diff --git a/src/cxxfuncs.cc b/src/cxxfuncs.cc
index 555684b..297196e 100644
--- a/src/cxxfuncs.cc
+++ b/src/cxxfuncs.cc
@@ -425,31 +425,6 @@ Obj FuncSI_Indeterminates(Obj self, Obj rr)
 }
 
 
-/// Installed as SI_ideal method
-Obj Func_SI_ideal_from_String(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj st)
-{
-    rr = UnwrapHighlevelWrapper(rr);
-    if (!ISSINGOBJ(SINGTYPE_RING_IMM, rr)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument rr must be a singular ring",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    if (!IS_STRING_REP(st)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument st must be a string",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    ring r = (ring) CXX_SINGOBJ(rr);
-    if (r != currRing) rChangeCurrRing(r);
-    const char *p = CSTR_STRING(st);
-    poly *polylist;
-    Int len = ParsePolyList(r, p, 100, polylist);
-    ideal id = idInit(len,1);
-    Int i;
-    for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
-        id->m[i] = polylist[i];
-    omFree(polylist);
-    return NEW_SINGOBJ_RING(SINGTYPE_IDEAL, id, r);
-}
-
 /// Installed as SI_bigint method
 Obj Func_SI_bigint(Obj self, Obj nr)
 {
diff --git a/src/libsing.cc b/src/libsing.cc
index b44a555..034a9e6 100644
--- a/src/libsing.cc
+++ b/src/libsing.cc
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ static StructGVarFunc GVarFuncs[] = {
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", _SI_debug, 1, "obj"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", _SI_ring, 3, "characteristic, names, orderings"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", SI_Indeterminates, 1, "ring"),
-    GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", _SI_ideal_from_String, 2, "rr, st"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", _SI_MONOMIAL, 3, "ring, coeff, exponents"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", _SI_EVALUATE, 1, "st"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("cxxfuncs.cc", SingularValueOfVar, 1, "name"),
@@ -75,7 +74,6 @@ static StructGVarFunc GVarFuncs[] = {
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("calls.cc",  SI_SetCurrRing, 1, "r"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("calls.cc",  SI_CallProc, 2, "name, args"),
 
-    GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_matrix_from_String, 4, "rr, nrrows, nrcols, st"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_bigintmat, 1, "m"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_Matbigintmat, 1, "im"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_intmat, 1, "m"),
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ static StructGVarFunc GVarFuncs[] = {
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_MatElm, 3, "mat, row, col"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("matrix.cc", _SI_SetMatElm, 4, "mat, row, col, val"),
 
-    GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("poly.cc", _SI_poly_from_String, 2, "rr, st"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("poly.cc", _SI_COPY_POLY, 1, "poly"),
     GVAR_FUNC_TABLE_ENTRY("poly.cc", _SI_MULT_POLY_NUMBER, 2, "a, b"),
 
diff --git a/src/libsing.h b/src/libsing.h
index 54e6b2d..7b74b14 100644
--- a/src/libsing.h
+++ b/src/libsing.h
@@ -258,7 +258,6 @@ Obj _SI_TypeObj(Obj o);
 Obj Func_SI_ring(Obj self, Obj charact, Obj names, Obj orderings);
 Obj FuncSI_RingOfSingobj( Obj self, Obj singobj );
 Obj FuncSI_Indeterminates(Obj self, Obj r);
-Obj Func_SI_ideal_from_String(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj st);
 Obj Func_SI_MONOMIAL(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj coeff, Obj exps);
 Obj Func_SI_EVALUATE(Obj self, Obj st);
 Obj FuncSingularValueOfVar(Obj self, Obj name);
diff --git a/src/matrix.cc b/src/matrix.cc
index e4b1f7f..c8ed4b7 100644
--- a/src/matrix.cc
+++ b/src/matrix.cc
@@ -24,48 +24,6 @@
 
 #include <coeffs/bigintmat.h>
 
-
-/// Installed as SI_matrix method
-Obj Func_SI_matrix_from_String(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj nrrows, Obj nrcols,
-                               Obj st)
-{
-    if (!(IS_INTOBJ(nrrows) && IS_INTOBJ(nrcols) &&
-          INT_INTOBJ(nrrows) > 0 && INT_INTOBJ(nrcols) > 0)) {
-        ErrorQuit("nrrows and nrcols must be positive integers",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    Int c_nrrows = INT_INTOBJ(nrrows);
-    Int c_nrcols = INT_INTOBJ(nrcols);
-    rr = UnwrapHighlevelWrapper(rr);
-    if (!ISSINGOBJ(SINGTYPE_RING_IMM,rr)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument rr must be a singular ring",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    if (!IS_STRING_REP(st)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument st must be a string",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    ring r = (ring) CXX_SINGOBJ(rr);
-    if (r != currRing) rChangeCurrRing(r);
-    const char *p = CSTR_STRING(st);
-    poly *polylist;
-    Int len = ParsePolyList(r, p, (int) (c_nrrows * c_nrrows), polylist);
-    matrix mat = mpNew(c_nrrows,c_nrcols);
-    Int i;
-    Int row = 1;
-    Int col = 1;
-    for (i = 0; i < len && row <= c_nrrows; i++) {
-        MATELEM(mat,row,col) = polylist[i];
-        col++;
-        if (col > c_nrcols) {
-            col = 1;
-            row++;
-        }
-    }
-    omFree(polylist);
-    return NEW_SINGOBJ_RING(SINGTYPE_MATRIX, mat, r);
-}
-
 /// Installed as SI_bigintmat method
 Obj Func_SI_bigintmat(Obj self, Obj m)
 {
diff --git a/src/matrix.h b/src/matrix.h
index f7ddb10..85d4bca 100644
--- a/src/matrix.h
+++ b/src/matrix.h
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 #include "libsing.h"
 
