diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventCluster.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventCluster.svelte
index 024ba168..29f13497 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventCluster.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventCluster.svelte
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
 import LetterCard from './LetterCard.svelte';
 import GlyphLabel from './GlyphLabel.svelte';
+import EventHeader from './EventHeader.svelte';
 import { entryKey } from './entryKey';
-import { getAccentConfig, canEditEvent } from './eventCardConfig';
-import { timelineDateLabel } from './dateLabel';
 import { CLUSTER_PREVIEW } from './eventClustering';
 import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
 
@@ -15,9 +14,9 @@ type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
  * header (so its title reads once — never also as a floating pill, #850 REQ-002), and its letters
  * sit inside as compact `.lcard.ev` cards.
  *
- * - Same-year event (`event` given): the header carries the accent glyph + sr-only label, the
- *   title, a `{date} · {kuratiert|abgeleitet}` subtitle, the letter count, and — for a curator on
- *   a curated event — an edit link to `/zeitstrahl/events/{eventId}/edit` (REQ-002).
+ * - Same-year event (`event` given): the shared EventHeader carries the accent glyph + sr-only
+ *   label, the title, a `{date} · {kuratiert|abgeleitet}` subtitle, the letter count, and — for a
+ *   curator on a curated event — an edit link to `/zeitstrahl/events/{eventId}/edit` (REQ-002).
  * - Cross-year (`title` given, no `event`): a plain `✉ {title}` text header, no edit link, no pill
  *   chrome — it holds that other year's linked letters (REQ-004).
  *
@@ -40,19 +39,6 @@ let {
 
 const count = $derived(letters.length);
 
