diff --git a/library/Opus/Document.php b/library/Opus/Document.php
index c81f24d0..147f3f68 100644
--- a/library/Opus/Document.php
+++ b/library/Opus/Document.php
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 use Opus\Common\Model\ModelException;
 use Opus\Common\ServerStateConstantsInterface;
 use Opus\Common\Storage\FileNotFoundException;
-use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
 use Opus\Document\DocumentException;
 use Opus\Identifier\Urn;
 use Opus\Identifier\UUID;
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@
 use function is_null;
 use function is_numeric;
 use function is_object;
-use function preg_match;
 use function reset;
 use function strtolower;
 use function substr;
@@ -659,61 +657,6 @@ public static function getAll(?array $ids = null)
         return self::getAllFrom(self::class, Db\Documents::class, $ids);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Returns the earliest date (server_date_published) of all documents.
-     *
-     * @deprecated
-     *
-     * TODO still in use in Application
-     *
-     * @return string|null /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/ on success, null otherwise
-     */
-    public static function getEarliestPublicationDate()
-    {
-        $table     = TableGateway::getInstance(Db\Documents::class);
-        $select    = $table->select()->from($table, 'min(server_date_published) AS min_date')
-            ->where('server_date_published IS NOT NULL')
-            ->where('TRIM(server_date_published) != \'\'');
-        $timestamp = $table->fetchRow($select)->toArray();
-
-        if (! isset($timestamp['min_date'])) {
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        $matches = [];
-        if (preg_match("/^(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})T/", $timestamp['min_date'], $matches) > 0) {
-            return $matches[1];
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Bulk update of ServerDateModified for documents matching selection
-     *
-     * @param Date  $date Date-Object holding the date to be set
-     * @param array $ids array of document ids
-     */
-    public static function setServerDateModifiedByIds($date, $ids)
-    {
-        // Update wird nur ausgeführt, wenn IDs übergeben werden
-        if ($ids === null || count($ids) === 0) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        $table = TableGateway::getInstance(self::$tableGatewayClass);
-
-        $where = $table->getAdapter()->quoteInto('id IN (?)', $ids);
-
-        try {
-            $table->update(['server_date_modified' => "$date"], $where);
-        } catch (Exception $e) {
-            $logger = Log::get();
-            if ($logger !== null) {
-                $logger->err(__METHOD__ . ' ' . $e);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Fetch all Opus\Collection objects for this document.
      *
diff --git a/library/Opus/DocumentRepository.php b/library/Opus/DocumentRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..37e34a2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/Opus/DocumentRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * This file is part of OPUS. The software OPUS has been originally developed
+ * at the University of Stuttgart with funding from the German Research Net,
+ * the Federal Department of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry
+ * of Science, Research and the Arts of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
+ *
+ * OPUS 4 is a complete rewrite of the original OPUS software and was developed
+ * by the Stuttgart University Library, the Library Service Center
+ * Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg,
+ * the Saarland University and State Library, the Saxon State Library -
+ * Dresden State and University Library, the Bielefeld University Library and
+ * the University Library of Hamburg University of Technology with funding from
+ * the German Research Foundation and the European Regional Development Fund.
+ *
+ * LICENCE
+ * OPUS is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation; either version 2 of the Licence, or any later version.
+ * OPUS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
+ * details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with OPUS; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
+ * Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ *
+ * @copyright   Copyright (c) 2022, OPUS 4 development team
+ * @license     http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html General Public License
+ */
+
+namespace Opus;
+
+use Exception;
+use Opus\Common\Date;
+use Opus\Common\DocumentRepositoryInterface;
+use Opus\Common\Log;
+use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
+
+use function count;
+use function is_array;
+use function preg_match;
+
+class DocumentRepository implements DocumentRepositoryInterface
+{
+    /** @var string TableGateway class for 'documents' table TODO use constant */
+    protected static $documentTableClass = Db\Documents::class;
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the earliest date (server_date_published) of all documents.
+     *
+     * TODO return Date instead of string
+     *
+     * @return string|null /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/ on success, null otherwise
+     */
+    public function getEarliestPublicationDate()
+    {
+        $table     = TableGateway::getInstance(self::$documentTableClass);
+        $select    = $table->select()->from($table, 'min(server_date_published) AS min_date')
+            ->where('server_date_published IS NOT NULL')
+            ->where('TRIM(server_date_published) != \'\'');
+        $timestamp = $table->fetchRow($select)->toArray();
+
+        if (! isset($timestamp['min_date'])) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $matches = [];
+        if (preg_match("/^(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})T/", $timestamp['min_date'], $matches) > 0) {
+            return $matches[1];
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Bulk update of ServerDateModified for documents matching selection
+     *
+     * TODO remove support for string date? - check if it works at all
+     *
+     * @param string|Date $date Date-Object holding the date to be set
+     * @param int[]       $ids array of document ids
+     */
+    public function setServerDateModifiedForDocuments($date, $ids)
+    {
+        // Update wird nur ausgeführt, wenn IDs übergeben werden
+        if ($ids === null || ! is_array($ids) || count($ids) === 0) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $table = TableGateway::getInstance(self::$documentTableClass);
+
+        $where = $table->getAdapter()->quoteInto('id IN (?)', $ids);
+
+        try {
+            $table->update(['server_date_modified' => "$date"], $where);
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            $logger = Log::get();
+            if ($logger !== null) {
+                $logger->err(__METHOD__ . ' ' . $e);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/AbstractCollection.php b/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/AbstractCollection.php
index 528fd360..8c4b42e5 100644
--- a/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/AbstractCollection.php
+++ b/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/AbstractCollection.php
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 use Opus\Common\CollectionInterface;
 use Opus\Common\Date;
 use Opus\Common\Model\Plugin\AbstractPlugin;
+use Opus\Common\Repository;
 use Opus\Db\Collections;
 use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
 use Opus\Document;
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ protected function updateDocuments($collection)
         $date = new Date();
         $date->setNow();
 
