diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte
index 1d9b9cf1..9a4866b0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
-import { fillDensityGaps, monthBoundaryFrom, monthBoundaryTo } from '$lib/document/timeline';
+import {
+	fillDensityGaps,
+	aggregateToYears,
+	selectionBoundaryFrom,
+	selectionBoundaryTo
+} from '$lib/document/timeline';
 import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
 
 type MonthBucket = components['schemas']['MonthBucket'];
@@ -8,6 +13,9 @@ type SelectionEvent = { from: string; to: string };
 
 const BAR_AREA_HEIGHT = 80; // px — Leonie spec h-20
 const ZERO_COUNT_BAR_HEIGHT = 2; // px — minimum visible signal for empty months
+// Above this threshold, month bars compress to sub-pixel widths in the flex
+// row; we collapse to year granularity so each bar stays clickable.
+const MONTH_GRANULARITY_LIMIT = 240;
 
 let {
 	density,
@@ -25,11 +33,15 @@ let {
 	onchange: (event: SelectionEvent) => void;
 } = $props();
 
-const filled = $derived.by(() => {
+const monthBuckets = $derived.by(() => {
 	if (density === null) return [];
 	return fillDensityGaps(density, minDate, maxDate);
 });
 
+const filled = $derived(
+	monthBuckets.length > MONTH_GRANULARITY_LIMIT ? aggregateToYears(monthBuckets) : monthBuckets
+);
+
 const maxCount = $derived(Math.max(...filled.map((b) => b.count), 1));
 
 const hasSelection = $derived(from !== '' || to !== '');
@@ -39,18 +51,18 @@ function barHeight(count: number): number {
 	return Math.max(ZERO_COUNT_BAR_HEIGHT, (count / maxCount) * BAR_AREA_HEIGHT);
 }
 
-function selectMonth(month: string) {
-	onchange({ from: monthBoundaryFrom(month), to: monthBoundaryTo(month) });
+function selectBar(label: string) {
+	onchange({ from: selectionBoundaryFrom(label), to: selectionBoundaryTo(label) });
 }
 
 function clearSelection() {
 	onchange({ from: '', to: '' });
 }
 
-function isSelected(month: string): boolean {
+function isSelected(label: string): boolean {
 	if (!hasSelection) return false;
-	const monthFrom = monthBoundaryFrom(month);
-	return monthFrom >= from && monthFrom <= to;
+	const labelFrom = selectionBoundaryFrom(label);
+	return labelFrom >= from && labelFrom <= to;
 }
 </script>
 
@@ -61,15 +73,15 @@ function isSelected(month: string): boolean {
 		aria-label={m.timeline_aria_label()}
 		class="relative rounded-sm border border-line bg-surface px-3 pt-3 pb-2 shadow-sm"
 	>
-		<div class="flex h-20 items-end gap-px" style="height: {BAR_AREA_HEIGHT}px;">
+		<div class="flex h-20 items-end" style="height: {BAR_AREA_HEIGHT}px;">
 			{#each filled as bucket (bucket.month)}
 				<button
 					type="button"
 					data-testid="timeline-bar"
 					aria-label="{bucket.month} · {bucket.count}"
 					aria-pressed={isSelected(bucket.month)}
-					onclick={() => selectMonth(bucket.month)}
-					class="bar group flex flex-1 cursor-pointer items-end justify-center bg-transparent p-0 transition-colors"
+					onclick={() => selectBar(bucket.month)}
+					class="bar group flex min-w-px flex-1 cursor-pointer items-end justify-center bg-transparent p-0 transition-colors"
 					class:selected={isSelected(bucket.month)}
 				>
 					<span
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte.spec.ts
index 5d86ae09..c324cdf1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/TimelineDensityFilter.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -130,3 +130,46 @@ describe('TimelineDensityFilter — selection', () => {
 		expect(clearBtn.getAttribute('aria-label')).toBeTruthy();
 	});
 });
+
+describe('TimelineDensityFilter — year-granularity fallback', () => {
+	it('collapses to year buckets when the month sequence exceeds the limit', async () => {
+		// 21 years × 12 months = 252 entries — above the 240 month limit.
+		const buckets: MonthBucket[] = [];
+		for (let year = 1900; year <= 1920; year++) {
+			buckets.push({ month: `${year}-06`, count: year - 1899 });
+		}
+		render(
+			TimelineDensityFilter,
+			makeProps({ density: buckets, minDate: '1900-01-01', maxDate: '1920-12-31' })
+		);
+
+		const bars = document.querySelectorAll('[data-testid="timeline-bar"]');
+		expect(bars.length).toBe(21);
+		const firstLabel = bars[0].getAttribute('aria-label');
+		expect(firstLabel?.startsWith('1900 ·')).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it('clicking a year bar emits Jan 1 to Dec 31 boundary dates', async () => {
+		const onchange = vi.fn();
+		const buckets: MonthBucket[] = [];
+		for (let year = 1900; year <= 1920; year++) {
+			buckets.push({ month: `${year}-06`, count: 5 });
+		}
+		render(
+			TimelineDensityFilter,
+			makeProps({
+				density: buckets,
+				minDate: '1900-01-01',
+				maxDate: '1920-12-31',
+				onchange
+			})
+		);
+
+		const bars = document.querySelectorAll(
+			'[data-testid="timeline-bar"]'
+		) as NodeListOf<HTMLElement>;
+		bars[5].dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('click', { bubbles: true }));
+
+		expect(onchange).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ from: '1905-01-01', to: '1905-12-31' });
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.spec.ts
index ca4e177b..63d9b58b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.spec.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import {
 	monthBoundaryTo,
 	buildMonthSequence,
 	fillDensityGaps,
-	fetchDensity
+	fetchDensity,
+	aggregateToYears,
+	selectionBoundaryFrom,
+	selectionBoundaryTo
 } from './timeline';
 
