diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/exception/ErrorCode.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/exception/ErrorCode.java
index 04894717..a26e5e5a 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/exception/ErrorCode.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/exception/ErrorCode.java
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ public enum ErrorCode {
     /** The new annotation overlaps an existing one on the same page. 409 */
     ANNOTATION_OVERLAP,
 
+    // --- Comments ---
+    /** The comment with the given ID does not exist. 404 */
+    COMMENT_NOT_FOUND,
+
     // --- Generic ---
     /** Request validation failed (missing or malformed fields). 400 */
     VALIDATION_ERROR,
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/model/DocumentComment.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/model/DocumentComment.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b93b4244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/model/DocumentComment.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model;
+
+import io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema;
+import jakarta.persistence.*;
+import lombok.*;
+import org.hibernate.annotations.CreationTimestamp;
+import org.hibernate.annotations.UpdateTimestamp;
+
+import java.time.LocalDateTime;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+@Entity
+@Table(name = "document_comments")
+@Data
+@NoArgsConstructor
+@AllArgsConstructor
+@Builder
+public class DocumentComment {
+
+    @Id
+    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.UUID)
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private UUID id;
+
+    @Column(name = "document_id", nullable = false)
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private UUID documentId;
+
+    @Column(name = "annotation_id")
+    private UUID annotationId;
+
+    @Column(name = "parent_id")
+    private UUID parentId;
+
+    @Column(name = "author_id")
+    private UUID authorId;
+
+    @Column(name = "author_name", nullable = false)
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private String authorName;
+
+    @Column(nullable = false, columnDefinition = "TEXT")
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private String content;
+
+    @Column(name = "created_at", nullable = false, updatable = false)
+    @CreationTimestamp
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private LocalDateTime createdAt;
+
+    @Column(name = "updated_at", nullable = false)
+    @UpdateTimestamp
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private LocalDateTime updatedAt;
+
+    // Populated by the service — not stored in the database
+    @Transient
+    @Builder.Default
+    @Schema(requiredMode = Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED)
+    private List<DocumentComment> replies = new ArrayList<>();
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/repository/CommentRepository.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/repository/CommentRepository.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80269305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/repository/CommentRepository.java
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package org.raddatz.familienarchiv.repository;
+
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.DocumentComment;
+import org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.JpaRepository;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+public interface CommentRepository extends JpaRepository<DocumentComment, UUID> {
+
+    List<DocumentComment> findByDocumentIdAndAnnotationIdIsNullAndParentIdIsNull(UUID documentId);
+
+    List<DocumentComment> findByAnnotationIdAndParentIdIsNull(UUID annotationId);
+
+    List<DocumentComment> findByParentId(UUID parentId);
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/CommentService.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/CommentService.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84bf9f0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/CommentService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package org.raddatz.familienarchiv.service;
+
+import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.exception.DomainException;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.exception.ErrorCode;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.AppUser;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.DocumentComment;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.repository.CommentRepository;
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
+import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+@Service
+@RequiredArgsConstructor
+public class CommentService {
+
+    private final CommentRepository commentRepository;
+
+    public List<DocumentComment> getCommentsForDocument(UUID documentId) {
+        List<DocumentComment> roots =
+                commentRepository.findByDocumentIdAndAnnotationIdIsNullAndParentIdIsNull(documentId);
+        return withReplies(roots);
+    }
+
+    public List<DocumentComment> getCommentsForAnnotation(UUID annotationId) {
+        List<DocumentComment> roots = commentRepository.findByAnnotationIdAndParentIdIsNull(annotationId);
+        return withReplies(roots);
+    }
+
+    @Transactional
+    public DocumentComment postComment(UUID documentId, UUID annotationId, String content, AppUser author) {
+        DocumentComment comment = DocumentComment.builder()
+                .documentId(documentId)
+                .annotationId(annotationId)
+                .content(content)
+                .authorId(author.getId())
+                .authorName(resolveAuthorName(author))
+                .build();
+        return commentRepository.save(comment);
+    }
+
+    @Transactional
+    public DocumentComment replyToComment(UUID documentId, UUID commentId, String content, AppUser author) {
+        DocumentComment target = commentRepository.findById(commentId)
+                .orElseThrow(() -> DomainException.notFound(
+                        ErrorCode.COMMENT_NOT_FOUND, "Comment not found: " + commentId));
+
+        UUID rootId = target.getParentId() != null ? target.getParentId() : target.getId();
+        DocumentComment root = commentRepository.findById(rootId)
+                .orElseThrow(() -> DomainException.notFound(
+                        ErrorCode.COMMENT_NOT_FOUND, "Comment not found: " + rootId));
+
+        DocumentComment reply = DocumentComment.builder()
+                .documentId(documentId)
+                .annotationId(root.getAnnotationId())
+                .parentId(root.getId())
+                .content(content)
+                .authorId(author.getId())
+                .authorName(resolveAuthorName(author))
+                .build();
+        return commentRepository.save(reply);
+    }
+
+    @Transactional
+    public DocumentComment editComment(UUID documentId, UUID commentId, String content, AppUser currentUser) {
+        DocumentComment comment = findComment(documentId, commentId);
+        if (!currentUser.getId().equals(comment.getAuthorId())) {
+            throw DomainException.forbidden("Only the comment author can edit it");
+        }
+        comment.setContent(content);
+        return commentRepository.save(comment);
+    }
+
+    @Transactional
+    public void deleteComment(UUID documentId, UUID commentId, AppUser currentUser) {
+        DocumentComment comment = findComment(documentId, commentId);
+        boolean isAuthor = currentUser.getId().equals(comment.getAuthorId());
+        boolean isAdmin = currentUser.hasPermission("ADMIN");
+        if (!isAuthor && !isAdmin) {
+            throw DomainException.forbidden("Only the comment author or an admin can delete it");
+        }
+        commentRepository.delete(comment);
+    }
+
+    // ─── private helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    private List<DocumentComment> withReplies(List<DocumentComment> roots) {
+        roots.forEach(root -> root.setReplies(commentRepository.findByParentId(root.getId())));
+        return roots;
+    }
+
+    private DocumentComment findComment(UUID documentId, UUID commentId) {
+        return commentRepository.findById(commentId)
+                .filter(c -> documentId.equals(c.getDocumentId()))
+                .orElseThrow(() -> DomainException.notFound(
+                        ErrorCode.COMMENT_NOT_FOUND, "Comment not found: " + commentId));
+    }
+
+    private String resolveAuthorName(AppUser author) {
+        String first = author.getFirstName();
+        String last = author.getLastName();
+        if ((first == null || first.isBlank()) && (last == null || last.isBlank())) {
+            return author.getUsername();
+        }
+        return ((first != null ? first : "") + " " + (last != null ? last : "")).strip();
+    }
+}