> NLS_LANG = .WE8ISO8859P15 > In other words set your NLS_LANG environment setting the same as the NLS > settings in your database. Oh, thanks for the great hint! The parameter NLS_LANG was not at all set for the (os) oracle user. I set it according to your example, and everything is fine now, the import worked and I still have all my special characters *yippie*. > Go at the end for UTF16, it will cost you more database space but you > have everything checked for the future (only check at regular intervals > if all client, database, middletier have the same characterset) This isn't possible. According to metalink note 276914.1, " From 9i onwards the NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET can have only 2 values: UTF8 or AL16UTF16 who are Unicode charactersets." Thanks a lot! Nora -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l