diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..005e6e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+import EventPill from './EventPill.svelte';
+import WorldBand from './WorldBand.svelte';
+import LetterCard from './LetterCard.svelte';
+import YearLetterStrip from './YearLetterStrip.svelte';
+import { isDense } from './timelineDensity';
+import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
+
+type TimelineYearDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineYearDTO'];
+type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
+
+/**
+ * One year of the timeline: a <section> with a sticky <h2> (REQ-006). Events
+ * render in DTO order as pills/bands; letters render as individual cards while
+ * the band holds ≤ 12 (REQ-011) or collapse to a single density strip above that
+ * (REQ-012). Entries are never re-sorted — DTO order is preserved (REQ-003).
+ */
+let { year }: { year: TimelineYearDTO } = $props();
+
+type Row =
+	| { t: 'event'; entry: TimelineEntryDTO }
+	| { t: 'letter'; entry: TimelineEntryDTO; side: 'left' | 'right' }
+	| { t: 'strip' };
+
+const letters = $derived(year.entries.filter((e) => e.kind === 'LETTER'));
+const dense = $derived(isDense(letters.length));
+
+const rows = $derived.by<Row[]>(() => {
+	const out: Row[] = [];
+	let stripInserted = false;
+	let letterIndex = 0;
+	for (const entry of year.entries) {
+		if (entry.kind === 'EVENT') {
+			out.push({ t: 'event', entry });
+		} else if (!dense) {
+			out.push({ t: 'letter', entry, side: letterIndex % 2 === 0 ? 'left' : 'right' });
+			letterIndex += 1;
+		} else if (!stripInserted) {
+			out.push({ t: 'strip' });
+			stripInserted = true;
+		}
+	}
+	return out;
+});
+
+function entryKey(entry: TimelineEntryDTO): string {
+	return (
+		entry.kind +
+		':' +
+		(entry.eventId ??
+			entry.documentId ??
+			`${entry.derivedType}:${(entry.linkedPersonIds ?? []).join('-')}`)
+	);
+}
+</script>
+
+<section class="py-2">
+	<h2
+		class="year-heading w-fit rounded-full bg-brand-navy px-4 py-1 font-serif text-sm font-bold text-white"
+	>
+		{year.year}
+	</h2>
+
+	<div class="mt-3 space-y-3">
+		{#each rows as row (row.t === 'strip' ? `strip-${year.year}` : entryKey(row.entry))}
+			{#if row.t === 'event'}
+				{#if row.entry.type === 'HISTORICAL'}
+					<WorldBand entry={row.entry} />
+				{:else}
+					<EventPill entry={row.entry} />
+				{/if}
+			{:else if row.t === 'letter'}
+				<div class="letter-row" data-side={row.side}>
+					<LetterCard entry={row.entry} />
+				</div>
+			{:else}
+				<YearLetterStrip letters={letters} year={year.year} />
+			{/if}
+		{/each}
+	</div>
+</section>
+
+<style>
+/* Sticky offset in scoped CSS so it holds in unit tests too (the global
+	   header is a 64px sticky nav). REQ-006. */
+.year-heading {
+	position: sticky;
+	top: 4rem;
+	z-index: 1;
+}
+
+/* Phone (< 1024px): single left-anchored column, all letters on one side
+	   (REQ-005). Desktop (≥ 1024px): centered axis, letters alternate left/right
+	   so consecutive cards sit on opposite sides of the spine (REQ-004). */
+@media (min-width: 1024px) {
+	.letter-row {
+		width: 50%;
+	}
+	.letter-row[data-side='left'] {
+		margin-right: auto;
+		padding-right: 1.75rem;
+	}
+	.letter-row[data-side='right'] {
+		margin-left: auto;
+		padding-left: 1.75rem;
+	}
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d43a6e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { cleanup, render } from 'vitest-browser-svelte';
+import YearBand from './YearBand.svelte';
+import { makeEntry, makeYear } from './test-factories';
+
+afterEach(() => cleanup());
+
+function manyLetters(year: number, count: number) {
+	return Array.from({ length: count }, (_, i) =>
+		makeEntry({ eventDate: `${year}-01-10`, documentId: `doc-${i}` })
+	);
+}
+
+describe('YearBand', () => {
+	it('renders a section with a sticky h2 at top:4rem showing the year (REQ-006)', () => {
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1914, [makeEntry()]) });
+		const section = document.querySelector('section');
+		expect(section).not.toBeNull();
+		const h2 = section?.querySelector('h2');
+		expect(h2?.textContent).toContain('1914');
+		const cs = getComputedStyle(h2 as HTMLElement);
+		expect(cs.position).toBe('sticky');
+		expect(cs.top).toBe('64px');
+	});
+
+	it('renders each letter as a card when the band holds <= 12 letters (REQ-011)', () => {
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1909, manyLetters(1909, 3)) });
+		expect(document.querySelectorAll('a')).toHaveLength(3);
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="strip-expand"]')).toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it('renders a single strip when the band holds > 12 letters (REQ-012)', () => {
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1915, manyLetters(1915, 30)) });
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="strip-expand"]')).not.toBeNull();
+		// collapsed: no individual letter links yet
+		expect(document.querySelectorAll('a')).toHaveLength(0);
+	});
+
+	it('renders entries in DTO order — DAY-precision letter above a YEAR-precision letter (REQ-003)', () => {
+		const dayLetter = makeEntry({
+			precision: 'DAY',
+			eventDate: '1923-04-12',
+			title: 'Tagesgenau',
+			documentId: 'day'
+		});
+		const yearLetter = makeEntry({
+			precision: 'YEAR',
+			eventDate: '1923-01-01',
+			title: 'Nur Jahr',
+			documentId: 'year'
+		});
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1923, [dayLetter, yearLetter]) });
+		const links = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('a'));
+		expect(links[0].getAttribute('href')).toBe('/documents/day');
+		expect(links[1].getAttribute('href')).toBe('/documents/year');
+	});
+
+	it('renders an EVENT as a pill and a HISTORICAL event as a band', () => {
+		const pill = makeEntry({
+			kind: 'EVENT',
+			derived: true,
+			derivedType: 'MARRIAGE',
+			title: 'Heirat',
+			senderName: '',
+			receiverName: '',
+			documentId: undefined
+		});
+		const band = makeEntry({
+			kind: 'EVENT',
+			derived: false,
+			type: 'HISTORICAL',
+			precision: 'RANGE',
+			eventDate: '1914-01-01',
+			eventDateEnd: '1918-12-31',
+			title: 'Erster Weltkrieg',
+			senderName: '',
+			receiverName: '',
+			documentId: undefined
+		});
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1914, [pill, band]) });
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Heirat');
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="world-range"]')).not.toBeNull();
+	});
+});