diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/dto/MergeTagDTO.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/dto/MergeTagDTO.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ccac157
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/dto/MergeTagDTO.java
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package org.raddatz.familienarchiv.dto;
+
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+public record MergeTagDTO(UUID targetId) {}
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagService.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagService.java
index 28be224c..c06e241b 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagService.java
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@ import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 
 @Service
 @RequiredArgsConstructor
+@Slf4j
 public class TagService {
 
     static final Set<String> ALLOWED_TAG_COLORS = Set.of(
@@ -73,6 +75,29 @@ public class TagService {
         tagRepository.delete(getById(id));
     }
 
+    @Transactional
+    public Tag mergeTags(UUID sourceId, UUID targetId) {
+        log.info("Merging tag {} into {}", sourceId, targetId);
+        validateNotSelf(sourceId, targetId);
+        getById(sourceId);
+        Tag target = getById(targetId);
+        validateNotDescendant(sourceId, targetId);
+        transferDocuments(sourceId, targetId);
+        tagRepository.reparentChildren(sourceId, targetId);
+        tagRepository.deleteById(sourceId);
+        return target;
+    }
+
+    @Transactional
+    public void deleteWithDescendants(UUID id) {
+        log.info("Deleting subtree rooted at {}", id);
+        getById(id);
+        List<UUID> ids = tagRepository.findDescendantIds(id);
+        if (!ids.isEmpty()) tagRepository.deleteDocumentTagsByTagIds(ids);
+        tagRepository.deleteAllById(ids);
+        log.info("Deleted subtree rooted at {}, {} nodes", id, ids.size());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the effective (inherited) color on child tags that have no color of their own.
      * Colors are stored only on root-level tags; children inherit the parent's color.
@@ -126,6 +151,26 @@ public class TagService {
 
     // ─── private helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+    private void validateNotSelf(UUID sourceId, UUID targetId) {
+        if (sourceId.equals(targetId)) {
+            throw DomainException.badRequest(ErrorCode.TAG_MERGE_SELF,
+                    "Source and target must not be the same tag: " + sourceId);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void validateNotDescendant(UUID sourceId, UUID targetId) {
+        List<UUID> descendants = tagRepository.findDescendantIds(sourceId);
+        if (descendants.contains(targetId)) {
+            throw DomainException.badRequest(ErrorCode.TAG_MERGE_INVALID_TARGET,
+                    "Target " + targetId + " is a descendant of source " + sourceId);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void transferDocuments(UUID sourceId, UUID targetId) {
+        tagRepository.reassignDocumentTags(sourceId, targetId);
+        tagRepository.deleteDocumentTagsByTagId(sourceId);
+    }
+
     private void validateNoSelfReference(UUID tagId, UUID proposedParentId) {
         if (tagId.equals(proposedParentId)) {
             throw DomainException.badRequest(ErrorCode.TAG_CYCLE_DETECTED,
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagServiceTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagServiceTest.java
index a8c8c96f..7224c027 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagServiceTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/TagServiceTest.java
@@ -302,6 +302,79 @@ class TagServiceTest {
         assertThat(child2.getColor()).isEqualTo("sienna");
     }
 
+    // ─── mergeTags ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    @Test
+    void mergeTags_throwsBadRequest_whenSelfMerge() {
+        UUID id = UUID.randomUUID();
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> tagService.mergeTags(id, id))
+                .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
+                .extracting(e -> ((DomainException) e).getCode())
+                .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.TAG_MERGE_SELF);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void mergeTags_throwsNotFound_whenSourceMissing() {
+        UUID sourceId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID targetId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        when(tagRepository.findById(sourceId)).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> tagService.mergeTags(sourceId, targetId))
+                .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
+                .extracting(e -> ((DomainException) e).getCode())
+                .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.TAG_NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void mergeTags_throwsNotFound_whenTargetMissing() {
+        UUID sourceId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID targetId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        Tag source = Tag.builder().id(sourceId).name("Source").build();
+        when(tagRepository.findById(sourceId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(source));
+        when(tagRepository.findById(targetId)).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> tagService.mergeTags(sourceId, targetId))
+                .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
+                .extracting(e -> ((DomainException) e).getCode())
+                .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.TAG_NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void mergeTags_throwsBadRequest_whenTargetIsDescendantOfSource() {
+        UUID sourceId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID targetId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        Tag source = Tag.builder().id(sourceId).name("Parent").build();
+        Tag target = Tag.builder().id(targetId).name("Child").parentId(sourceId).build();
+        when(tagRepository.findById(sourceId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(source));
+        when(tagRepository.findById(targetId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(target));
+        when(tagRepository.findDescendantIds(sourceId)).thenReturn(List.of(sourceId, targetId));
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> tagService.mergeTags(sourceId, targetId))
+                .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
+                .extracting(e -> ((DomainException) e).getCode())
+                .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.TAG_MERGE_INVALID_TARGET);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void mergeTags_reassignsDocumentsReparentsChildrenAndDeletesSource() {
+        UUID sourceId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        UUID targetId = UUID.randomUUID();
+        Tag source = Tag.builder().id(sourceId).name("Source").build();
+        Tag target = Tag.builder().id(targetId).name("Target").build();
+        when(tagRepository.findById(sourceId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(source));
+        when(tagRepository.findById(targetId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(target));
+        when(tagRepository.findDescendantIds(sourceId)).thenReturn(List.of(sourceId));
+
+        Tag result = tagService.mergeTags(sourceId, targetId);
+
+        verify(tagRepository).reassignDocumentTags(sourceId, targetId);
+        verify(tagRepository).deleteDocumentTagsByTagId(sourceId);
+        verify(tagRepository).reparentChildren(sourceId, targetId);
+        verify(tagRepository).deleteById(sourceId);
+        assertThat(result).isEqualTo(target);
+    }
+
     // ─── delete ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     @Test