diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index d8114df..a5ad17b 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -1446,6 +1446,10 @@ initializeDatabase().then(() => {
         atts.forEach((a) => { (byEmail[a.email_id] = byEmail[a.email_id] || []).push(a); });
         emails.forEach((e) => { e.anhaenge = byEmail[e.id] || []; });
         decorateEmails(emails);
+        // These are read now that they are shown — clears them from the bell.
+        // (The `seen` values above are captured pre-update, so the "Neu" badge
+        // still renders on this view.)
+        await dbRun("UPDATE emails SET seen = 1 WHERE bewerbung_id IS NULL AND direction = 'in' AND seen = 0");
       }
       // Applications the user can assign an e-mail to (newest first).
       const bewerbungen = await dbAll(
@@ -1502,7 +1506,7 @@ initializeDatabase().then(() => {
     }
   });
 
-  // Count of unlinked e-mails — drives the header badge on every page.
+  // Count of unlinked e-mails — drives the "Postfach" header badge on every page.
   app.get('/api/emails/unassigned-count', async (req, res) => {
     try {
       const row = await dbGet('SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM emails WHERE bewerbung_id IS NULL');
@@ -1512,6 +1516,54 @@ initializeDatabase().then(() => {
     }
   });
 
+  // Unread received e-mails — drives the notification bell on every page. Returns
+  // the total unread count plus the newest few as a ready-to-render list. Replies
+  // auto-assigned to an application carry a link to that application; unassigned
+  // mail links to the Postfach.
+  app.get('/api/notifications', async (req, res) => {
+    try {
+      const cntRow = await dbGet(
+        "SELECT COUNT(*) AS count FROM emails WHERE direction = 'in' AND seen = 0"
+      );
+      const rows = await dbAll(
+        `SELECT e.id, e.from_addr, e.subject, e.body_text, e.body_html, e.email_date, e.bewerbung_id,
+                b.firma, b.stelle
+           FROM emails e LEFT JOIN bewerbungen b ON b.id = e.bewerbung_id
+          WHERE e.direction = 'in' AND e.seen = 0
+          ORDER BY datetime(e.email_date) DESC, e.id DESC
+          LIMIT 30`
+      );
+      const items = rows.map((e) => {
+        const fromName = String(e.from_addr || '').replace(/<[^>]*>/, '').replace(/"/g, '').trim()
+          || String(e.from_addr || '').trim();
+        const snippet = emailPlainText(e).replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim().slice(0, 140);
+        return {
+          id: e.id,
+          from: fromName || '(unbekannt)',
+          subject: e.subject || '(kein Betreff)',
+          snippet,
+          date: e.email_date || null,
+          bewerbung_id: e.bewerbung_id || null,
+          kontext: e.bewerbung_id ? [e.firma, e.stelle].filter(Boolean).join(' · ') : '',
+          url: e.bewerbung_id ? ('/bewerbung/' + e.bewerbung_id + '#korrespondenz') : '/postfach',
+        };
+      });
+      res.json({ count: cntRow ? cntRow.count : 0, items });
+    } catch (error) {
+      res.status(500).json({ count: 0, items: [] });
+    }
+  });
+
+  // Mark every received e-mail as read (clears the notification bell).
+  app.post('/api/emails/mark-all-read', async (req, res) => {
+    try {
+      await dbRun("UPDATE emails SET seen = 1 WHERE direction = 'in' AND seen = 0");
+      res.json({ ok: true });
+    } catch (error) {
+      res.status(500).json({ ok: false });
+    }
+  });
+
   // Add a timeline entry (status change with date + comment)
   app.post('/bewerbung/:id/verlauf', async (req, res) => {
     try {
diff --git a/views/partials/header.ejs b/views/partials/header.ejs
index 0ac991f..e5f2d52 100644
--- a/views/partials/header.ejs
+++ b/views/partials/header.ejs
@@ -9,6 +9,26 @@
             </a>
             
