diff --git a/dune/fufem/assemblers/istlbackend.hh b/dune/fufem/assemblers/istlbackend.hh
index bffe79f012d194d27034ab08c9a268708c12b9b6..2c7eb714f72dd9b6f15986f2c4a5d840ea4194e2 100644
--- a/dune/fufem/assemblers/istlbackend.hh
+++ b/dune/fufem/assemblers/istlbackend.hh
@@ -311,6 +311,31 @@ public:
     return i(*matrix_);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * \brief Const access to wrapped matrix
+   */
+  const Matrix& matrix() const
+  {
+    return *matrix_;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * \brief Mutable access to wrapped matrix
+   */
+  Matrix& matrix()
+  {
+    return *matrix_;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * \brief Assign value to wrapped matrix
+   */
+  template<class Value>
+  void assign(const Value& value)
+  {
+    matrix() = value;
+  }
+
 protected:
 
   Matrix* matrix_;