diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92519535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
+import { getAccentConfig } from './eventCardConfig';
+import { timelineDateLabel } from './dateLabel';
+import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
+
+type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
+
+/**
+ * Full-width muted band for a HISTORICAL event, laid across the axis as context
+ * (REQ-009). A RANGE carries a visible span pill ("1914–1918") with a Zeitraum
+ * aria-label; a RANGE with no end degrades to the start year, no pill (REQ-010).
+ * The glyph is a redundant non-color cue with an sr-only label (REQ-018); text
+ * uses text-ink-2 to stay AA in both themes (REQ-019).
+ */
+let { entry }: { entry: TimelineEntryDTO } = $props();
+
+const config = $derived(getAccentConfig(entry));
+const dateLabel = $derived(timelineDateLabel(entry.eventDate, entry.precision, entry.eventDateEnd));
+const fromYear = $derived(entry.eventDate ? entry.eventDate.slice(0, 4) : null);
+const toYear = $derived(entry.eventDateEnd ? entry.eventDateEnd.slice(0, 4) : null);
+const showSpan = $derived(entry.precision === 'RANGE' && fromYear != null && toYear != null);
+const dateText = $derived(showSpan ? null : entry.precision === 'RANGE' ? fromYear : dateLabel);
+</script>
+
+<div class="my-3 border-y border-line bg-canvas px-4 py-2 text-center">
+	<span class="font-serif text-sm text-ink-2 italic">
+		<span aria-hidden="true" style="color: var(--c-tag-slate)">{config.glyph}</span>
+		<span class="sr-only">{config.label}</span>
+		{entry.title}
+	</span>
+	{#if showSpan && fromYear && toYear}
+		<span
+			data-testid="world-range"
+			class="ml-2 inline-block rounded-full border border-line px-2 py-0.5 font-sans text-xs text-ink-2"
+			aria-label={m.timeline_range_aria({ from: fromYear, to: toYear })}
+		>
+			{fromYear}–{toYear}
+		</span>
+	{:else if dateText}
+		<span class="ml-2 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3">{dateText}</span>
+	{/if}
+</div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..497f51b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/WorldBand.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { cleanup, render } from 'vitest-browser-svelte';
+import WorldBand from './WorldBand.svelte';
+import { makeEntry } from './test-factories';
+
+afterEach(() => cleanup());
+
+function historical(overrides = {}) {
+	return makeEntry({
+		kind: 'EVENT',
+		derived: false,
+		type: 'HISTORICAL',
+		title: 'Erster Weltkrieg',
+		senderName: '',
+		receiverName: '',
+		precision: 'RANGE',
+		eventDate: '1914-01-01',
+		eventDateEnd: '1918-12-31',
+		documentId: undefined,
+		...overrides
+	});
+}
+
+describe('WorldBand', () => {
+	it('renders the historical title with the world glyph + "Weltgeschehen" cue (REQ-018)', () => {
+		render(WorldBand, { entry: historical() });
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Erster Weltkrieg');
+		const hidden = document.querySelector('[aria-hidden="true"]');
+		expect(hidden?.textContent).toBe('◍');
+		const srOnly = document.querySelector('.sr-only');
+		expect(srOnly?.textContent).toBe('Weltgeschehen');
+	});
+
+	it('renders a RANGE span pill 1914–1918 with a Zeitraum aria-label (REQ-009)', () => {
+		render(WorldBand, { entry: historical() });
+		const pill = document.querySelector('[data-testid="world-range"]');
+		expect(pill).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(pill?.textContent).toContain('1914–1918');
+		expect(pill?.getAttribute('aria-label')).toBe('Zeitraum: 1914 bis 1918');
+	});
+
+	it('degrades a RANGE with no end to the start year, no span pill, no crash (REQ-010)', () => {
+		render(WorldBand, { entry: historical({ eventDateEnd: undefined }) });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="world-range"]')).toBeNull();
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Erster Weltkrieg');
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('1914');
+	});
+});