             <div class="flex items-center space-x-4">
+                <!-- Notification bell: unread received e-mails (incl. auto-assigned replies) -->
+                <div class="relative" id="notifWrap">
+                    <button id="notifBtn" type="button"
+                        class="relative flex items-center p-2 rounded-full bg-white/20 hover:bg-white/30 transition-colors text-white"
+                        aria-label="Benachrichtigungen" title="Ungelesene E-Mails">
+                        <svg class="w-5 h-5" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+                            <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M15 17h5l-1.405-1.405A2.032 2.032 0 0118 14.158V11a6.002 6.002 0 00-4-5.659V5a2 2 0 10-4 0v.341C7.67 6.165 6 8.388 6 11v3.159c0 .538-.214 1.055-.595 1.436L4 17h5m6 0v1a3 3 0 11-6 0v-1m6 0H9"></path>
+                        </svg>
+                        <span id="notifBadge" class="hidden absolute -top-1 -right-1 min-w-[18px] h-[18px] px-1 flex items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-red-500 text-white text-[10px] font-bold ring-2 ring-blue-800 dark:ring-gray-900">0</span>
+                    </button>
+                    <div id="notifPanel" class="hidden absolute right-0 mt-2 w-80 max-w-[calc(100vw-2rem)] max-h-96 overflow-y-auto rounded-lg bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 shadow-2xl ring-1 ring-black/10 dark:ring-white/10 z-50 text-left">
+                        <div class="flex items-center justify-between px-4 py-2.5 border-b border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700 sticky top-0 bg-white dark:bg-gray-800">
+                            <span class="text-sm font-semibold text-gray-800 dark:text-white">Benachrichtigungen</span>
+                            <button id="notifMarkAll" type="button" class="hidden text-xs text-blue-600 dark:text-blue-400 hover:underline">Alle gelesen</button>
+                        </div>
+                        <ul id="notifList" class="divide-y divide-gray-100 dark:divide-gray-700"></ul>
+                        <div id="notifEmpty" class="px-4 py-8 text-center text-sm text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">Keine ungelesenen Nachrichten</div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+
                 <!-- Postfach (unlinked incoming e-mails) link -->
                 <a href="/postfach"
                    class="relative flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-2 rounded-md bg-white/20 hover:bg-white/30 transition-colors text-white text-sm font-medium"
@@ -83,6 +103,71 @@
         </div>
     </div>
     <script>
+        // Notification bell: unread received e-mails (new replies + orphan mail).
+        (function () {
+            var btn = document.getElementById('notifBtn');
+            var panel = document.getElementById('notifPanel');
+            var badge = document.getElementById('notifBadge');
+            var list = document.getElementById('notifList');
+            var empty = document.getElementById('notifEmpty');
+            var markAll = document.getElementById('notifMarkAll');
+            if (!btn) return;
+            function esc(s) { var d = document.createElement('div'); d.textContent = (s == null ? '' : String(s)); return d.innerHTML; }
+            function fmtDate(d) {
+                if (!d) return '';
+                try {
+                    var dt = new Date(d), diff = (Date.now() - dt.getTime()) / 1000;
+                    if (diff < 60) return 'gerade eben';
+                    if (diff < 3600) return Math.floor(diff / 60) + ' Min.';
+                    if (diff < 86400) return Math.floor(diff / 3600) + ' Std.';
+                    return dt.toLocaleDateString('de-DE');
+                } catch (e) { return ''; }
+            }
+            function render(data) {
+                var items = (data && data.items) || [], count = (data && data.count) || 0;
+                if (count > 0) { badge.textContent = count > 99 ? '99+' : count; badge.classList.remove('hidden'); }
+                else { badge.classList.add('hidden'); }
+                list.innerHTML = '';
+                if (!items.length) { empty.classList.remove('hidden'); markAll.classList.add('hidden'); return; }
+                empty.classList.add('hidden'); markAll.classList.remove('hidden');
+                items.forEach(function (it) {
+                    var li = document.createElement('li');
+                    var a = document.createElement('a');
+                    a.href = it.url;
+                    a.className = 'block px-4 py-3 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:hover:bg-gray-700/60 transition-colors';
+                    a.innerHTML =
+                        '<div class="flex items-center justify-between gap-2">'
+                        + '<span class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-100 truncate">' + esc(it.from) + '</span>'
+                        + '<span class="text-[11px] text-gray-400 shrink-0">' + esc(fmtDate(it.date)) + '</span>'
+                        + '</div>'
+                        + '<div class="text-sm text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200 truncate">' + esc(it.subject) + '</div>'
+                        + (it.snippet ? '<div class="text-xs text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 truncate mt-0.5">' + esc(it.snippet) + '</div>' : '')
+                        + (it.kontext ? '<div class="text-[11px] text-blue-600 dark:text-blue-400 truncate mt-0.5">' + esc(it.kontext) + '</div>' : '');
+                    li.appendChild(a); list.appendChild(li);
+                });
+            }
+            function load() {
+                fetch('/api/notifications', { cache: 'no-store' })
+                    .then(function (r) { return r.json(); }).then(render).catch(function () { /* ignore */ });
+            }
+            btn.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
+                e.stopPropagation();
+                panel.classList.toggle('hidden');
+                if (!panel.classList.contains('hidden')) load();
+            });
+            document.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
+                if (!panel.classList.contains('hidden') && !panel.contains(e.target) && !btn.contains(e.target)) {
+                    panel.classList.add('hidden');
+                }
+            });
+            markAll.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
+                e.preventDefault(); e.stopPropagation();
+                fetch('/api/emails/mark-all-read', { method: 'POST' })
+                    .then(function () { render({ count: 0, items: [] }); }).catch(function () { /* ignore */ });
+            });
+            load();
+            setInterval(load, 60000);
+        })();
         // Populate the Postfach badge with the count of unlinked incoming e-mails.
         (function () {
             fetch('/api/emails/unassigned-count').then(function (r) { return r.json(); }).then(function (d) {