-Obj Func_SI_matrix_from_String(Obj self,Obj rr,Obj nrrows, Obj nrcols, Obj st);
 Obj Func_SI_bigintmat(Obj self, Obj m);
 Obj Func_SI_Matbigintmat(Obj self, Obj im);
 Obj Func_SI_intmat(Obj self, Obj m);
diff --git a/src/poly.cc b/src/poly.cc
index f242ec3..0d34a9f 100644
--- a/src/poly.cc
+++ b/src/poly.cc
@@ -71,90 +71,6 @@ static poly _SI_GET_poly(Obj o, ring &r)
     return NULL;   // To please the compiler
 }
 
-// Our constructors for polynomials:
-
-static poly ParsePoly(ring r, const char *&st)
-{
-    poly p,q;
-    const char *s;
-    char *buf;
-    p = NULL;
-    bool neg;
-    if (r != currRing) rChangeCurrRing(r);
-    while (true) {
-        while (*st == ' ') st++;
-        if (*st == '-') {
-            neg = true;
-            st++;
-            while (*st == ' ') st++;
-        } else neg = false;
-        s = st;
-        while ((*s >= '0' && *s <= '9') ||
-               (*s >= 'a' && *s <= 'z') ||
-               (*s >= 'A' && *s <= 'Z')) s++;
-        buf = (char *) omalloc( (s - st)+1 );
-        strncpy(buf,st,s-st);
-        buf[s-st] = 0;
-        s = p_Read(buf,q,r);
-        s = st + (s - buf);
-        omFree(buf);
-        if (s == st) return p;
-        if (neg) q = p_Neg(q,r);
-        p = p_Add_q(p,q,r);
-        st = s;
-        while (*st == ' ') st++;
-        if (*st == '+') {
-            st++;
-            while (*st == ' ') st++;
-        }
-        if (*st == ',' || *st == 0) return p;
-    }
-}
-
-/// Installed as SI_poly method
-Obj Func_SI_poly_from_String(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj st)
-// st a string or a list of lists or so...
-{
-    rr = UnwrapHighlevelWrapper(rr);
-    if (!ISSINGOBJ(SINGTYPE_RING_IMM, rr)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument rr must be a singular ring",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    if (!IS_STRING_REP(st)) {
-        ErrorQuit("Argument st must be a string",0L,0L);
-        return Fail;
-    }
-    ring r = (ring) CXX_SINGOBJ(rr);
-    const char *p = CSTR_STRING(st);
-    poly q = ParsePoly(r,p);
-    Obj tmp = NEW_SINGOBJ_RING(SINGTYPE_POLY, q, r);
-    return tmp;
-}
-
-int ParsePolyList(ring r, const char *&st, int expected, poly *&res)
-{
-    int alloc = expected;
-    int len = 0;
-    res = (poly *) omalloc(sizeof(poly) * alloc);
-    poly *newres;
-    poly newpoly;
-
-    while (true) {
-        newpoly = ParsePoly(r,st);
-        if (len >= alloc) {
-            alloc *= 2;
-            newres = (poly *) omalloc(sizeof(poly) * alloc);
-            memcpy(newres,res,sizeof(poly)*len);
-            omFree(res);
-            res = newres;
-        }
-        res[len++] = newpoly;
-        if (*st != ',') return len;
-        st++;
-        while (*st == ' ') st++;
-    }
-}
-
 // TODO: _SI_MONOMIAL is only used by examples, do we still need it? For what?
 Obj Func_SI_MONOMIAL(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj coeff, Obj exps)
 {
diff --git a/src/poly.h b/src/poly.h
index 748f86f..8e53991 100644
--- a/src/poly.h
+++ b/src/poly.h
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@
 
 #include "libsing.h"
 
-int ParsePolyList(ring r, const char *&st, int expected, poly *&res);
-
-Obj Func_SI_poly_from_String(Obj self, Obj rr, Obj st);
 Obj Func_SI_COPY_POLY(Obj self, Obj po);
 Obj Func_SI_MULT_POLY_NUMBER(Obj self, Obj a, Obj b);