diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
index a6a1f63..a8312a4 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ let g:loaded_vimwiki_html_auto = 1
 
 " UTILITY "{{{
 function! s:root_path(subdir) "{{{
-  return repeat('../', len(split(a:subdir, '[/\\]')))
+  return vimwiki#path#relpath(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path'), a:subdir)
 endfunction "}}}
 
 function! s:syntax_supported() " {{{
@@ -49,41 +49,20 @@ function! s:is_img_link(lnk) "{{{
   return 0
 endfunction "}}}
 
-function! s:has_abs_path(fname) "{{{
-  if a:fname =~# '\(^.:\)\|\(^/\)'
+function! s:default_CSS_full_name(target_dir) " {{{
+  return vimwiki#path#join(path, vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('css_name'))
+endfunction "}}}
+
+" Returns: 1 if it was createt, 0 if it already existed
+function! s:create_default_CSS(target_dir) " {{{
+  let css_full_name = s:default_CSS_full_name(a:target_dir)
+  if vimwiki#path#exists(css_full_name)
+    return 0
+  else
+    let default_css = vimwiki#path#find_autoload_file('style.css')
+    call vimwiki#path#copy_file(default_css, css_full_name)
     return 1
   endif
-  return 0
-endfunction "}}}
-
-function! s:find_autoload_file(name) " {{{
-  for path in split(&runtimepath, ',')
-    let fname = path.'/autoload/vimwiki/'.a:name
-    if glob(fname) != ''
-      return fname
-    endif
-  endfor
-  return ''
-endfunction " }}}
-
-function! s:default_CSS_full_name(path) " {{{
-  let path = expand(a:path)
-  let css_full_name = path . vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('css_name')
-  return css_full_name
-endfunction "}}}
-
-function! s:create_default_CSS(path) " {{{
-  let css_full_name = s:default_CSS_full_name(a:path)
-  if glob(css_full_name) == ""
-    call vimwiki#path#mkdir(fnamemodify(css_full_name, ':p:h'))
-    let default_css = s:find_autoload_file('style.css')
-    if default_css != ''
-      let lines = readfile(default_css)
-      call writefile(lines, css_full_name)
-      return 1
-    endif
-  endif
-  return 0
 endfunction "}}}
 
 function! s:template_full_name(name) "{{{
@@ -93,11 +72,12 @@ function! s:template_full_name(name) "{{{
     let name = a:name
   endif
 
-  let fname = expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('template_path').
-        \ name . vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('template_ext'))
+  let filename = vimwiki#path#from_segment_file(name . vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('template_ext'))
 
-  if filereadable(fname)
-    return fname
+  let template_file = vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#path#join(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('template_path'), filename))
+
+  if filereadable(template_file)
+    return template_file
   else
     return ''
   endif
@@ -113,7 +93,7 @@ function! s:get_html_template(template) "{{{
       let lines = readfile(template_name)
       return lines
     catch /E484/
-      echomsg 'Vimwiki: HTML template '.template_name.
+      echomsg 'Vimwiki: HTML template ' . template_name .
             \ ' does not exist!'
     endtry
   endif
@@ -121,7 +101,7 @@ function! s:get_html_template(template) "{{{
   let default_tpl = s:template_full_name('')
 
   if default_tpl == ''
-    let default_tpl = s:find_autoload_file('default.tpl')
+    let default_tpl = vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#path#find_autoload_file('default.tpl'))
   endif
 
   let lines = readfile(default_tpl)
@@ -154,7 +134,7 @@ function! s:safe_html_line(line) "{{{
 endfunction "}}}
 
 function! s:delete_html_files(path) "{{{
-  let htmlfiles = split(glob(a:path.'**/*.html'), '\n')
+  let htmlfiles = vimwiki#path#files_in_dir_recursive(a:path, 'html')
   for fname in htmlfiles
     " ignore user html files, e.g. search.html,404.html
     if stridx(vimwiki#vars#get_global('user_htmls'), fnamemodify(fname, ":t")) >= 0
@@ -1508,10 +1488,10 @@ function! s:convert_file(path_html, wikifile) "{{{
   return path_html.htmlfile
 endfunction "}}}
 