-        Document::setServerDateModifiedByIds($date, $documentFinder->ids());
+        Repository::getInstance()->getModelRepository(Document::class)->setServerDateModifiedForDocuments(
+            $date,
+            $documentFinder->ids()
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/InvalidateDocumentCache.php b/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/InvalidateDocumentCache.php
index 3c48bd04..ef8c0195 100644
--- a/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/InvalidateDocumentCache.php
+++ b/library/Opus/Model/Plugin/InvalidateDocumentCache.php
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 use Opus\Common\Date;
 use Opus\Common\Model\ModelInterface;
 use Opus\Common\Model\Plugin\AbstractPlugin;
+use Opus\Common\Repository;
 use Opus\Document;
 use Opus\DocumentFinder;
 use Opus\DocumentFinder\DocumentFinderException;
@@ -185,7 +186,10 @@ protected function invalidateDocumentCacheFor(ModelInterface $model)
         if ($this->_updateServerDateModified) {
             $date = new Date();
             $date->setNow();
-            Document::setServerDateModifiedByIds($date, $ids);
+            Repository::getInstance()->getModelRepository(Document::class)->setServerDateModifiedForDocuments(
+                $date,
+                $ids
+            );
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/library/Opus/ModelFactory.php b/library/Opus/ModelFactory.php
index 17e11f02..a65d4a01 100644
--- a/library/Opus/ModelFactory.php
+++ b/library/Opus/ModelFactory.php
@@ -31,8 +31,11 @@
 
 namespace Opus;
 
+use Opus\Common\Model\ModelException;
 use Opus\Common\Model\ModelFactoryInterface;
 
+use function class_exists;
+
 class ModelFactory implements ModelFactoryInterface
 {
     /**
@@ -46,6 +49,10 @@ public function create($type)
 
         $modelClass = 'Opus\\' . $type;
 
+        if (! class_exists($modelClass)) {
+            throw new ModelException("Model class not found: $modelClass");
+        }
+
         return new $modelClass();
     }
 
@@ -64,10 +71,18 @@ public function get($type, $modelId)
     /**
      * @param string $type
      * @return mixed
+     *
+     * TODO reuse repository instance
      */
     public function getRepository($type)
     {
-        // TODO in old implementation model classes also serve as "repositories"
-        return $this->create($type);
+        $repositoryClass = 'Opus\\' . $type . 'Repository';
+
+        if (class_exists($repositoryClass)) {
+            return new $repositoryClass();
+        } else {
+            // TODO in old implementation model classes also serve as "repositories"
+            return $this->create($type);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/library/Opus/Person.php b/library/Opus/Person.php
index f55a14ce..28c262e6 100644
--- a/library/Opus/Person.php
+++ b/library/Opus/Person.php
@@ -25,20 +25,15 @@
  * along with OPUS; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
  * Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
  *
- * @copyright   Copyright (c) 2008-2018, OPUS 4 development team
+ * @copyright   Copyright (c) 2008, OPUS 4 development team
  * @license     http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html General Public License
- *
- * @category    Framework
- * @package     Opus
- * @author      Felix Ostrowski <ostrowski@hbz-nrw.de>
- * @author      Ralf Claußnitzer <ralf.claussnitzer@slub-dresden.de>
- * @author      Jens Schwidder <schwidder@zib.de>
  */
 
 namespace Opus;
 
 use Opus\Common\Date;
 use Opus\Common\Model\ModelException;
+use Opus\Common\Repository;
 use Opus\Db\LinkPersonsDocuments;
 use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
 use Opus\Model\AbstractDb;
@@ -698,7 +693,10 @@ public static function updateAll($person, $changes, $documents = null)
                 $date = new Date();
                 $date->setNow();
 
