diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 639dd2ba..bba08400 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/
 │   └── transcription/   TranscriptionBlock, TranscriptionService, TranscriptionBlockQueryService
 ├── exception/           DomainException, ErrorCode, GlobalExceptionHandler
 ├── filestorage/         FileService (S3/MinIO)
-├── geschichte/          Geschichte (story) domain
+├── geschichte/          Geschichte (story) domain — GeschichteService, GeschichteQueryService
+│   └── journeyitem/     JourneyItem sub-domain — JourneyItemService, JourneyItemController
 ├── importing/           CanonicalImportOrchestrator + four loaders (TagTree/PersonRegister/PersonTree/Document) + CanonicalSheetReader
 ├── notification/        Notification domain + SseEmitterRegistry
 ├── ocr/                 OCR domain — OcrService, OcrBatchService, training
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
index e05382ec..5b83af6a 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
@@ -47,14 +47,14 @@ public class JourneyItemService {
                         "Journey not found: " + geschichteId));
 
         if (g.getType() != GeschichteType.JOURNEY) {
-            throw DomainException.badRequest(ErrorCode.VALIDATION_ERROR,
-                    "Geschichte is not a JOURNEY — cannot append items");
+            throw DomainException.conflict(ErrorCode.GESCHICHTE_TYPE_MISMATCH,
+                    "Journey items can only be added to a JOURNEY-type Geschichte");
         }
 
         long count = journeyItemRepository.countByGeschichteId(geschichteId);
         if (count >= MAX_ITEMS) {
-            throw DomainException.badRequest(ErrorCode.VALIDATION_ERROR,
-                    "Journey already has the maximum of " + MAX_ITEMS + " items");
+            throw DomainException.conflict(ErrorCode.JOURNEY_AT_CAPACITY,
+                    "Journey has reached the maximum of 100 items");
         }
 
         String note = normalizeNote(dto.getNote());
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
index f3d9a97f..14e299d9 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void append_returns400_on_non_JOURNEY_type() {
+    void append_returns409_on_non_JOURNEY_type() {
         Geschichte story = Geschichte.builder()
                 .id(geschichteId)
                 .title("Story")
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
         assertThatThrownBy(() -> journeyItemService.append(geschichteId, dto))
                 .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
                 .satisfies(e -> assertThat(((DomainException) e).getCode())
-                        .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.VALIDATION_ERROR));
+                        .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.GESCHICHTE_TYPE_MISMATCH));
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void append_returns400_when_100_items_exist() {
+    void append_returns409_when_100_items_exist() {
         Geschichte journey = journey(geschichteId);
         when(geschichteRepository.findById(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(journey));
         when(journeyItemRepository.countByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(100L);
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
         assertThatThrownBy(() -> journeyItemService.append(geschichteId, dto))
                 .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
                 .satisfies(e -> assertThat(((DomainException) e).getCode())
-                        .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.VALIDATION_ERROR));
+                        .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.JOURNEY_AT_CAPACITY));
     }
 
     @Test