-// Event-as-header: a same-year curated event renders as this card's header, mirroring EventPill —
-// glyph + title + date · provenance + an edit pencil for a curator. The title is never repeated
-// as a separate floating pill (REQ-002).
-const accent = $derived(event ? getAccentConfig(event) : null);
-const eventDateLabel = $derived(
-	event ? timelineDateLabel(event.eventDate, event.precision, event.eventDateEnd) : null
-);
-const provenance = $derived(
-	event?.derived ? m.timeline_provenance_derived() : m.timeline_provenance_curated()
-);
-const eventSubtitle = $derived(eventDateLabel ? `${eventDateLabel} · ${provenance}` : provenance);
-const canEdit = $derived(!!event && canEditEvent(event, canWrite));
-
 // First-5 preview + show-more (REQ-003): a large cluster stays readable instead of dumping every
 // card into the timeline.
 let expanded = $state(false);
@@ -64,45 +50,15 @@ const hiddenCount = $derived(letters.length - CLUSTER_PREVIEW);
 	class="my-3 overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-l-2 border-line border-l-brand-mint bg-surface shadow-sm"
 	data-testid="event-card"
 >
-	{#if event && accent}
-		<!-- A same-year curated event IS the card header — its title reads once here, never also
-		     as a floating pill (REQ-002). Glyph is aria-hidden with an sr-only label sibling; the
-		     edit pencil mirrors EventPill's gate (REQ-010). -->
+	{#if event}
+		<!-- A same-year curated event IS the card header (the shared EventHeader) — its title reads
+		     once here, never also as a floating pill (REQ-002); the edit pencil uses the single
+		     canEditEvent gate (REQ-010, #850 finding #5). -->
 		<header
 			data-testid="event-header"
 			class="flex items-center gap-2 border-b border-line bg-canvas px-3 py-2"
 		>
-			<span
-				class="flex h-7 w-7 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full {accent.accent ===
-				'curated'
-					? 'bg-brand-mint text-brand-navy'
-					: 'bg-brand-navy text-brand-mint'}"
-			>
-				<span aria-hidden="true">{accent.glyph}</span>
-				<span class="sr-only">{accent.label}</span>
-			</span>
-			<span class="min-w-0 text-left">
-				<span class="block font-serif text-sm font-bold whitespace-pre-line text-brand-navy"
-					>{event.title}</span
-				>
-				<span class="block font-sans text-xs text-ink-3">
-					{eventSubtitle}
-					<span data-testid="event-count">
-						<span aria-hidden="true">· {count}</span>
-						<span class="sr-only">{m.timeline_cluster_letter_count({ count })}</span>
-					</span>
-				</span>
-			</span>
-			{#if canEdit}
-				<a
-					data-testid="event-edit"
-					href="/zeitstrahl/events/{event.eventId}/edit"
-					class="ml-auto rounded-sm px-1 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3 hover:text-brand-navy focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
-				>
-					<span aria-hidden="true">✎</span>
-					<span class="sr-only">{m.btn_edit()}</span>
-				</a>
-			{/if}
+			<EventHeader entry={event} canWrite={canWrite} count={count} />
 		</header>
 	{:else}
 		<!-- Cross-year card (REQ-004): the same event's letters in another year band get a plain
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d639083
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
+import GlyphLabel from './GlyphLabel.svelte';
+import { getAccentConfig, canEditEvent } from './eventCardConfig';
+import { timelineDateLabel } from './dateLabel';
+import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
+
+type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
+
+/**
+ * The shared header for a curated or derived timeline event — the accent glyph circle, the title,
+ * and the `{date} · {kuratiert|abgeleitet}` subtitle, plus a curator edit pencil gated by the
+ * single canEditEvent() contract. Rendered by EventPill (inside the floating axis pill) and by
+ * EventCluster (as a same-year event-card header), so the glyph/title/subtitle markup and the
+ * security-relevant edit gate live in one place (#850 finding #5). It renders three sibling nodes
+ * (glyph circle, text block, optional edit pencil) into the parent's flex row — the parent owns
+ * the wrapper (pill vs card header). An optional letter `count` appends a screen-reader-labeled
+ * "· {count}" for the event-card case.
+ */
+let {
+	entry,
+	canWrite = false,
+	count = undefined
+}: { entry: TimelineEntryDTO; canWrite?: boolean; count?: number } = $props();
+
+const config = $derived(getAccentConfig(entry));
+const dateLabel = $derived(timelineDateLabel(entry.eventDate, entry.precision, entry.eventDateEnd));
+// Provenance reads off entry.derived: a derived life-event is "abgeleitet", a curated event
+// "kuratiert"; the date is an optional prefix so an undated event still reads the provenance.
+const provenance = $derived(
+	entry.derived ? m.timeline_provenance_derived() : m.timeline_provenance_curated()
+);
+const subtitle = $derived(dateLabel ? `${dateLabel} · ${provenance}` : provenance);
+const canEdit = $derived(canEditEvent(entry, canWrite));
+</script>
+
+<span
+	class="flex h-7 w-7 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full {config.accent === 'curated'
+		? 'bg-brand-mint text-brand-navy'
+		: 'bg-brand-navy text-brand-mint'}"
+>
+	<GlyphLabel glyph={config.glyph} label={config.label} />
+</span>
+<span class="min-w-0 text-left">
+	{#if entry.title}
+		<span class="block font-serif text-sm font-bold whitespace-pre-line text-brand-navy"
+			>{entry.title}</span
+		>
+	{/if}
+	<span class="block font-sans text-xs text-ink-3">
+		{subtitle}
+		{#if count !== undefined}
+			<span data-testid="event-count">
+				<span aria-hidden="true">· {count}</span>
+				<span class="sr-only">{m.timeline_cluster_letter_count({ count })}</span>
+			</span>
+		{/if}
+	</span>
+</span>
+{#if canEdit}
+	<a
+		data-testid="event-edit"
+		href="/zeitstrahl/events/{entry.eventId}/edit"
+		class="ml-auto rounded-sm px-1 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3 hover:text-brand-navy focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
+	>
+		<span aria-hidden="true">✎</span>
+		<span class="sr-only">{m.btn_edit()}</span>
+	</a>
+{/if}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..960ca859
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventHeader.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { cleanup, render } from 'vitest-browser-svelte';
+import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
+import EventHeader from './EventHeader.svelte';
+import { makeEntry } from './test-factories';
+import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
+
+type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
+
+afterEach(() => cleanup());
+
+const EV_ID = 'aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa';
+
+const curated = (overrides: Partial<TimelineEntryDTO> = {}): TimelineEntryDTO =>
+	makeEntry({
+		kind: 'EVENT',
+		type: 'PERSONAL',
+		derived: false,
+		eventId: EV_ID,
+		eventDate: '1916-07-06',
+		precision: 'DAY',
+		title: 'Ein gewaltiger Stadtbrand',
+		documentId: undefined,
+		...overrides
+	});
+
+describe('EventHeader', () => {
+	it('renders the glyph with an sr-only label, the title, and the provenance subtitle', () => {
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated() });
+		expect(document.querySelector('.sr-only')?.textContent).toBe(m.timeline_layer_family());
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Ein gewaltiger Stadtbrand');
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain(m.timeline_provenance_curated());
+	});
+
+	it('shows the edit pencil for a writer on a curated event (canEditEvent gate)', () => {
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated(), canWrite: true });
+		const edit = document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-edit"]') as HTMLAnchorElement;
+		expect(edit).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(edit.getAttribute('href')).toBe(`/zeitstrahl/events/${EV_ID}/edit`);
+	});
+
+	it('hides the edit pencil without write, for a derived event, and for a null eventId', () => {
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated(), canWrite: false });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-edit"]')).toBeNull();
+		cleanup();
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated({ derived: true }), canWrite: true });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-edit"]')).toBeNull();
+		cleanup();
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated({ eventId: undefined }), canWrite: true });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-edit"]')).toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it('renders a screen-reader-labeled letter count when a count is given', () => {
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated(), count: 3 });
+		const count = document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-count"]') as HTMLElement;
+		expect(count.querySelector('[aria-hidden="true"]')?.textContent).toContain('· 3');
+		expect(count.querySelector('.sr-only')?.textContent).toBe(
+			m.timeline_cluster_letter_count({ count: 3 })
+		);
+	});
+
+	it('omits the letter count when no count is given (the pill case)', () => {
+		render(EventHeader, { entry: curated() });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-count"]')).toBeNull();
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventPill.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventPill.svelte
index 5a4afb17..b71e7856 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventPill.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventPill.svelte
@@ -1,32 +1,21 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
-import { getAccentConfig, canEditEvent } from './eventCardConfig';
-import { timelineDateLabel } from './dateLabel';
+import EventHeader from './EventHeader.svelte';
+import { getAccentConfig } from './eventCardConfig';
 import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
 
