using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.IO;

using System.Xml.Serialization;

​

public class Program

{

    public static void Main()

    {

        const string xml = @"<string xmlns=""http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/"">nl</string>";

​

        var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(string), "http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/");

​

        using (var reader = new StringReader(xml))

        {

            var result = (string) serializer.Deserialize(reader);

            Console.WriteLine(result);

        }        

    }

}

​