diff --git a/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml b/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml
index 7f3fd26..8c38d01 100644
--- a/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
                                 <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
                             </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                             <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
-                                <ColumnDefinition Width="160" />
-                                <ColumnDefinition Width=".38*" />
-                                <ColumnDefinition Width=".62*" />
+                                <ColumnDefinition Width=".4*" />
+                                <ColumnDefinition Width=".2*" />
+                                <ColumnDefinition Width=".4*" />
                             </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                             <ListBox x:Name="listBoxParticipant" Margin="2" Grid.RowSpan="7" SelectionChanged="listBoxParticipant_SelectionChanged">
                                 <ListBox.ContextMenu>
diff --git a/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 0252d67..a98188a 100644
--- a/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/RoleEditor/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ namespace RoleEditor
         {
             InitializeComponent();
             _dbManager = new();
+            System.Text.Encoding.RegisterProvider(System.Text.CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance); // for ExcelDataReader on .NET Core
         }
 
         private async void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
@@ -573,7 +574,7 @@ namespace RoleEditor
 
         #region Excel import
 
-        private void buttonImportBerths_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        private async void buttonImportBerths_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         {
             OpenFileDialog ofd = new OpenFileDialog
             {
@@ -595,6 +596,8 @@ namespace RoleEditor
                 using (var reader = ExcelReaderFactory.CreateReader(stream))
                 {
                     List<Berth> importBerthList = new();
+                    int bCounter = 0;
+                    int pCounter = 0;
 
                     try
                     {
@@ -606,25 +609,65 @@ namespace RoleEditor
                                 {
                                     throw new InvalidDataException("Sheet must have at least 2 Columns of data");
                                 }
-                                Berth b = new Berth();
-                                if (reader.IsDBNull(0) && reader.IsDBNull(1)) continue;
-                                if (!reader.IsDBNull(0)) b.Name = reader.GetString(0);
-                                string participant_name;
-                                if (!reader.IsDBNull(1)) participant_name = reader.GetString(1);
                                 
-                                importBerthList.Add(b);
+                                if (reader.IsDBNull(0) && reader.IsDBNull(1)) continue;
+                                string berth_name = "";
+                                if (!reader.IsDBNull(0)) berth_name = reader.GetString(0);
+                                if (berth_name.Equals("Liegeplatz", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) continue;
+
+                                string participant_name = "";
+                                if (!reader.IsDBNull(1)) participant_name = reader.GetString(1);
+
+                                // find berth in existing list
+                                if (_berths.Any(predicate: x => (x.Name != null) && x.Name.Equals(berth_name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
+                                    continue;
+
+                                Berth b = new Berth();
+                                b.Name = berth_name;
+                                bool found_participant = false;
+
+                                foreach(Participant p in this._participants)
+                                {
+                                    if ((p.Name != null) && p.Name.Contains(participant_name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                                    {
+                                        b.Participant_Id = p.Id;
+                                        found_participant = true;
+                                        break;
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                
+                                if (!found_participant)
+                                {
+                                    // create new participant
+                                    Participant p = new Participant();
+                                    p.Name = participant_name;
+                                    await p.Save(_dbManager);
+                                    _participants.Add(p);
+                                    pCounter++;
+                                    b.Participant_Id = p.Id;
+                                }
+
+                                await b.Save(_dbManager);
+                                _berths.Add(b);
+                                bCounter++;
+
                             }
                         } while (reader.NextResult());
+
+                        if((pCounter > 0) || (bCounter > 0))
+                        {
+                            MessageBox.Show($"Imported {bCounter} berths and added {pCounter} participants while doing so");
+                        }
+
                     }
                     catch (Exception ex)
                     {
                         MessageBox.Show("Error reading Excel: " + ex.Message, "Error", MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Error);
-                    }
-
-                    
+                    }                    
                 }
 
                 stream.Close();
+            
             }
         }