-function! vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(path_html, wikifile) "{{{
-  let result = s:convert_file(a:path_html, a:wikifile)
+function! vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(output_dir, wikifile) "{{{
+  let result = s:convert_file(a:output_dir, a:wikifile)
   if result != ''
-    call s:create_default_CSS(a:path_html)
+    call s:create_default_CSS(a:output_dir)
   endif
   return result
 endfunction "}}}
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
index ffa48c3..a1a90af 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
@@ -111,22 +111,21 @@ endfunction "}}}
 " If the optional argument provided and nonzero,
 " it will ask before creating a directory 
 " Returns: 1 iff directory exists or successfully created
-function! vimwiki#path#mkdir(path, ...) "{{{
-  let path = expand(a:path)
+function! vimwiki#path#mkdir(dir_obj, ...) "{{{
 
-  if path =~# '^scp:'
+  if a:dir_obj.protocoll ==# 'scp'
     " we can not do much, so let's pretend everything is ok
     return 1
   endif
 
-  if isdirectory(path)
+  if vimwiki#path#exists(a:dir_obj)
     return 1
   else
     if !exists("*mkdir")
       return 0
     endif
 
-    let path = vimwiki#path#chomp_slash(path)
+    let path = vimwiki#path#to_string(a:dir_obj)
     if vimwiki#u#is_windows() && !empty(vimwiki#vars#get_global('w32_dir_enc'))
       let path = iconv(path, &enc, vimwiki#vars#get_global('w32_dir_enc'))
     endif
@@ -167,3 +166,157 @@ else
     return directory . '/' . file
   endfunction
 endif
+
+
+
+"XXX das kann man aber Einheitstesten!
+" XXX überlegen, ob wir auch n Objekt für Wikilinks  machen
+" Alternativ kann man auch einen Dateipfad als Ordner + Dateinamen modellieren
+" The used data types are
+" - directory object: a dictionary with the following entries:
+"     - 'protocoll' -- how to access the file. Supportet are 'scp' or 'file'
+"     - 'is_unix' -- 1 if it's supposed to be a unix-like path
+"     - 'path' -- a list containing the directory names starting at the root
+" - file object: a list [directory_object, file name]
+" - file segment: representing e.g. a relative path. Is a list where the first
+"   element is a list of directory names and the second the file name
+
+" create and return a path object from a string. It is assumed that the given
+" path is abolute and points to a file (not a directory)
+function! vimwiki#path#from_absolute_file(filepath)
+  let filename = fnamemodify(a:filepath, ':p:t')
+  let path = fnamemodify(a:filepath, ':p:h')
+  return [vimwiki#path#from_absolute_dir(path), filename]
+endfunction
+
+
+function! vimwiki#path#from_absolute_dir(filepath)
+  if a:filepath =~# '^scp:'
+    let filepath = a:filepath[4:]
+    let protocoll = 'scp'
+  else
+    let filepath = resolve(a:filepath)
+    let protocoll = 'file'
+  endif
+  let path = split(vimwiki#path#chomp_slash(filepath), '\m[/\\]', 1)
+  let is_unix = filepath[0] ==# '/'
+  let result = {
+    \ 'is_unix' : is_unix,
+    \ 'protocoll' : protocoll,
+    \ 'path' : path,
+    \}
+  return result
+endfunction
+
+function! vimwiki#path#current_file()
+  return vimwiki#path#from_absolute_file(expand('%:p'))
+endfunction
+
+function! vimwiki#path#extension(file_object)
+  return fnamemodify(a:file_object[1], ':e')
+endfunction
+
+" Returns: the dir of the file object as dir object
+function! vimwiki#path#directory(file_object)
+  return copy(a:file_object[0])
+endfunction
+
+function! vimwiki#path#filename(file_object)
+  return a:file_object[1]
+endfunction
+
+" XXX überlegen, ob man das scp vorne dranpackt
+function! vimwiki#path#to_string(path)
+  let dir_obj = type(a:path) == 4 ? a:path : a:path[0]
+  let separator = dir_obj.is_unix ? '/' : '\'
+  let address = join(dir_obj.path, separator) . separator
+  if type(a:path) == 3
+    let address .= a:path[1]
+  endif
+  return address
+endfunction
+
+
+" Assume it is not an absolute path
+function! vimwiki#path#from_segment_file(path_segment)
+  let filename = fnamemodify(a:path_segment, ':t')
+  let path = fnamemodify(a:filepath, ':h')
+  let path_list = (path ==# '.' ? [] : split(path, '\m[/\\]', 1))
+  return [path_list, filename]
+endfunction
+
+
+function! vimwiki#path#join(dir_path, file_segment)
+  let new_dir_object = copy(a:dir_path)
+  let new_dir_object.path += a:file_segment[0]
+  return [new_dir_object, a:file_segment[1]]
+endfunction
+
+
+function! vimwiki#path#exists(object)
