diff --git a/examples/fodo.py b/examples/fodo.py
index c2e6ed5..c54dba0 100644
--- a/examples/fodo.py
+++ b/examples/fodo.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from schema.QuadrupoleElement import QuadrupoleElement
 
 from schema.Line import Line
+from schema.ElementWrapper import ElementWrapper
 
 
 def main():
@@ -44,15 +45,15 @@ def main():
     # Create line with all elements
     line = Line(
         line=[
-            drift1,
-            quad1,
-            drift2,
-            quad2,
-            drift3,
+            ElementWrapper(element=drift1),
+            ElementWrapper(element=quad1),
+            ElementWrapper(element=drift2),
+            ElementWrapper(element=quad2),
+            ElementWrapper(element=drift3),
         ]
     )
     # Serialize to YAML
-    yaml_data = yaml.dump(line.model_dump(), default_flow_style=False)
+    yaml_data = yaml.dump(line.to_dict(), default_flow_style=False)
     print("Dumping YAML data...")
     print(f"{yaml_data}")
     # Write YAML data to file
@@ -63,11 +64,11 @@ def main():
     with open(yaml_file, "r") as file:
         yaml_data = yaml.safe_load(file)
     # Parse YAML data
-    loaded_line = Line(**yaml_data)
+    loaded_line = Line.from_dict(yaml_data)
     # Validate loaded data
     assert line == loaded_line
     # Serialize to JSON
-    json_data = json.dumps(line.model_dump(), sort_keys=True, indent=2)
+    json_data = json.dumps(line.to_dict(), sort_keys=True, indent=2)
     print("Dumping JSON data...")
     print(f"{json_data}")
     # Write JSON data to file
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ def main():
     with open(json_file, "r") as file:
         json_data = json.loads(file.read())
     # Parse JSON data
-    loaded_line = Line(**json_data)
+    loaded_line = Line.from_dict(json_data)
     # Validate loaded data
     assert line == loaded_line
 
diff --git a/schema/ElementWrapper.py b/schema/ElementWrapper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f55d96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/schema/ElementWrapper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from typing import Annotated, Literal, Union
+from schema.BaseElement import BaseElement
+from schema.ThickElement import ThickElement
+from schema.DriftElement import DriftElement
+from schema.QuadrupoleElement import QuadrupoleElement
+
+
+class ElementWrapper(BaseModel):
+    """Base class for element wrappers"""
+
+    kind: Literal["ElementWrapper"] = "ElementWrapper"
+
+    element: Annotated[
+        Union[
+            BaseElement,
+            ThickElement,
+            DriftElement,
+            QuadrupoleElement,
+        ],
+        Field(discriminator="kind"),
+    ]
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        element_dict = self.element.model_dump()
+        kind = element_dict.pop("kind")
+        return {kind: element_dict}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, data):
+        kind = next(iter(data))
+        element_data = data[kind]
+        element_data["kind"] = kind
+        element_class = {
+            "BaseElement": BaseElement,
+            "ThickElement": ThickElement,
+            "Drift": DriftElement,
+            "Quadrupole": QuadrupoleElement,
+        }[kind]
+        element = element_class(**element_data)
+        return cls(element=element)
diff --git a/schema/Line.py b/schema/Line.py
index e1ad070..3116d80 100644
--- a/schema/Line.py
+++ b/schema/Line.py
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
-from typing import Annotated, List, Literal, Union
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict
+from typing import List, Literal
 
-from schema.BaseElement import BaseElement
-from schema.ThickElement import ThickElement
-from schema.DriftElement import DriftElement
-from schema.QuadrupoleElement import QuadrupoleElement
+from schema.ElementWrapper import ElementWrapper
 
 
 class Line(BaseModel):
@@ -16,18 +13,15 @@ class Line(BaseModel):
 
     kind: Literal["Line"] = "Line"
 
