diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f01cd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+name: CI - Test, Publish and Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+  pull_request:
+
+jobs:
+  run-tests:
+    runs-on: java26
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Code
+        run: |
+          SERVER_DOMAIN=$(echo "${{ github.server_url }}" | sed 's/https:\/\///')
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/*
+          git clone "https://${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@${SERVER_DOMAIN}/${{ github.repository }}.git" "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          git checkout ${{ github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Make gradlew executable
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          chmod +x ./gradlew
+
+      - name: Run JUnit tests
+        id: run_tests
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          ./gradlew test --no-daemon --stacktrace
+
+      - name: Upload test reports
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          if [ -d "build/reports/tests/test" ]; then
+            echo "Test reports available in build/reports/tests/test"
+            ls -la build/reports/tests/test || true
+          fi
+          if [ -d "build/test-results/test" ]; then
+            echo "Test result XMLs:"
+            ls -la build/test-results/test || true
+          fi
+
+  check-and-publish:
+    runs-on: java26
+    # Publish to the Maven repo after the Gitea release has been created
+    needs: create-release
+    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'
+    env:
+      MAVEN_REPO_URL: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_URL }}
+      MAVEN_REPO_USER: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_USER }}
+      MAVEN_REPO_PASS: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_PASS }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Code
+        run: |
+          SERVER_DOMAIN=$(echo "${{ github.server_url }}" | sed 's/https:\/\///')
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/*
+          git clone "https://${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@${SERVER_DOMAIN}/${{ github.repository }}.git" "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          git checkout ${{ github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Read version from Gradle
+        id: get_version
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          chmod +x ./gradlew
+          VERSION=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^version:" | awk '{print $2}')
+          echo "Found local project version: $VERSION"
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      - name: Check if version exists on repository
+        id: check_repo
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          RAW_GROUP=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^group:" | awk '{print $2}')
+          GROUP_PATH=$(echo "$RAW_GROUP" | tr '.' '/')
+          ARTIFACT_ID=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^name:" | awk '{print $2}')
+
+          LOCAL_VERSION="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+
+          echo "Detected project: $RAW_GROUP:$ARTIFACT_ID:$LOCAL_VERSION"
+
+          CHECK_URL="${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_URL }}/${GROUP_PATH}/${ARTIFACT_ID}/${LOCAL_VERSION}/${ARTIFACT_ID}-${LOCAL_VERSION}.pom"
+          echo "Check url: $CHECK_URL"
+
+          STATUS=$(curl -o /dev/null -s -w "%{http_code}" -u "${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_USER }}:${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_PASS }}" "$CHECK_URL")
+          if [ "$STATUS" = "200" ]; then
+            echo "Version $LOCAL_VERSION already exists in repository. Skipping publishing."
+            echo "is_new=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "Version $LOCAL_VERSION not found (Status $STATUS). Start deployment..."
+            echo "is_new=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          fi
+
+      - name: Push to Maven Repository
+        if: steps.check_repo.outputs.is_new == 'true'
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          echo "Publishing version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} zu Repository..."
+          ./gradlew publish
+
+  create-release:
+    runs-on: java26
+    # Create the Gitea tag/release after tests pass, before publishing
+    needs: run-tests
+    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'
+    env:
+      API_BASE: ${{ github.server_url }}/api/v1/repos/${{ github.repository }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Code
+        run: |
+          SERVER_DOMAIN=$(echo "${{ github.server_url }}" | sed 's/https:\/\///')
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/*
+          git clone "https://${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@${SERVER_DOMAIN}/${{ github.repository }}.git" "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          git checkout ${{ github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Read version from Gradle
+        id: get_version
+        run: |
+          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+          chmod +x ./gradlew
+          VERSION=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^version:" | awk '{print $2}')
+          echo "Found local project version: $VERSION"
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "tag=v$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      - name: Check if tag/release already exists
+        id: check_tag
+        run: |
+          TAG="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.tag }}"
+          CHECK_URL="${{ env.API_BASE }}/releases/tags/${TAG}"
+          echo "Checking for existing release: $CHECK_URL"
+
+          STATUS=$(curl -o /dev/null -s -w "%{http_code}" \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
+            "$CHECK_URL")
+
+          if [ "$STATUS" = "200" ]; then
+            echo "Release for tag $TAG already exists. Skipping."
+            echo "is_new=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "No release found for tag $TAG (Status $STATUS). Creating release..."
