diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/+page.svelte
index b00a8160..c84147a1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/+page.svelte
@@ -1,9 +1,28 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
 import TimelineView from '$lib/timeline/TimelineView.svelte';
+import { timelineMeta } from '$lib/timeline/timelineMeta';
 import type { PageData } from './$types';
 
 let { data }: { data: PageData } = $props();
+
+const meta = $derived(timelineMeta(data.timeline));
+const hasContent = $derived(data.timeline.years.length > 0 || data.timeline.undated.length > 0);
+
+// Compose the sub-line from segments joined by " · " so the range drops out
+// cleanly when there are no year bands; the whole line is absent when the
+// timeline is empty (REQ-002). Counts come from the route alone, never from
+// TimelineView.
+const metaLine = $derived.by(() => {
+	const segments: string[] = [];
+	if (meta.firstYear !== null && meta.lastYear !== null) {
+		segments.push(`${meta.firstYear}–${meta.lastYear}`);
+	}
+	segments.push(m.timeline_letters_count({ count: meta.letterCount }));
+	segments.push(m.timeline_events_count({ count: meta.eventCount }));
+	segments.push(m.timeline_grouping_date());
+	return segments.join(' · ');
+});
 </script>
 
 <svelte:head>
@@ -11,6 +30,13 @@ let { data }: { data: PageData } = $props();
 </svelte:head>
 
 <div class="mx-auto max-w-5xl px-4 py-8">
-	<h1 class="mb-8 font-serif text-2xl font-bold text-brand-navy">{m.timeline_heading()}</h1>
-	<TimelineView timeline={data.timeline} />
+	<!-- The .tl-canvas sheet: a framed surface the timeline reads as a finished
+	     life-thread rather than bare page chrome (REQ-001). -->
+	<div data-testid="timeline-canvas" class="rounded-[10px] border border-line bg-canvas p-6">
+		<h1 class="font-serif text-2xl font-bold text-brand-navy">{m.timeline_heading()}</h1>
+		{#if hasContent}
+			<p data-testid="timeline-meta" class="mt-1 mb-6 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3">{metaLine}</p>
+		{/if}
+		<TimelineView timeline={data.timeline} />
+	</div>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/page.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/page.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50782a41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/page.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 '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
+import Page from './+page.svelte';
+import { makeEntry, makeYear, makeTimelineDTO } from '$lib/timeline/test-factories';
+
+afterEach(() => cleanup());
+
+const event = (title: string) =>
+	makeEntry({
+		kind: 'EVENT',
+		derived: true,
+		derivedType: 'BIRTH',
+		title,
+		senderName: '',
+		receiverName: '',
+		documentId: undefined
+	});
+
+describe('/zeitstrahl page', () => {
+	it('wraps the timeline in a bordered, rounded canvas frame (REQ-001)', () => {
+		render(Page, {
+			data: { timeline: makeTimelineDTO({ years: [makeYear(1909, [makeEntry()])] }) }
+		});
+		const canvas = document.querySelector('[data-testid="timeline-canvas"]');
+		expect(canvas).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(canvas?.classList.contains('bg-canvas')).toBe(true);
+		expect(canvas?.classList.contains('border')).toBe(true);
+		// the timeline renders inside the frame
+		expect(canvas?.querySelector('ol')).not.toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it('renders the meta sub-line with range, counts, and grouping (REQ-002)', () => {
+		const dto = makeTimelineDTO({
+			years: [
+				makeYear(1909, [
+					makeEntry({ documentId: 'a' }),
+					makeEntry({ documentId: 'b' }),
+					event('Geburt')
+				]),
+				makeYear(1924, [makeEntry({ documentId: 'c' }), event('Tod')])
+			]
+		});
+		render(Page, { data: { timeline: dto } });
+		const sub = document.querySelector('[data-testid="timeline-meta"]');
+		expect(sub?.textContent).toContain('1909–1924');
+		expect(sub?.textContent).toContain(m.timeline_letters_count({ count: 3 }));
+		expect(sub?.textContent).toContain(m.timeline_events_count({ count: 2 }));
+		expect(sub?.textContent).toContain(m.timeline_grouping_date());
+	});
+
+	it('omits the range segment when there are no year bands (REQ-002)', () => {
+		render(Page, {
+			data: { timeline: makeTimelineDTO({ undated: [makeEntry({ documentId: 'u1' })] }) }
+		});
+		const sub = document.querySelector('[data-testid="timeline-meta"]');
+		expect(sub).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(sub?.textContent).not.toContain('–');
+		expect(sub?.textContent).toContain(m.timeline_letters_count({ count: 1 }));
+	});
+
+	it('omits the entire sub-line for an empty timeline (REQ-002)', () => {
+		render(Page, { data: { timeline: makeTimelineDTO() } });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="timeline-meta"]')).toBeNull();
+	});
+});