+  if type(a:object) == 4
+    return isdirectory(vimwiki#path#to_string(a:object))
+  else
+    " glob() checks whether or not a file exists (readable, writable or not)
+    return glob(vimwiki#path#to_string(a:file_object)) != ''
+  endif
+endfunction
+
+" returns the segment s, so that jon(dir, s) == file
+" we just assume the file is somewhere in dir
+function! vimwiki#path#subtract(dir_object, file_object)
+  let path_rest = a:file_object[0].path[len(a:dir_object.path):]
+  return [path_rest, file_object[1]]
+endfunction
+
+" Returns: the relative path from a:dir to a:file
+function! vimwiki#path#relpath(dir1_object, dir2_object)
+  let dir1_path = copy(a:dir1_object.path)
+  let dir2_path = copy(a:dir2_object.path)
+  let result_path = []
+  while (len(dir) > 0 && len(file) > 0) && vimwiki#path#is_equal(dir1_path[0], dir2_path[0])
+    call remove(dir1_path, 0)
+    call remove(dir2_path, 0)
+  endwhile
+  for segment in dir1_path
+    let result += ['..']
+  endfor
+  for segment in dir2_path
+    let result += [segment]
+  endfor
+  let result = {
+    \ 'is_unix' : a:dir1_object.is_unix,
+    \ 'protocoll' : a:dir1_object.protocoll,
+    \ 'path' : result_path,
+    \}
+  return result
+endfunction
+
+" this must be outside a function, because only outside a function <sfile> expands
+" to the directory where this file is in
+let s:vimwiki_autoload_dir = expand('<sfile>:p:h')
+function! vimwiki#path#find_autoload_file(filename)
+  let autoload_dir = vimwiki#path#from_absolute_dir(s:vimwiki_autoload_dir)
+  let filename_obj = vimwiki#path#from_segment_file(a:filename)
+  let file = vimwiki#path#join(autoload_dir, filename_obj)
+  if !vimwiki#path#exists(file)
+    echom 'Vimwiki Error: ' . vimwiki#path#to_string(file) . ' not found'
+  endif
+  return file
+endfunction
+
+function! vimwiki#path#copy_file(file_obj, dir_obj)
+  call vimwiki#path#mkdir(a:dir_obj)
+  let new_file = deepcopy(a:file_obj)
+  let new_file[0] = copy(a:dir_obj)
+  let lines = readfile(vimwiki#path#to_string(a:file_obj))
+  let ok = writefile(lines, vimwiki#path#to_string(new_file))
+  if ok < 0
+    call vimwiki#u#error('Could not write ' . vimwiki#path#to_string(new_file))
+  endif
+endfunction
+
+" Returns: a list of all files somewhere in a:dir_obj with extension a:ext
+function! vimwiki#path#files_in_dir_recursive(dir_obj, ext)
+  let htmlfiles = split(glob(a:path.'**/*.html'), '\n')
+endfunction
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/tags.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/tags.vim
index 490b47d..9582df5 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/tags.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/tags.vim
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function! vimwiki#tags#update_tags(full_rebuild, all_files) "{{{
   let all_files = a:all_files != ''
   if !a:full_rebuild
     " Updating for one page (current)
-    let page_name = vimwiki#vars#get_bufferlocal('subdir') . expand('%:t:r')
+    let page_name = s:page_name(vimwiki#path#current_file())
     " Collect tags in current file
     let tags = s:scan_tags(getline(1, '$'), page_name)
     " Load metadata file
@@ -41,14 +41,12 @@ function! vimwiki#tags#update_tags(full_rebuild, all_files) "{{{
     call s:write_tags_metadata(metadata)
   else " full rebuild
     let files = vimwiki#base#find_files(vimwiki#vars#get_bufferlocal('wiki_nr'), 0)
-    let wiki_base_dir = vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path')
     let tags_file_last_modification =
-          \ getftime(vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path())
+          \ getftime(vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path()))
     let metadata = s:load_tags_metadata()
     for file in files
-      if all_files || getftime(file) >= tags_file_last_modification
-        let subdir = vimwiki#base#subdir(wiki_base_dir, file)
-        let page_name = subdir . fnamemodify(file, ':t:r')
+      if all_files || getftime(vimwiki#path#to_string(file)) >= tags_file_last_modification
+        let page_name = s:page_name(file)
         let tags = s:scan_tags(readfile(file), page_name)
         let metadata = s:remove_page_from_tags(metadata, page_name)
         let metadata = s:merge_tags(metadata, page_name, tags)
@@ -58,6 +56,12 @@ function! vimwiki#tags#update_tags(full_rebuild, all_files) "{{{
   endif
 endfunction " }}}
 