+            echo "is_new=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          fi
+
+      - name: Create tag and release on Gitea
+        if: steps.check_tag.outputs.is_new == 'true'
+        run: |
+          TAG="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.tag }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+          CREATE_URL="${{ env.API_BASE }}/releases"
+          echo "Creating release $TAG at $CREATE_URL"
+
+          # Gitea creates the tag automatically from target_commitish when it
+          # does not yet exist, so a separate tag-creation call is not needed.
+          BODY=$(cat <<EOF
+          {
+            "tag_name": "${TAG}",
+            "target_commitish": "${{ github.sha }}",
+            "name": "Release ${VERSION}",
+            "body": "Automated release for version ${VERSION}.",
+            "draft": false,
+            "prerelease": false
+          }
+          EOF
+          )
+
+          HTTP_STATUS=$(curl -s -o /tmp/release_response.json -w "%{http_code}" \
+            -X POST \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d "$BODY" \
+            "$CREATE_URL")
+
+          echo "Response ($HTTP_STATUS):"
+          cat /tmp/release_response.json
+
+          if [ "$HTTP_STATUS" != "201" ]; then
+            echo "Failed to create release (HTTP $HTTP_STATUS)"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "Release $TAG created successfully."
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml b/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 70b120b..0000000
--- a/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-name: Auto Publish on Version Change
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - master
-
-jobs:
-  check-and-publish:
-    runs-on: java26
-    env:
-      MAVEN_REPO_URL: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_URL }}
-      MAVEN_REPO_USER: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_USER }}
-      MAVEN_REPO_PASS: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_REPO_PASS }}
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout Code
-        run: |
-          SERVER_DOMAIN=$(echo "${{ github.server_url }}" | sed 's/https:\/\///')
-          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/*
-          git clone "https://${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@${SERVER_DOMAIN}/${{ github.repository }}.git" "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          git checkout ${{ github.sha }}
-
-      - name: Read version from Gradle
-        id: get_version
-        run: |
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          chmod +x ./gradlew
-          VERSION=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^version:" | awk '{print $2}')
-          echo "Found local project version: $VERSION"
-          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Check if version exists on repository
-        id: check_repo
-        run: |
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          RAW_GROUP=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^group:" | awk '{print $2}')
-          GROUP_PATH=$(echo "$RAW_GROUP" | tr '.' '/')
-          ARTIFACT_ID=$(./gradlew properties | grep "^name:" | awk '{print $2}')
-          
-          LOCAL_VERSION="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
-          
-          echo "Detected project: $RAW_GROUP:$ARTIFACT_ID:$LOCAL_VERSION"
-          
-          CHECK_URL="${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_URL }}/${GROUP_PATH}/${ARTIFACT_ID}/${LOCAL_VERSION}/${ARTIFACT_ID}-${LOCAL_VERSION}.pom"
-          echo "Check url: $CHECK_URL"
-          
-          STATUS=$(curl -o /dev/null -s -w "%{http_code}" -u "${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_USER }}:${{ env.MAVEN_REPO_PASS }}" "$CHECK_URL")
-          if [ "$STATUS" = "200" ]; then
-            echo "Version $LOCAL_VERSION already exists in repository. Skipping publishing."
-            echo "is_new=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          else
-            echo "Version $LOCAL_VERSION not found (Status $STATUS). Start deployment..."
-            echo "is_new=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          fi
-
-      - name: Push to Maven Repository
-        if: steps.check_repo.outputs.is_new == 'true'
-        run: |
-          echo "Publishing version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} zu Repository..."
-          ./gradlew publish
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/test.yml b/.gitea/workflows/test.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index c09cb64..0000000
--- a/.gitea/workflows/test.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-name: Run Tests on Push and Pull Request
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - master
-  pull_request:
-
-jobs:
-  run-tests:
-    runs-on: java26
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout Code
-        run: |
-          SERVER_DOMAIN=$(echo "${{ github.server_url }}" | sed 's/https:\/\///')
-          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/*
-          git clone "https://${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@${SERVER_DOMAIN}/${{ github.repository }}.git" "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          git checkout ${{ github.sha }}
-
-      - name: Make gradlew executable
-        run: |
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          chmod +x ./gradlew
-
-      - name: Run JUnit tests
-        id: run_tests
-        run: |
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          ./gradlew test --no-daemon --stacktrace
-
-      - name: Upload test reports
-        if: always()
-        run: |
-          cd "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
-          if [ -d "build/reports/tests/test" ]; then
-            echo "Test reports available in build/reports/tests/test"
-            ls -la build/reports/tests/test || true
-          fi
-          if [ -d "build/test-results/test" ]; then
-            echo "Test result XMLs:"
-            ls -la build/test-results/test || true
-          fi