diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtilTest.java b/app/src/androidTest/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtilTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c92ec81f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtilTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package it.niedermann.owncloud.notes.util;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+/**
+ * Tests the NoteUtil
+ * Created by stefan on 06.10.15.
+ */
+public class NoteUtilTest extends TestCase {
+    public void testParseMarkDown() {
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.parseMarkDown("*cursive*").contains("<em>cursive</em>"));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.parseMarkDown("**bold**").contains("<strong>bold</strong>"));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.parseMarkDown("##header").contains("<h2>header</h2>"));
+    }
+
+    public void testRemoveMarkDown() {
+        assertTrue("Aufzählung".equals(NoteUtil.removeMarkDown("* Aufzählung")));
+        assertTrue("Header".equals(NoteUtil.removeMarkDown("# Header")));
+    }
+
+    public void testIsEmptyLine() {
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.isEmptyLine(" "));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.isEmptyLine("\n"));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.isEmptyLine("\n "));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.isEmptyLine(" \n"));
+        assertTrue(NoteUtil.isEmptyLine(" \n "));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/Note.java b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/Note.java
index 2314e33b..57bfb159 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/Note.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/Note.java
@@ -1,30 +1,26 @@
 package it.niedermann.owncloud.notes.model;
 
-import android.text.Html;
-
-import com.commonsware.cwac.anddown.AndDown;
-
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Calendar;
 import java.util.Locale;
 
 import it.niedermann.owncloud.notes.persistence.NoteSQLiteOpenHelper;
+import it.niedermann.owncloud.notes.util.NoteUtil;
 
 @SuppressWarnings("serial")
 public class Note implements Serializable {
-
-    private static final AndDown and_down = new AndDown();
 	private long id = 0;
 	private String title = "";
 	private Calendar modified = null;
 	private String content = "";
+    private String excerpt = "";
     private String htmlContent = null;
 
 	public Note(long id, Calendar modified, String title, String content) {
 		this.id = id;
         if(title != null)
-        this.title = Html.fromHtml(and_down.markdownToHtml(title)).toString().trim();
+            setTitle(title);
         setTitle(title);
         setContent(content);
         this.modified = modified;
@@ -39,7 +35,7 @@ public class Note implements Serializable {
 	}
 
     public void setTitle(String title) {
-        this.title = Html.fromHtml(and_down.markdownToHtml(title)).toString().trim();
+        this.title = NoteUtil.removeMarkDown(title);
     }
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("WeakerAccess")
@@ -57,13 +53,31 @@ public class Note implements Serializable {
 	}
 
     public void setContent(String content) {
+        setExcerpt(content);
         this.content = content;
         this.htmlContent = null;
     }
 
+    public String getExcerpt() {
+        return excerpt;
+    }
+
+    private void setExcerpt(String content) {
+        if (content.contains("\n")) {
+            String[] lines = content.split("\n");
+            int currentLine = 1;
+            while (NoteUtil.isEmptyLine(lines[currentLine]) && currentLine < lines.length) {
+                currentLine++;
+            }
+            excerpt = NoteUtil.removeMarkDown(lines[currentLine]);
+        } else {
+            excerpt = content;
+        }
+    }
+
     public String getHtmlContent() {
         if(htmlContent == null && getContent() != null) {
-            htmlContent = and_down.markdownToHtml(getContent());
+            htmlContent = NoteUtil.parseMarkDown(getContent());
         }
         return htmlContent;
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/NoteAdapter.java b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/NoteAdapter.java
index a4b92915..dbc06d4b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/NoteAdapter.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/model/NoteAdapter.java
@@ -51,18 +51,18 @@ public class NoteAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<Note> {
 			// These TextViews are created in the XML files we defined.
 
 			TextView noteTitle = (TextView) v.findViewById(R.id.noteTitle);
-			TextView noteModified = (TextView) v
-					.findViewById(R.id.noteModified);
+            TextView noteExcerpt = (TextView) v
+                    .findViewById(R.id.noteExcerpt);
 
 			// check to see if each individual textview is null.
 			// if not, assign some text!
 			if (noteTitle != null) {
 				noteTitle.setText(note.getTitle());
 			}
-			if (noteModified != null) {
-				noteModified.setText(note.getModified("dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm"));
-			}
-		}
+            if (noteExcerpt != null) {
+                noteExcerpt.setText(note.getExcerpt());
+            }
+        }
 
 		// the view must be returned to our activity
 		return v;
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtil.java b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dcac3e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/it/niedermann/owncloud/notes/util/NoteUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package it.niedermann.owncloud.notes.util;
+
+import android.text.Html;
+
+import com.commonsware.cwac.anddown.AndDown;
+
+/**
+ * Provides basic functionality for Note operations.
+ * Created by stefan on 06.10.15.
+ */
+public class NoteUtil {
+
+    private static final AndDown and_down = new AndDown();
+
+    /**
+     * Parses a MarkDown-String and returns its HTML-Pendant
+     *
+     * @param s String MarkDown
+     * @return String HTML
+     */
+    public static String parseMarkDown(String s) {
+        return and_down.markdownToHtml(s);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Strips all MarkDown from the given String
+     *
+     * @param s String - MarkDown
+     * @return Plain Text-String
+     */
+    public static String removeMarkDown(String s) {
+        return s == null ? "" : Html.fromHtml(and_down.markdownToHtml(s)).toString().trim();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks if a line is empty.
+     * " " -> empty
+     * "\n" -> empty
+     * "\n " -> empty
+     * " \n" -> empty
+     * " \n " -> empty
+     *
+     * @param line String - a single Line which ends with \n
+     * @return boolean isEmpty
+     */
+    public static boolean isEmptyLine(String line) {
+        return removeMarkDown(line).trim().length() == 0;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_notes_list_view.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_notes_list_view.xml
index c37f00e8..88fbfeb7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_notes_list_view.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_notes_list_view.xml
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+<RelativeLayout
+    android:id="@+id/noteItem"
+    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:layout_width="fill_parent"
     android:layout_height="?android:attr/listPreferredItemHeight"
-    android:padding="16dp"
     android:background="@drawable/list_item_background_selector"
-    android:id="@+id/noteItem" >
+    android:padding="16dp">
 
     <TextView
         android:id="@+id/noteTitle"
         android:layout_width="fill_parent"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
         android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
+        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
         android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
         android:layout_alignWithParentIfMissing="true"
         android:gravity="center_vertical"
@@ -19,15 +20,15 @@
         android:textSize="16sp" />
 
     <TextView
-        android:id="@+id/noteModified"
+        android:id="@+id/noteExcerpt"
         android:layout_width="fill_parent"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
         android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
-        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
         android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
+        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
+        android:layout_below="@id/noteTitle"
         android:ellipsize="marquee"
         android:singleLine="true"
-        android:layout_below="@id/noteTitle"
         android:textColor="@drawable/list_item_color_selector_low"
         android:textSize="14sp" />