+function! s:page_name(file_obj)
+  let wiki_base_dir = vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path')
+  let segment = vimwiki#path#subtract(wiki_base_dir, a:file_obj)
+  return vimwiki#path#to_string(segment)
+endfunction
+
 " s:scan_tags
 "   Scans the list of text lines (argument) and produces tags metadata as a
 "   list of tag entries.
@@ -139,9 +143,9 @@ function! s:scan_tags(lines, page_name) "{{{
 endfunction " }}}
 
 " vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path
-"   Returns tags metadata file path
+"   Returns tags metadata file path object
 function! vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path() abort "{{{
-  return fnamemodify(vimwiki#path#join_path(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path'), s:TAGS_METADATA_FILE_NAME), ':p')
+  return vimwiki#path#join(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path'), vimwiki#path#from_segment_file(s:TAGS_METADATA_FILE_NAME))
 endfunction " }}}
 
 " s:load_tags_metadata
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/u.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/u.vim
index 009bf9d..bf779ce 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/u.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/u.vim
@@ -61,3 +61,8 @@ else
     return &sw
   endfunc
 endif "}}}
+
+
+function vimwiki#u#error(message)
+  echom 'Vimwiki Error: ' . a:message
+endfunction
diff --git a/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim b/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
index e5763f3..31cb784 100644
--- a/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
+++ b/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ execute 'setlocal suffixesadd='.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext')
 setlocal isfname-=[,]
 " gf}}}
 
-exe "setlocal tags+=" . escape(vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path(), ' \|"')
+exe "setlocal tags+=" . escape(vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#tags#metadata_file_path()), ' \|"')
 
 " MISC }}}
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ function! Complete_wikifiles(findstart, base)
       let segments = split(a:base, '#', 1)
       let given_wikifile = segments[0] == '' ? expand('%:t:r') : segments[0]
       let link_infos = vimwiki#base#resolve_link(given_wikifile.'#')
-      let wikifile = link_infos.filename
+      let wikifile = link_infos.path
       let syntax = vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('syntax', link_infos.index)
       let anchors = vimwiki#base#get_anchors(wikifile, syntax)
 
