diff --git a/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementController.php b/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementController.php
index af710d615..ff7d00cc6 100644
--- a/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementController.php
+++ b/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementController.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class AssetManagementController extends TTCrud
     // Simplified columns for better layout, details are in the 'assetDetails' slot
     protected array $columns = [
         ['key' => 'assetDetails', 'text' => 'Gerät', 'modal' => false, 'table' => ['filter' => 'search', 'sortable' => true]],
+        ['key' => 'category', 'text' => 'Kategorie', 'modal' => false, 'table' => ['filter' => 'select', 'filterOptions' => []]],
         ['key' => 'currentUser', 'text' => 'Status', 'modal' => false, 'table' => ['sortable' => false, 'filter' => false]],
         ['key' => 'location', 'text' => 'Lagerort', 'required' => true, 'modal' => ['type' => 'text'], 'table' => ['filter' => 'search']],
         ['key' => 'serviceDueDate', 'text' => 'Service fällig', 'required' => false, 'modal' => ['type' => 'date'], 'table' => ['filter' => 'date']],
@@ -22,6 +23,15 @@ class AssetManagementController extends TTCrud
             $this->additionalJSVariables['ASSET_ADMIN'] = '0';
             $this->columns = array_filter($this->columns, fn($col) => $col['key'] !== 'actions');
         }
+
+        $categories = AssetManagementModel::getDistinctCategories();
+        $categoryOptions = array_map(fn($cat) => ['value' => $cat, 'text' => $cat], $categories);
+        foreach ($this->columns as &$column) {
+            if ($column['key'] === 'category') {
+                $column['table']['filterOptions'] = $categoryOptions;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -282,6 +292,18 @@ class AssetManagementController extends TTCrud
         self::returnJson(['success' => true, 'message' => 'Reservierung gelöscht.']);
     }
 
+    protected function getCategoriesAction()
+    {
+        $searchTerm = $this->request->q ?? '';
+        $categories = AssetManagementModel::getDistinctCategories($searchTerm);
+
+        $result = array_map(function($category) {
+            return ['value' => $category, 'text' => $category];
+        }, $categories);
+
+        self::returnJson($result);
+    }
+
     protected function printLabelAction() {
         if (!$this->user->can('AssetAdmin')) {
             self::sendError("Permission denied", 403);
diff --git a/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementModel.php b/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementModel.php
index 9cef32f94..793e54f10 100644
--- a/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementModel.php
+++ b/application/AssetManagement/AssetManagementModel.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ class AssetManagementModel extends TTCrudBaseModel {
     public int $id;
     public string $name;
     public ?string $description;
+    public ?string $category;
     public ?int $mainImageId; // Renamed from imageId
     public ?string $imageIds; // Changed to JSON (will be a string in PHP)
     public string $assetNumber;
@@ -35,8 +36,7 @@ class AssetManagementModel extends TTCrudBaseModel {
             foreach ($searchTerms as $term) {
                 if (empty(trim($term))) continue;
                 $escapedTerm = $db->real_escape_string($term);
-                // For each term, search in name, assetNumber, and description.
-                $searchConditions[] = "(`name` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `assetNumber` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `description` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%')";
+                $searchConditions[] = "(`name` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `assetNumber` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `description` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `category` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%')";
             }
 
             if (!empty($searchConditions)) {
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ class AssetManagementModel extends TTCrudBaseModel {
             foreach ($searchTerms as $term) {
                 if (empty(trim($term))) continue;
                 $escapedTerm = $db->real_escape_string($term);
-                // For each term, search in name, assetNumber, and description.
-                $searchConditions[] = "(`name` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `assetNumber` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `description` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%')";
+                // For each term, search in name, assetNumber, description, and category.
+                $searchConditions[] = "(`name` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `assetNumber` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `description` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%' OR `category` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%')";
             }
 
             if (!empty($searchConditions)) {
@@ -128,4 +128,26 @@ class AssetManagementModel extends TTCrudBaseModel {
 
         return $result->fetch_assoc()['count'];
     }
+
+    public static function getDistinctCategories(string $searchTerm = ''): array {
+        $db = self::getDB();
+        $table = self::getFullyQualifiedTable();
+
+        $sql = "SELECT DISTINCT `category` FROM $table WHERE `category` IS NOT NULL AND `category` != ''";
+
+        if (!empty($searchTerm)) {
+            $escapedTerm = $db->real_escape_string($searchTerm);
+            $sql .= " AND `category` LIKE '%$escapedTerm%'";
+        }
+
+        $sql .= " ORDER BY `category` ASC LIMIT 20";
+
+        $result = $db->query($sql);
+        $categories = [];
+        while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
+            $categories[] = $row['category'];
+        }
+
+        return $categories;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/db/migrations/20260119140000_asset_management_add_category.php b/db/migrations/20260119140000_asset_management_add_category.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47dac3c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/20260119140000_asset_management_add_category.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Phinx\Migration\AbstractMigration;
+
+final class AssetManagementAddCategory extends AbstractMigration
+{
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        if ($this->getEnvironment() == "thetool") {
+            $table = $this->table("AssetManagement");
+            $table->addColumn('category', 'string', [
+                'limit' => 255,
+                'null' => true,
+                'default' => null,
+                'after' => 'description',
+                'comment' => 'Free text category for the asset with autocomplete support',
+            ]);
+            $table->addIndex(['category'], ['name' => 'idx_category']);
+            $table->update();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        if ($this->getEnvironment() == "thetool") {
+            $table = $this->table("AssetManagement");
+            $table->removeIndex(['category']);
+            $table->removeColumn('category');
+            $table->update();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/public/js/pages/AssetManagement/AssetManagement.js b/public/js/pages/AssetManagement/AssetManagement.js
index a26bd81d1..64ab588d0 100644
--- a/public/js/pages/AssetManagement/AssetManagement.js
+++ b/public/js/pages/AssetManagement/AssetManagement.js
@@ -454,6 +454,14 @@ Vue.component('asset-management-modal', {
             <tt-input label="Gerätename" v-model="asset.name" sm required/>
             <tt-input label="Kennzeichen / Nr." v-model="asset.assetNumber" sm required/>
             <tt-input label="Lagerort" v-model="asset.location" sm required/>
+            <tt-autocomplete
+                label="Kategorie"
+                :api-url="categoryAutoCompleteUrl"
+                v-model="asset.category"
+                :return-text="true"
+                placeholder="Kategorie eingeben..."
+                sm
+            />
           </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -488,9 +496,11 @@ Vue.component('asset-management-modal', {
     `,
     data(){
         return {
+            categoryAutoCompleteUrl: window.TT_CONFIG.BASE_PATH + '/AssetManagement/getCategories',
             asset: {
                 name: '',
                 description: '',
+                category: '',
                 assetNumber: '',
                 location: 'Liftkammer',
                 serviceDueDate: null,