diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.spec.ts
index 1855d07d..2a39f8ac 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
-import { relativeTimeDe } from './relativeTime';
+import { relativeTimeDe, relativeYearsDe } from './relativeTime';
 
 const NOW = new Date('2026-04-20T12:00:00Z');
 
@@ -39,3 +39,31 @@ describe('relativeTimeDe', () => {
 		expect(relativeTimeDe(invalid, NOW)).toMatch(/Minute/i);
 	});
 });
+
+describe('relativeYearsDe', () => {
+	it('returns singular "vor 1 Jahr" for exactly one whole year ago', () => {
+		const from = new Date('2025-04-20T12:00:00Z');
+		expect(relativeYearsDe(from, NOW)).toBe('vor 1 Jahr');
+	});
+
+	it('returns plural "vor N Jahren" for more than one year', () => {
+		const from = new Date('1940-04-20T12:00:00Z');
+		expect(relativeYearsDe(from, NOW)).toBe('vor 86 Jahren');
+	});
+
+	it('floors a partial year down (eleven months ago = 0 years)', () => {
+		const from = new Date('2025-06-01T00:00:00Z');
+		// We show "vor weniger als 1 Jahr" rather than rounding up to 1.
+		expect(relativeYearsDe(from, NOW)).toBe('vor weniger als 1 Jahr');
+	});
+
+	it('returns empty string when the input Date is invalid', () => {
+		const invalid = new Date('not-a-real-date');
+		expect(relativeYearsDe(invalid, NOW)).toBe('');
+	});
+
+	it('returns empty string for future dates', () => {
+		const future = new Date('2030-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+		expect(relativeYearsDe(future, NOW)).toBe('');
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.ts b/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.ts
index f2e45a7e..ef6f80d7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/relativeTime.ts
@@ -9,3 +9,22 @@ export function relativeTimeDe(from: Date, now: Date = new Date()): string {
 	if (minutes < 1440) return m.comment_time_hours({ count: Math.round(minutes / 60) });
 	return m.comment_time_days({ count: Math.round(minutes / 1440) });
 }
+
+// "vor N Jahren" for a historical letter date relative to now. Computed from
+// calendar fields (not a constant ms-per-year) so that a letter from exactly
+// one year ago reports "vor 1 Jahr" rather than falling on the wrong side of
+// a leap-year rounding. Returns "" for invalid or future dates — the caller
+// should then hide the relative-time label rather than render a misleading
+// "vor 0 Jahren".
+export function relativeYearsDe(from: Date, now: Date = new Date()): string {
+	if (Number.isNaN(from.getTime()) || Number.isNaN(now.getTime())) return '';
+	if (from.getTime() > now.getTime()) return '';
+	let years = now.getUTCFullYear() - from.getUTCFullYear();
+	const beforeAnniversary =
+		now.getUTCMonth() < from.getUTCMonth() ||
+		(now.getUTCMonth() === from.getUTCMonth() && now.getUTCDate() < from.getUTCDate());
+	if (beforeAnniversary) years -= 1;
+	if (years < 1) return 'vor weniger als 1 Jahr';
+	if (years === 1) return 'vor 1 Jahr';
+	return `vor ${years} Jahren`;
+}