@@ -243,18 +243,17 @@ endfunction "}}}
 command! -buffer Vimwiki2HTML
       \ if filewritable(expand('%')) | silent noautocmd w | endif
       \ <bar>
-      \ let res = vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')),
-      \                             expand('%'))
+      \ let res = vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html'), vimwiki#path#current_file())
       \ <bar>
-      \ if res != '' | echo 'Vimwiki: HTML conversion is done, output: ' . expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')) | endif
+      \ if res != '' | echo 'Vimwiki: HTML conversion is done, output: ' . vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')) | endif
 command! -buffer Vimwiki2HTMLBrowse
       \ if filewritable(expand('%')) | silent noautocmd w | endif
       \ <bar>
       \ call vimwiki#base#system_open_link(vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(
-      \         expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')),
-      \         expand('%')))
+      \         vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html'),
+      \         vimwiki#path#current_file()))
 command! -buffer VimwikiAll2HTML
-      \ call vimwiki#html#WikiAll2HTML(expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')))
+      \ call vimwiki#html#WikiAll2HTML(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html'))
 
 command! -buffer VimwikiTOC call vimwiki#base#table_of_contents(1)
 
@@ -277,10 +276,10 @@ command! -buffer -nargs=0 VimwikiBacklinks call vimwiki#base#backlinks()
 command! -buffer -nargs=0 VWB call vimwiki#base#backlinks()
 
 exe 'command! -buffer -nargs=* VimwikiSearch lvimgrep <args> '.
-      \ escape(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path').'**/*'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext'), ' ')
+      \ escape(vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path')).'**/*'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext'), ' ')
 
 exe 'command! -buffer -nargs=* VWS lvimgrep <args> '.
-      \ escape(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path').'**/*'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext'), ' ')
+      \ escape(vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path')).'**/*'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext'), ' ')
 
 command! -buffer -nargs=+ -complete=custom,vimwiki#base#complete_links_escaped
       \ VimwikiGoto call vimwiki#base#goto(<f-args>)
@@ -641,8 +640,7 @@ if vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('auto_export')
   " Automatically generate HTML on page write.
   augroup vimwiki
     au BufWritePost <buffer>
-      \ call vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(expand(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html')),
-      \                             expand('%'))
+      \ call vimwiki#html#Wiki2HTML(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path_html'), vimwiki#path#current_file())
   augroup END
 endif
 
diff --git a/plugin/vimwiki.vim b/plugin/vimwiki.vim
index 13797f8..0eb33ae 100644
--- a/plugin/vimwiki.vim
+++ b/plugin/vimwiki.vim
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ endfunction "}}}
 
 " create a new temporary wiki for the current buffer
 function! s:create_temporary_wiki()
-  let path = expand('%:p:h')
-  let ext = '.'.expand('%:e')
+  let current_file = vimwiki#path#current_file()
+  let path = vimwiki#path#directory(current_file)
+  let ext = '.'.vimwiki#path#extension(current_file)
 
   let syntax_mapping = vimwiki#vars#get_global('ext2syntax')
   if has_key(syntax_mapping, ext)
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ function! s:setup_buffer_enter() "{{{
 
   " lcd as well
   if vimwiki#vars#get_global('auto_chdir')
-    exe 'lcd' vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path')
+    exe 'lcd' vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path'))
   endif
 
   " Set up menu
@@ -292,8 +293,8 @@ nnoremap <unique><script> <Plug>VimwikiMakeYesterdayDiaryNote
 " MENU {{{
 function! s:build_menu(topmenu)
   for idx in range(vimwiki#vars#number_of_wikis())
-    let norm_path = fnamemodify(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path', idx), ':h:t')
-    let norm_path = escape(norm_path, '\ \.')
+    let norm_path = vimwiki#path#to_string(vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('path', idx))
+    let norm_path = escape(norm_path, '\ .')
     execute 'menu '.a:topmenu.'.Open\ index.'.norm_path.
           \ ' :call vimwiki#base#goto_index('.idx.')<CR>'
     execute 'menu '.a:topmenu.'.Open/Create\ diary\ note.'.norm_path.