diff --git a/app/models/paper.rb b/app/models/paper.rb
index 94fdf86..2b85dc3 100644
--- a/app/models/paper.rb
+++ b/app/models/paper.rb
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ class Paper < ActiveRecord::Base
       puts "Imported #{count - old_count} Papers!"
     end
 
+    def import_from_oparl(oparl_doc)
+      doc = JSON.parse(oparl_doc)
+      attributes = {
+        name: doc['name'],
+        body: doc['body'],
+        paper_type: doc['paperType'],
+        reference: doc['reference'],
+        url: doc['web'],
+        published_at: doc['modified'],
+        content: 'n.a.',
+        originator: doc['leipzig:originator']
+      }
+      record = find_or_initialize_by(url: attributes[:url])
+      record.update(attributes) ? record : nil
+    end
+
     # use DSL to define search queries
     # see https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-ruby/tree/master/elasticsearch-dsl
     # and https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-rails/tree/master/elasticsearch-rails/lib/rails/templates
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/oparl-paper.json b/spec/fixtures/oparl-paper.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a55271
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/oparl-paper.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "id": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/papers.asp?id=1014936",
+  "type": "https://schema.oparl.org/1.0/Paper",
+  "body": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/bodies.asp?id=2387",
+  "name": "Wiederherstellung des Haltepunktes an der Bahnstrecke und Zugänglichkeit zur Naherholung des Leipziger Ortsteils Knautnaundorf",
+  "reference": "VII-P-00651",
+  "paperType": "Petition",
+  "date": "2020-02-28",
+  "mainFile": {
+    "id": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/files.asp?dtyp=130&id=1612340",
+    "type": "https://schema.oparl.org/1.0/File",
+    "name": "Vorlage-Sammeldokument",
+    "fileName": "1612340.pdf",
+    "mimeType": "application/pdf",
+    "modified": "2020-03-01T22:05:35+01:00",
+    "size": 199412,
+    "accessUrl": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/download.asp?dtyp=130&id=1612340"
+  },
+  "consultation": [
+    {
+      "id": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/consultations.asp?typ=s&id=1051155",
+      "type": "https://schema.oparl.org/1.0/Consultation",
+      "organization": [
+        "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/organizations.asp?typ=gr&id=2346"
+      ],
+      "role": "Vorberatung",
+      "paper": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/oparl/1.0/papers.asp?id=1014936"
+    }
+  ],
+  "web": "https://ratsinfo.leipzig.de/bi/vo020.asp?VOLFDNR=1014936",
+  "created": "2019-12-11T12:00:00+01:00",
+  "modified": "2020-02-28T12:49:29+01:00",
+  "leipzig:originator": "Petitionsausschuss"
+}
diff --git a/spec/models/paper_spec.rb b/spec/models/paper_spec.rb
index 58bbc90..8092206 100644
--- a/spec/models/paper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/paper_spec.rb
@@ -51,4 +51,30 @@ RSpec.describe Paper do
 
     it { should validate_length_of(:resolution).is_at_most(30_000) }
   end
+
+  context 'Paper.import_from_oparl' do
+    let(:oparl_paper_json) { File.read(Rails.root.join('spec/fixtures/oparl-paper.json')) }
+
+    it 'creates a database record for the document' do
+      expect { Paper.import_from_oparl(oparl_paper_json) }.to change { Paper.count }.by(1)
+    end
+
+    it 'populates the fields of the record correctly' do
+      source = JSON.parse(oparl_paper_json)
+      record = Paper.import_from_oparl(oparl_paper_json)
+      mapping = {
+        'name' => 'name',
+        'body' => 'body',
+        'paperType' => 'paper_type',
+        'reference' => 'reference',
+        'web' => 'url',
+        'modified' => 'published_at',
+        'leipzig:originator' => 'originator'
+      }
+      mapping.each do |source_field, target_field|
+        expect(source[source_field]).to be_present, "#{source_field} not present in source"
+        expect(record[target_field]).to eq(source[source_field])
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end