diff --git a/backend/routers/media_assets.py b/backend/routers/media_assets.py
index 6fd65a6..8b264df 100644
--- a/backend/routers/media_assets.py
+++ b/backend/routers/media_assets.py
@@ -102,6 +102,27 @@ _MEDIA_KIND_FILTERS = frozenset({"all", "image", "video", "pdf", "other"})
 _MAX_TAGS = 40
 _MAX_TAG_LEN = 48
 
+_MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN: Optional[bool] = None
+
+
+def _media_assets_tags_column_present(cur: Any) -> bool:
+    """True nach Migration 046; verhindert 500 wenn Code neuer ist als das Schema."""
+    global _MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN
+    if _MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN is not None:
+        return _MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN
+    cur.execute(
+        """
+        SELECT 1
+          FROM information_schema.columns
+         WHERE table_schema = 'public'
+           AND table_name = 'media_assets'
+           AND column_name = 'tags'
+         LIMIT 1
+        """
+    )
+    _MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN = cur.fetchone() is not None
+    return _MEDIA_ASSETS_TAGS_COLUMN
+
 
 def _normalize_media_tags(raw: Union[list[str], None]) -> list[str]:
     """PostgreSQL text[]; Einträge gekürzt und ohne Dubletten (case-insensitive)."""
@@ -479,6 +500,9 @@ def list_media_assets(
         if uploaded_by is not None and not show_uploader:
             raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="Uploader-Filter nicht erlaubt")
 
+        has_tags_col = _media_assets_tags_column_present(cur)
+        tags_select = "ma.tags," if has_tags_col else "ARRAY[]::text[] AS tags,"
+
         uploaded_sql = ""
         uploaded_params: list[Any] = []
         if uploaded_by is not None:
@@ -489,12 +513,19 @@ def list_media_assets(
         search_params: list[Any] = []
         if needle:
             like = f"%{needle}%"
-            search_params = [like, like, like, like]
-            search_sql = (
-                " AND (ma.original_filename ILIKE %s OR ma.storage_key ILIKE %s"
-                " OR COALESCE(ma.copyright_notice, '') ILIKE %s"
-                " OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM unnest(ma.tags) AS t WHERE t::text ILIKE %s))"
-            )
+            if has_tags_col:
+                search_params = [like, like, like, like]
+                search_sql = (
+                    " AND (ma.original_filename ILIKE %s OR ma.storage_key ILIKE %s"
+                    " OR COALESCE(ma.copyright_notice, '') ILIKE %s"
+                    " OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM unnest(ma.tags) AS t WHERE t::text ILIKE %s))"
+                )
+            else:
+                search_params = [like, like, like]
+                search_sql = (
+                    " AND (ma.original_filename ILIKE %s OR ma.storage_key ILIKE %s"
+                    " OR COALESCE(ma.copyright_notice, '') ILIKE %s)"
+                )
 
         params: list[Any] = (
             [is_adm, profile_id, profile_id]
@@ -507,7 +538,7 @@ def list_media_assets(
         cur.execute(
             f"""SELECT ma.id, ma.mime_type, ma.byte_size, ma.original_filename, ma.visibility, ma.club_id,
                        ma.uploaded_by_profile_id, ma.lifecycle_state, ma.created_at, ma.sha256,
-                       ma.copyright_notice, ma.storage_key, ma.tags,
+                       ma.copyright_notice, ma.storage_key, {tags_select}
                        pr.name AS uploader_name,
                        pr.email AS uploader_email,
                        cl.name AS club_name
@@ -682,6 +713,15 @@ def bulk_media_patch(
                 asset = r2d(row)
                 assert_can_edit_media_asset_metadata(cur, tenant, asset)
 
+                if "tags" in patch_fields and not _media_assets_tags_column_present(cur):
+                    failed.append(
+                        {
+                            "id": asset_id,
+                            "detail": "Schlagwörter (tags) erfordern DB-Migration 046.",
+                        }
+                    )
+                    continue
+
                 eff = _effective_media_patch_fields(patch_fields, asset)
                 next_vis = str(eff.get("visibility", asset["visibility"])).strip().lower()
                 next_cid = eff["club_id"] if "club_id" in eff else asset.get("club_id")
@@ -753,6 +793,12 @@ def patch_media_asset(
         asset = r2d(row)
         assert_can_edit_media_asset_metadata(cur, tenant, asset)
 
+        if "tags" in data and not _media_assets_tags_column_present(cur):
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=503,
+                detail="Schlagwörter (tags) erfordern die Datenbank-Migration 046. Bitte Migration ausführen.",
+            )
+
         eff = _effective_media_patch_fields(data, asset)
         next_vis = str(eff.get("visibility", asset["visibility"])).strip().lower()
         next_cid = eff["club_id"] if "club_id" in eff else asset.get("club_id")
@@ -789,11 +835,22 @@ def patch_media_asset(
                 tuple(vals),
             )
         conn.commit()
-        cur.execute(
-            """SELECT id, mime_type, byte_size, original_filename, visibility, club_id,
-                      uploaded_by_profile_id, lifecycle_state, created_at, sha256, copyright_notice, tags
-               FROM media_assets WHERE id = %s""",
-            (asset_id,),
-        )
+        has_tags = _media_assets_tags_column_present(cur)
+        if has_tags:
+            cur.execute(
+                """SELECT id, mime_type, byte_size, original_filename, visibility, club_id,
+                          uploaded_by_profile_id, lifecycle_state, created_at, sha256, copyright_notice, tags
+                   FROM media_assets WHERE id = %s""",
+                (asset_id,),
+            )
+        else:
+            cur.execute(
+                """SELECT id, mime_type, byte_size, original_filename, visibility, club_id,
+                          uploaded_by_profile_id, lifecycle_state, created_at, sha256, copyright_notice
+                   FROM media_assets WHERE id = %s""",
+                (asset_id,),
+            )
         out = r2d(cur.fetchone())
-    return out
+        if not has_tags:
+            out["tags"] = []
+        return out