-    line: List[
-        Annotated[
-            Union[
-                BaseElement,
-                ThickElement,
-                DriftElement,
-                QuadrupoleElement,
-                "Line",
-            ],
-            Field(discriminator="kind"),
-        ]
-    ]
+    line: List[ElementWrapper]
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        return {"kind": self.kind, "line": [element.to_dict() for element in self.line]}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, data):
+        line_elements = [ElementWrapper.from_dict(element) for element in data["line"]]
+        return cls(line=line_elements)
 
 
 # Avoid circular import issues
diff --git a/tests/test_schema.py b/tests/test_schema.py
index 3abdc8a..5391112 100644
--- a/tests/test_schema.py
+++ b/tests/test_schema.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from schema.ThickElement import ThickElement
 from schema.DriftElement import DriftElement
 from schema.QuadrupoleElement import QuadrupoleElement
+from schema.ElementWrapper import ElementWrapper
 
 from schema.Line import Line
 
@@ -104,18 +105,23 @@ def test_QuadrupoleElement():
 def test_Line():
     # Create first line with one base element
     element1 = BaseElement(name="element1")
-    line1 = Line(line=[element1])
-    assert line1.line == [element1]
+    element1_wrapper = ElementWrapper(element=element1)
+    line1 = Line(line=[element1_wrapper])
+    assert [line.element for line in line1.line] == [element1]
     # Extend first line with one thick element
     element2 = ThickElement(name="element2", length=2.0)
-    line1.line.extend([element2])
-    assert line1.line == [element1, element2]
+    element2_wrapper = ElementWrapper(element=element2)
+    line1.line.extend([element2_wrapper])
+    assert line1.line == [element1_wrapper, element2_wrapper]
+    assert [line.element for line in line1.line] == [element1, element2]
     # Create second line with one drift element
     element3 = DriftElement(name="element3", length=3.0)
-    line2 = Line(line=[element3])
+    element3_wrapper = ElementWrapper(element=element3)
+    line2 = Line(line=[element3_wrapper])
     # Extend first line with second line
     line1.line.extend(line2.line)
-    assert line1.line == [element1, element2, element3]
+    assert line1.line == [element1_wrapper, element2_wrapper, element3_wrapper]
+    assert [line.element for line in line1.line] == [element1, element2, element3]
 
 
 def test_yaml():
@@ -124,9 +130,11 @@ def test_yaml():
     # Create one thick element
     element2 = ThickElement(name="element2", length=2.0)
     # Create line with both elements
-    line = Line(line=[element1, element2])
+    line = Line(
+        line=[ElementWrapper(element=element1), ElementWrapper(element=element2)]
+    )
     # Serialize the Line object to YAML
-    yaml_data = yaml.dump(line.model_dump(), default_flow_style=False)
+    yaml_data = yaml.dump(line.to_dict(), default_flow_style=False)
     print(f"\n{yaml_data}")
     # Write the YAML data to a test file
     test_file = "line.yaml"
@@ -136,7 +144,7 @@ def test_yaml():
     with open(test_file, "r") as file:
         yaml_data = yaml.safe_load(file)
     # Parse the YAML data back into a Line object
-    loaded_line = Line(**yaml_data)
+    loaded_line = Line.from_dict(yaml_data)
     # Remove the test file
     os.remove(test_file)
     # Validate loaded Line object
@@ -149,9 +157,11 @@ def test_json():
     # Create one thick element
     element2 = ThickElement(name="element2", length=2.0)
     # Create line with both elements
-    line = Line(line=[element1, element2])
+    line = Line(
+        line=[ElementWrapper(element=element1), ElementWrapper(element=element2)]
+    )
     # Serialize the Line object to JSON
-    json_data = json.dumps(line.model_dump(), sort_keys=True, indent=2)
+    json_data = json.dumps(line.to_dict(), sort_keys=True, indent=2)
     print(f"\n{json_data}")
     # Write the JSON data to a test file
     test_file = "line.json"
@@ -161,7 +171,7 @@ def test_json():
     with open(test_file, "r") as file:
         json_data = json.loads(file.read())
     # Parse the JSON data back into a Line object
-    loaded_line = Line(**json_data)
+    loaded_line = Line.from_dict(json_data)
     # Remove the test file
     os.remove(test_file)
     # Validate loaded Line object