diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5ab89a2..a2999f0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+3.4.4 (2014-04-11)
+------------------
+
+   * added `net\stubbles\lang\types\Date::castFrom()`
+
+
 3.4.3 (2014-03-25)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/Date.php b/src/main/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/Date.php
index fc36365..e295f0c 100644
--- a/src/main/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/Date.php
+++ b/src/main/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/Date.php
@@ -88,6 +88,28 @@ public static function now(TimeZone $timeZone = null)
         return new self(time(), $timeZone);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * casts given value to an instance of Date
+     *
+     * @param   int|string|\DateTime|Date  $value
+     * @param   string                     $name
+     * @return  Date
+     * @throws  IllegalArgumentException
+     * @since   3.4.4
+     */
+    public static function castFrom($value, $name = 'Argument')
+    {
+        if (is_int($value) || is_string($value) || $value instanceof \DateTime) {
+            return new self($value);
+        }
+
+        if (!($value instanceof Date)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException($name . ' must be a timestamp, a string containing time info or an instance of \DateTime or net\stubbles\lang\types\Date, but was ' . gettype($value));
+        }
+
+        return $value;
+    }
+
     /**
      * returns internal date/time handle
      *
@@ -302,4 +324,3 @@ public function __clone()
         $this->dateTime = clone $this->dateTime;
     }
 }
-?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/DateTestCase.php b/src/test/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/DateTestCase.php
index bb935e4..475085b 100644
--- a/src/test/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/DateTestCase.php
+++ b/src/test/php/net/stubbles/lang/types/DateTestCase.php
@@ -548,5 +548,57 @@ public function asStringIsAnnotatedWithXmlAttribute()
                                ->hasAnnotation('XmlAttribute')
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @since  3.4.4
+     */
+    public function castFromIntCreatesDateInstance()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals(new Date(1187872547), Date::castFrom(1187872547));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @since  3.4.4
+     */
+    public function castFromStringCreatesDateInstance()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals(
+                new Date('2007-11-04 14:32:00+1000'),
+                Date::castFrom('2007-11-04 14:32:00+1000')
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @since  3.4.4
+     */
+    public function castFromDateTimeCreatesDateInstance()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals(
+                new Date('2007-11-04 14:32:00+1000'),
+                Date::castFrom(new \DateTime('2007-11-04 14:32:00+1000'))
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @since  3.4.4
+     */
+    public function castFromDateReturnsSameInstance()
+    {
+        $date = new Date('2007-11-04 14:32:00+1000');
+        $this->assertSame($date, Date::castFrom($date));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @expectedException  net\stubbles\lang\exception\IllegalArgumentException
+     * @since  3.4.4
+     */
+    public function castFromOtherValueThrowsIllegalArgumentException()
+    {
+        Date::castFrom(new \stdClass());
+    }
 }
-?>
\ No newline at end of file