diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index bf262383f5..793aa3b6f6 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ Jon Kåre Hellan <hellan@acm.org> misc core dump fixes
 Hendrik-Jan Heins <hjh@passys.nl> Dutch translation
 Joachim Herb <joachim.herb@gmx.de> Data table option for barchart reports
 Claus Hindsgaul <claus_h@image.dk> messages Danish translation
+Christoph Holtermann <c.holtermann@gmx.de> Python wrapper improvements
 Ori Hoch <ori@uumpa.com> Hebrew translation
 Péter Hosszú <hosszu@web.de> Hungarian translation
 Edward J. Huff <ejhuff@huff20may77.us> Date handling in reports, quarterly option
diff --git a/src/optional/python-bindings/example_scripts/str_methods.py b/src/optional/python-bindings/example_scripts/str_methods.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0723a07674
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/optional/python-bindings/example_scripts/str_methods.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+# str_methods.py -- Add __str__ and __unicode__ methods to financial objects
+#
+ 
+##  @file
+#   @brief Add __str__ and __unicode__ methods to financial objects so that @code print object @endcode leads to human readable results
+#   @author Christoph Holtermann, c.holtermann@gmx.de
+#   @ingroup python_bindings_examples
+
+import gnucash
+
+def __split__unicode__(self):
+  """__unicode__ method for split class"""
+  from gnucash import Split
+  import time
+  self=Split(instance=self)
+
+  lot=gnucash.GncLot(instance=self.GetLot())
+  if lot:
+    lot_str=lot.get_title()
+  else:
+    lot_str='---'
+
+  transaction=self.GetParent()
+
+  return u"{0:7}{1:20}{2:7}{3:7}{4:7}{5:30}{6:12}{7:15}{8:1}{9:30}{10:5}{11:10}{12:1}".format(
+    'Konto:',self.GetAccount().name,
+    'Value:',unicode(self.GetValue()),
+    'Memo:',self.GetMemo(),
+    'Transaction:',time.ctime(transaction.GetDate()),'-',transaction.GetDescription(),
+    'Lot: ',lot_str,'\n')
+
+def __split__str__(self):
+  """__str__ method for split class"""
+  
+  from gnucash import Split
+  self=Split(instance=self)
+
+  return unicode(self).encode('utf-8')
+
+gnucash.gnucash_core_c.__split__str__=__split__str__
+gnucash.Split.add_method("__split__str__","__str__")
+
+gnucash.gnucash_core_c.__split__unicode__=__split__unicode__
+gnucash.Split.add_method("__split__unicode__","__str__")
+
+def __transaction__str__(self):
+  """__str__ method for Transaction class"""
+  from gnucash import Transaction
+  import time
+  self=Transaction(instance=self)
+
+  transaction_str = u"{0:7}{1:25}{2:14}{3:40}{4:7}{5:40}{6:1}".format(
+      'Datum:',str(time.ctime(self.GetDate())),
+      'Description:',str(self.GetDescription()),
+      'Notes:',str(self.GetNotes()),'\n')
+
+  splits_str=""
+
+  splitlist = self.GetSplitList()
+  for n,split in enumerate(splitlist):
+    if not type(split)==gnucash.Split:
+      split=gnucash.Split(instance=split)
+    splits_str += u"[{0:>2}] ".format(str(n))
+    splits_str += unicode(split)
+
+  return transaction_str + splits_str
+
+def __transaction__unicode__(self):
+  """__unicode__ method for Transaction class"""
+  from gnucash import Transaction
+
+  self=Transaction(instance=self)
+  return unicode(self).encode('utf-8')
+
+# These lines add transaction_str as method __str__ to Transaction object
+gnucash.gnucash_core_c.__transaction__str__=__transaction__str__
+gnucash.Transaction.add_method("__transaction__str__","__str__")
+
+gnucash.gnucash_core_c.__transaction__unicode__=__transaction__unicode__
+gnucash.Transaction.add_method("__transaction__unicode__","__unicode__")