 describe('monthBoundaryFrom', () => {
@@ -108,6 +111,47 @@ describe('fillDensityGaps', () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe('aggregateToYears', () => {
+	it('returns empty array for empty input', () => {
+		expect(aggregateToYears([])).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	it('sums counts within the same year', () => {
+		const result = aggregateToYears([
+			{ month: '1915-08', count: 5 },
+			{ month: '1915-09', count: 2 },
+			{ month: '1915-10', count: 8 }
+		]);
+		expect(result).toEqual([{ month: '1915', count: 15 }]);
+	});
+
+	it('produces one bucket per distinct year, sorted chronologically', () => {
+		const result = aggregateToYears([
+			{ month: '1916-01', count: 3 },
+			{ month: '1915-08', count: 5 },
+			{ month: '1916-04', count: 7 },
+			{ month: '1914-12', count: 1 }
+		]);
+		expect(result).toEqual([
+			{ month: '1914', count: 1 },
+			{ month: '1915', count: 5 },
+			{ month: '1916', count: 10 }
+		]);
+	});
+});
+
+describe('selectionBoundaryFrom / To', () => {
+	it('handles month labels (YYYY-MM)', () => {
+		expect(selectionBoundaryFrom('1915-08')).toBe('1915-08-01');
+		expect(selectionBoundaryTo('1915-08')).toBe('1915-08-31');
+	});
+
+	it('handles year labels (YYYY)', () => {
+		expect(selectionBoundaryFrom('1915')).toBe('1915-01-01');
+		expect(selectionBoundaryTo('1915')).toBe('1915-12-31');
+	});
+});
+
 describe('fetchDensity', () => {
 	it('skips fetch and returns null density on mobile', async () => {
 		const fetch = vi.fn();
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.ts
index 3406c06b..c82786ad 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/timeline.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,35 @@ export function fillDensityGaps(
 	return sequence.map((month) => ({ month, count: counts.get(month) ?? 0 }));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Aggregates month-granular buckets into one entry per year. Month strings are
+ * truncated to "YYYY" and counts are summed. Used when the date span is too
+ * long for month-granular bars to render at a clickable size.
+ */
+export function aggregateToYears(buckets: MonthBucket[]): MonthBucket[] {
+	const totals = new Map<string, number>();
+	for (const b of buckets) {
+		const year = b.month.slice(0, 4);
+		totals.set(year, (totals.get(year) ?? 0) + b.count);
+	}
+	return Array.from(totals.entries())
+		.map(([year, count]) => ({ month: year, count }))
+		.sort((a, b) => a.month.localeCompare(b.month));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Boundary helpers for selection. Accept either "YYYY-MM" (month) or "YYYY"
+ * (year) and return the matching LocalDate string.
+ */
+export function selectionBoundaryFrom(label: string): string {
+	return label.length === 4 ? `${label}-01-01` : `${label}-01`;
+}
+
+export function selectionBoundaryTo(label: string): string {
+	if (label.length === 4) return `${label}-12-31`;
+	return monthBoundaryTo(label);
+}
+
 /**
  * Loads the density data for the timeline widget. Mobile (sm: breakpoint and below)
  * and calendar view both skip the request entirely — the widget isn't rendered