diff --git a/conda_env.yml b/conda_env.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1e0836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conda_env.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+name: annalen
+channels:
+  - defaults
+dependencies:
+  - ca-certificates=2019.10.16=0
+  - certifi=2019.9.11=py37_0
+  - libcxx=4.0.1=hcfea43d_1
+  - libcxxabi=4.0.1=hcfea43d_1
+  - libedit=3.1.20181209=hb402a30_0
+  - libffi=3.2.1=h475c297_4
+  - ncurses=6.1=h0a44026_1
+  - openssl=1.1.1d=h1de35cc_3
+  - pip=19.3.1=py37_0
+  - python=3.7.5=h359304d_0
+  - readline=7.0=h1de35cc_5
+  - regex=2019.11.1=py37h1de35cc_0
+  - setuptools=42.0.1=py37_0
+  - sqlite=3.30.1=ha441bb4_0
+  - tk=8.6.8=ha441bb4_0
+  - wheel=0.33.6=py37_0
+  - xz=5.2.4=h1de35cc_4
+  - zlib=1.2.11=h1de35cc_3
+
diff --git a/export_xml.py b/export_xml.py
index 2ffb6ae..ebe73d4 100644
--- a/export_xml.py
+++ b/export_xml.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import argparse, os, glob, sys, json
+import argparse, os, glob, sys, json, email.utils
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as et
 from datetime import datetime
+import regex as re
 
 def format_subject(s):
 	return ' '.join(s.split())
@@ -8,18 +9,61 @@ def format_subject(s):
 def format_content(c):
 	return c.strip().replace("\n\n\n", "\n")
 
-def parse_date(fname):
+# See for Nevejan?s research
+def remove_control_characters(s):
+    return re.sub(r'\p{C}-[\r\n\t]+', '', s)
+    # return re.sub(r'\p{Cc}-[\r\n\t]+', '', s)
+
+def parse_date_file(fname):
 	return datetime.strptime(fname, '%B_%Y.json')
 
+# returns utc timestamp
+def parse_date_msg(msg):
+	date_str = msg['date']
+	time_tz = None
+	try:
+		date_tz = email.utils.parsedate_tz(date_str)
+		time_tz = email.utils.mktime_tz(date_tz) #utc timestamp
+	except TypeError:
+		print("Format Date TypeError")
+		print("  > " + date_str)
+		return None
+	except ValueError:
+		print("Format Date ValueError")
+		print("  > " + date_str)
+		return None
+	except Exception as ex:
+		print(ex)
+	finally:
+		return time_tz
+
+# recursive
+def index_follow_up(msg):
+	r = []
+	if 'follow-up' in msg:
+		for m in msg['follow-up']:
+			d = parse_date_msg(m)
+			r.append((d, m))
+			r += index_follow_up(m)
+	return r
+
+nn = 0
+
 def emit_mail_xml(msg, xmlel):
 
+	global nn
+	nn += 1
+
 	mail = et.SubElement(xmlel, 'mail')
 
 	subject = et.SubElement(mail, 'subject')
 	subject.text = format_subject(msg['subject'])
 
 	to = et.SubElement(mail, 'to')
-	to.text = msg['to']
+	if 'to' in msg: 
+		to.text = msg['to']
+	else:
+		to.text = 'n/a'
 
 	from_ = et.SubElement(mail, 'from')
 	from_.text = msg['from']
@@ -28,13 +72,14 @@ def emit_mail_xml(msg, xmlel):
 	date.text = msg['date']
 
 	content = et.SubElement(mail, 'content')
-	## unescape chars ...
 	content.text = format_content(msg['content'])
 
-	if msg['follow-up']:
-		print('follow-up')
-
-	# **** RECURSIVE "follow-up" ****
+	# recursuve "follow-up"
+	if 'follow-up' in msg:
+		followups = index_follow_up(msg)
+		followups.sort(key=lambda tup: tup[0])
+		for d, f in followups:
+			emit_mail_xml(f, xmlel)
 
 
 def export_file(f, fout):
@@ -60,7 +105,7 @@ def export_year(d, dt, fout):
 	dates = []
 	for f in dir_files:
 
-		fdt = parse_date(os.path.basename(f))
+		fdt = parse_date_file(os.path.basename(f))
 		if dt.year != fdt.year:
 			continue
 
@@ -70,7 +115,6 @@ def export_year(d, dt, fout):
 
 	for d, f in dates:
 
-		print(d)
 		print(f)
 
 		section = et.SubElement(chapter, 'section')
@@ -84,7 +128,9 @@ def export_year(d, dt, fout):
 		for t in dj['threads']:
 			emit_mail_xml(t, mails)		
 
-	fout.write(et.tostring(chapter))
+	# write utf8 to file (et.tostring are bytes)
+	fout.write(et.tostring(chapter).decode('utf-8', 'ignore'))
+	# fout.write(remove_control_characters(et.tostring(chapter).decode('utf-8', 'ignore')))
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
 
@@ -106,8 +152,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 			if not os.path.isdir(f):
 				sys.exit(f + ' is not a valid directory. Aborting.')
 			foutname = os.path.basename(f) + "_" + dt.strftime('%Y') + ".xml"
-			with open(foutname, "wb") as fout:
+			with open(foutname, "w") as fout:
 				export_year(f, dt, fout)
+				print("nbr of message exported: " + str(nn))
 		else:
 			if not os.path.isfile(f):
 				sys.exit(f + ' is not a valid file. Aborting.')			
diff --git a/setenv b/setenv
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..38bb5cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setenv
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# activate conda venv
+source activate annalen
\ No newline at end of file