescriptor, unsigned int channel)
 {
   // initialize the members holding dimension information
   this->m_NumberOfChannels = refDescriptor->GetNumberOfChannels();
   this->m_NumberOfDimensions = refDescriptor->GetNumberOfDimensions();
   const unsigned int *refDims = refDescriptor->GetDimensions();
 
   // copy the dimension information
   for( unsigned int i=0; i< this->m_NumberOfDimensions; i++)
   {
     this->m_Dimensions[i] = refDims[i];
   }
 
   // get the channel descriptor and store them and so the name of the channel
   mitk::ChannelDescriptor desc = refDescriptor->GetChannelDescriptor(channel);
   this->m_ChannelDesc.push_back( desc );
   this->m_ChannelNames.push_back( refDescriptor->GetChannelName(channel) );
 }
 
 void mitk::ImageDescriptor::Initialize(const unsigned int *dims, const unsigned int dim)
 {
   this->m_NumberOfDimensions = dim;
 
   // copy the dimension information
   for( unsigned int i=0; i< this->m_NumberOfDimensions; i++)
   {
     this->m_Dimensions[i] = dims[i];
   }
 }
 
 mitk::ChannelDescriptor mitk::ImageDescriptor::GetChannelDescriptor(unsigned int id) const
 {
   return this->m_ChannelDesc[id];
 }
 
 mitk::PixelType mitk::ImageDescriptor::GetChannelTypeByName(const char *name) const
 {
   unsigned int idFound = 0;
   const std::string search_str(name);
 
   for( ConstChannelNamesIter iter = this->m_ChannelNames.begin();
        iter < this->m_ChannelNames.end(); iter++)
   {
     if( search_str.compare( *iter ) ) idFound = iter - this->m_ChannelNames.begin();
   }
 
   return (m_ChannelDesc[idFound]).GetPixelType();
 }
 
 mitk::PixelType mitk::ImageDescriptor::GetChannelTypeById(const unsigned int id) const
 {
   if( id > this->m_NumberOfChannels )
   {
     throw std::invalid_argument("The given id exceeds the number of active channel.");
   }
   else
   {
     mitk::ChannelDescriptor refDesc = this->m_ChannelDesc[id];
     return refDesc.GetPixelType();//
   }
 }
 
 const std::string mitk::ImageDescriptor::GetChannelName(unsigned int id) const
 {
   if( id > this->m_ChannelNames.size() )
     return "Out-of-range-access";
   else
     return this->m_ChannelNames.at( id );
 }