diff --git a/frontend/e2e/zeitstrahl.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/zeitstrahl.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/e2e/zeitstrahl.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { test, expect, type APIRequestContext } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/**
+ * Global /zeitstrahl timeline (#779). Runs against the real stack with the
+ * seeded admin session (auth.setup). Covers the primary journey (nav → page,
+ * timeline inside <main>) and the 320px no-overflow guarantee on a populated
+ * timeline seeded with 25+char correspondent names (REQ-005).
+ */
+
+const stamp = () => new Date().toISOString().replace(/[^0-9]/g, '');
+
+async function createPerson(request: APIRequestContext, firstName: string, lastName: string) {
+	const res = await request.post('/api/persons', {
+		data: { personType: 'PERSON', firstName, lastName }
+	});
+	if (!res.ok()) throw new Error(`create person failed: ${res.status()}`);
+	return (await res.json()).id as string;
+}
+
+/** Seeds one dated letter with long sender/receiver names so it lands on the timeline. */
+async function seedDatedLetter(request: APIRequestContext) {
+	const senderId = await createPerson(
+		request,
+		'Friedrich-Wilhelm',
+		`Maximilian von Habsburg ${stamp()}`
+	);
+	const receiverId = await createPerson(
+		request,
+		'Maria-Magdalena',
+		`Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen ${stamp()}`
+	);
+
+	const createRes = await request.post('/api/documents', {
+		multipart: { title: `E2E Zeitstrahl Brief ${stamp()}` }
+	});
+	if (!createRes.ok()) throw new Error(`create document failed: ${createRes.status()}`);
+	const docId = (await createRes.json()).id as string;
+
+	const put = await request.put(`/api/documents/${docId}`, {
+		multipart: {
+			title: `E2E Zeitstrahl Brief ${stamp()}`,
+			documentDate: '1915-06-15',
+			metaDatePrecision: 'DAY',
+			senderId,
+			receiverIds: receiverId
+		}
+	});
+	if (!put.ok()) throw new Error(`update document failed: ${put.status()}`);
+}
+
+test.describe('Zeitstrahl — global timeline (#779)', () => {
+	test('nav link opens /zeitstrahl and the timeline lives in <main>', async ({ page }) => {
+		await page.goto('/');
+		await page.getByRole('navigation').getByRole('link', { name: 'Zeitstrahl' }).first().click();
+		await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/zeitstrahl$/);
+		await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Zeitstrahl' })).toBeVisible();
+
+		// The main landmark contains either the populated <ol> or the empty state.
+		const main = page.getByRole('main');
+		const ol = main.locator('ol');
+		const empty = main.getByText('Noch keine Ereignisse.');
+		await expect(async () => {
+			const populated = (await ol.count()) > 0;
+			const isEmpty = await empty.isVisible().catch(() => false);
+			expect(populated || isEmpty).toBe(true);
+		}).toPass();
+	});
+
+	test('no horizontal overflow at 320px with long correspondent names (REQ-005)', async ({
+		page,
+		request
+	}) => {
+		await seedDatedLetter(request);
+
+		await page.setViewportSize({ width: 320, height: 900 });
+		await page.goto('/zeitstrahl');
+
+		// Populated: the seeded letter puts the timeline <ol> in the DOM.
+		await expect(page.getByRole('main').locator('ol')).toHaveCount(1);
+
+		const scrollWidth = await page.evaluate(() => document.body.scrollWidth);
+		expect(scrollWidth).toBe(320);
+	});
+});