 type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
 
 /**
  * Centered axis pill for a derived life-event or a curated PERSONAL event
- * (REQ-007/008). The glyph is wrapped aria-hidden with an sr-only label sibling
- * (REQ-018). An edit affordance shows only for a curated event with an eventId
- * (never derived, never null — REQ-008) and only for a curator who holds
- * WRITE_ALL (`canWrite`, gate-closed by default — #842 REQ-005/007/008). The
- * gate is UX only; the real boundary is the #781 route guard + backend permission.
+ * (REQ-007/008). The pill border keys off the accent (curated = mint, derived =
+ * navy); its glyph, title, subtitle, and curator edit pencil are the shared
+ * EventHeader, so the edit gate (canEditEvent) lives in one place — #842
+ * REQ-005/007/008, #850 finding #5. The gate is UX only; the real boundary is the
+ * #781 route guard + backend permission.
  */
 let { entry, canWrite = false }: { entry: TimelineEntryDTO; canWrite?: boolean } = $props();
 
 const config = $derived(getAccentConfig(entry));
-const dateLabel = $derived(timelineDateLabel(entry.eventDate, entry.precision, entry.eventDateEnd));
-// Provenance reads off entry.derived (not the accent): a derived life-event is
-// "abgeleitet", a curated PERSONAL event is "kuratiert" (REQ-007).
-const provenance = $derived(
-	entry.derived ? m.timeline_provenance_derived() : m.timeline_provenance_curated()
-);
-// Provenance always shows; the date is an optional prefix so an undated event
-// still reads "abgeleitet"/"kuratiert" (REQ-007).
-const subtitle = $derived(dateLabel ? `${dateLabel} · ${provenance}` : provenance);
-const canEdit = $derived(canEditEvent(entry, canWrite));
 </script>
 
 <div class="flex justify-center">
@@ -36,32 +25,6 @@ const canEdit = $derived(canEditEvent(entry, canWrite));
 			? 'border-2 border-brand-mint'
 			: 'border border-brand-navy'}"
 	>
-		<span
-			class="flex h-7 w-7 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full {config.accent ===
-			'curated'
-				? 'bg-brand-mint text-brand-navy'
-				: 'bg-brand-navy text-brand-mint'}"
-		>
-			<span aria-hidden="true">{config.glyph}</span>
-			<span class="sr-only">{config.label}</span>
-		</span>
-		<span class="text-left">
-			{#if entry.title}
-				<span class="block font-serif text-sm font-bold whitespace-pre-line text-brand-navy"
-					>{entry.title}</span
-				>
-			{/if}
-			<span class="block font-sans text-xs text-ink-3">{subtitle}</span>
-		</span>
-		{#if canEdit}
-			<a
-				data-testid="event-edit"
-				href="/zeitstrahl/events/{entry.eventId}/edit"
-				class="ml-1 rounded-sm px-1 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3 hover:text-brand-navy focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
-			>
-				<span aria-hidden="true">✎</span>
-				<span class="sr-only">{m.btn_edit()}</span>
-			</a>
-		{/if}
+		<EventHeader entry={entry} canWrite={canWrite} />
 	</div>
 </div>