diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 9e5567b..48fb6b9 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/include)
 add_subdirectory(tests)
 add_subdirectory(lib)
 
-#if(ENABLE_hdf5)
-#  add_subdirectory(opt/hdf5)
-#endif()
+if(ENABLE_hdf5)
+  add_subdirectory(opt/hdf5)
+endif()
 
 install(DIRECTORY include/ DESTINATION ${INSTALL_PATH}/include)
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/CMakeLists.txt b/src/opt/hdf5/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2119643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include)
+
+add_subdirectory(lib)
+#add_subdirectory(tests)
+
+set(HDF5_INSTALL_PATH ${INSTALL_PATH}/hdf5)
+install(DIRECTORY include/ DESTINATION ${HDF5_INSTALL_PATH}/include)
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_content_base.h b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_content_base.h
index 77580ff..bf18bce 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_content_base.h
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_content_base.h
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    virtual ContentBase& load() = 0;
 	    virtual ContentBase& write() = 0;
 	    virtual ContentBase& close() = 0;
-	    virtual MArray<ContentBase>* get() = 0;
-	    virtual const MArray<ContentBase>* get() const = 0;
+	    virtual MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() = 0;
+	    virtual const MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() const = 0;
 	    virtual String path() const = 0;
-	    virtual String file() const = 0;
+	    virtual String filename() const = 0;
 
 	    const String& name() const;
 	    const ContentBase* parent() const;
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    RangePtr mRange;
 	    hid_t mId = 0;
 	};
-    }
 
-    typedef Sptr<ContentType> ContentPtr;
+	typedef Sptr<ContentBase> ContentPtr;
+
+    }
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_file.h b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_file.h
index 8e7146a..3707c8f 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_file.h
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_file.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    virtual File& load() override final;
 	    virtual File& write() override final;
 	    virtual File& close() override final;
-	    virtual MArray<ContentBase>* get() override final;
-	    virtual const MArray<ContentBase>* get() const override final;
+	    virtual MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() override final;
+	    virtual const MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() const override final;
 	    virtual String path() const override final;
 	    virtual String filename() const override final;
 
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_group.h b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_group.h
index aa66864..5a32be2 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_group.h
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_group.h
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    virtual bool ro() const override final;
 	    virtual Group& load() override final;
 	    virtual Group& close() override final;
-	    virtual MArray<ContentBase>* get() override final;
-	    virtual const MArray<ContentBase>* get() const override final;
+	    virtual MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() override final;
+	    virtual const MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* get() const override final;
 	    virtual String path() const override final;
 	    virtual String filename() const override final;
 
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..651cd17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+
+set(libcnorxzhdf5_a_SOURCES
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/h5_content_base.cc
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/h5_file.cc
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/h5_group.cc
+  )
+
+add_library(cnorxzhdf5_obj OBJECT
+  ${libcnorxzhdf5_a_SOURCES}
+  )
+
+set_target_properties(cnorxzhdf5_obj PROPERTIES POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE TRUE)
+
+add_library(cnorxzhdf5 SHARED
+  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:cnorxzhdf5_obj>
+  )
+set_target_properties(cnorxzhdf5 PROPERTIES POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE TRUE)
+
+install(TARGETS cnorxz
+  ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${HDF5_INSTALL_PATH}/lib
+  LIBRARY DESTINATION ${HDF5_INSTALL_PATH}/lib
+  )
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_content_base.cc b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_content_base.cc
index 686e2e6..0726f6c 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_content_base.cc
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_content_base.cc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ namespace CNORXZ
     namespace hdf5
     {
 	ContentBase::ContentBase(const String& _name, const ContentBase* _parent) :
-	    mName(_name), mParent(parent)
+	    mName(_name), mParent(_parent)
 	{}
 
 	const String& ContentBase::name() const
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_file.cc b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_file.cc
index 447bb84..a520be8 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_file.cc
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_file.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "h5_file.h"
+#include <fstream>
 
 namespace CNORXZ
 {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	{
 	    CXZ_ASSERT( not mRo, "could not write to file: opened as read-only" );
 	    for(auto& x: mCont){
-		x.write();
+		x->write();
 	    }
 	    return *this;
 	}
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	File& File::close()
 	{
 	    for(auto& x: mCont){
-		x.close();
+		x->close();
 	    }
 	    if(mId != 0){
 		H5Fclose(mId);
@@ -70,12 +71,12 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    return *this;
 	}
 	
-	MArray<ContentBase>* File::get()
+	MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* File::get()
 	{
 	    return &mCont;
 	}
 	
-	const MArray<ContentBase>* File::get() const
+	const MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* File::get() const
 	{
 	    return &mCont;
 	}
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_group.cc b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_group.cc
index d6242e0..603b668 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_group.cc
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/lib/h5_group.cc
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	    return *this;
 	}
 	
-	MArray<ContentBase>* Group::get()
+	MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* Group::get()
 	{
-	    return mCont;
+	    return &mCont;
 	}
 	
-	const MArray<ContentBase>* Group::get() const
+	const MArray<Sptr<ContentBase>>* Group::get() const
 	{
-	    return mCont;
+	    return &mCont;
 	}
 	
 	String Group::path() const