diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
index 1dbd1b2d..c344d65a 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
@@ -5595,6 +5595,10 @@ namespace netgen
 
     if ( !bcnames.Size() )
       return defaultstring;
+
+    if (bcnr < 0 || bcnr >= bcnames.Size())
+      throw NgException ("illegal bc-number");
+
     if ( bcnames[bcnr] )
       return *bcnames[bcnr];
     else
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
index 11c82c2b..e27d3433 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
@@ -317,7 +317,12 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNetgenMeshing()
                                   }))
 
     .def ("SetBCName", &Mesh::SetBCName)
-
+    .def ("GetBCName", FunctionPointer([](Mesh & self, int bc)->string 
+                                       { return self.GetBCName(bc); }))
+    .def ("SetMaterial", &Mesh::SetMaterial)
+    .def ("GetMaterial", FunctionPointer([](Mesh & self, int domnr)
+                                         { return string(self.GetMaterial(domnr)); }))
+ 
     .def ("GenerateVolumeMesh", FunctionPointer
           ([](Mesh & self)
            {