diff --git a/GeoLib/GEOObjects.h b/GeoLib/GEOObjects.h
index e3145782af00e056b8963c2dcd2dbf16e8364782..60ae5e2f6c994a8e33c7abc6323d19f865e6f7be 100644
--- a/GeoLib/GEOObjects.h
+++ b/GeoLib/GEOObjects.h
@@ -222,10 +222,6 @@ public:
 	 */
 	const SurfaceVec* getSurfaceVecObj(const std::string &name) const;
 
-	/// Returns std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max() if no geometry of the
-	/// given name exists or the index of the geometry in _pnt_vecs otherwise
-	std::size_t exists(const std::string &geometry_name) const;
-
 	/// Returns the names of all geometry vectors.
 	void getGeometryNames (std::vector<std::string>& names) const;
 
@@ -275,6 +271,10 @@ public:
 	virtual ~GEOObjects();
 
 protected:
+	/// Returns std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max() if no geometry of the
+	/// given name exists or the index of the geometry in _pnt_vecs otherwise
+	std::size_t exists(const std::string &geometry_name) const;
+
 	/// Checks if the point vector with the given name is referenced in a polyline- or surface vector.
 	bool isPntVecUsed (const std::string &name) const;