-                Document::setServerDateModifiedByIds($date, $documentIds);
+                Repository::getInstance()->getModelRepository(Document::class)->setServerDateModifiedForDocuments(
+                    $date,
+                    $documentIds
+                );
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/Opus/DocumentRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Opus/DocumentRepositoryTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9b6af2b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Opus/DocumentRepositoryTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * This file is part of OPUS. The software OPUS has been originally developed
+ * at the University of Stuttgart with funding from the German Research Net,
+ * the Federal Department of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry
+ * of Science, Research and the Arts of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
+ *
+ * OPUS 4 is a complete rewrite of the original OPUS software and was developed
+ * by the Stuttgart University Library, the Library Service Center
+ * Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg,
+ * the Saarland University and State Library, the Saxon State Library -
+ * Dresden State and University Library, the Bielefeld University Library and
+ * the University Library of Hamburg University of Technology with funding from
+ * the German Research Foundation and the European Regional Development Fund.
+ *
+ * LICENCE
+ * OPUS is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation; either version 2 of the Licence, or any later version.
+ * OPUS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
+ * details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with OPUS; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
+ * Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ *
+ * @copyright   Copyright (c) 2022, OPUS 4 development team
+ * @license     http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html General Public License
+ */
+
+namespace OpusTest;
+
+use Opus\Common\Date;
+use Opus\Common\Document;
+use Opus\Common\Repository;
+use Opus\Db\Documents;
+use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
+use Opus\DocumentRepository;
+use OpusTest\TestAsset\TestCase;
+
+class DocumentRepositoryTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testGetEarliestPublicationDate()
+    {
+        $documents = Repository::getInstance()->getModelRepository(Document::class);
+
+        $nullDate = $documents->getEarliestPublicationDate();
+        $this->assertNull($nullDate, "Expected NULL on empty database.");
+
+        // Insert valid entry through framework.
+        $document = Document::new();
+        $document->setServerDatePublished('2011-06-01T00:00:00Z');
+        $document->store();
+        $validDate = $documents->getEarliestPublicationDate();
+        $this->assertEquals('2011-06-01', $validDate);
+
+        // Insert invalid entry into database...
+        $table = TableGateway::getInstance(Documents::class);
+        $table->insert(['server_date_published' => '1234', 'server_date_created' => '1234']);
+        $invalidDate = $documents->getEarliestPublicationDate();
+        $this->assertNull($invalidDate, "Expected NULL on invalid date.");
+    }
+
+    public function testSetServerDateModifiedForDocuments()
+    {
+        $doc    = Document::new();
+        $doc1Id = $doc->store();
+
+        $doc    = Document::new();
+        $doc2Id = $doc->store();
+
+        $doc    = Document::new();
+        $doc3Id = $doc->store();
+
+        $date = new Date('2016-05-10');
+
+        $documentRepository = new DocumentRepository();
+        $documentRepository->setServerDateModifiedForDocuments($date, [$doc1Id, $doc3Id]);
+
+        $doc = Document::get($doc1Id);
+        $this->assertEquals(0, $date->compare($doc->getServerDateModified()));
+
+        $doc = Document::get($doc2Id);
+        $this->assertNotEquals(0, $date->compare($doc->getServerDateModified()));
+
+        $doc = Document::get($doc3Id);
+        $this->assertEquals(0, $date->compare($doc->getServerDateModified()));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Opus/DocumentTest.php b/tests/Opus/DocumentTest.php
index 5adacf8b..8fc3ae46 100644
--- a/tests/Opus/DocumentTest.php
+++ b/tests/Opus/DocumentTest.php
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@
 use Opus\Common\Date;
 use Opus\Common\Model\ModelException;
 use Opus\Common\Model\NotFoundException;
-use Opus\Db\Documents;
-use Opus\Db\TableGateway;
 use Opus\DnbInstitute;
 use Opus\Document;
 use Opus\Enrichment;
@@ -1579,25 +1577,6 @@ private function checkPersonAuthorSortOrderForDocument($document)
         $this->assertEquals(count($authors), count($uniqueNumbers));
     }
 
-    public function testGetEarliestPublicationDate()
-    {
-        $nullDate = Document::getEarliestPublicationDate();
-        $this->assertNull($nullDate, "Expected NULL on empty database.");
-
-        // Insert valid entry through framework.
-        $document = new Document();
-        $document->setServerDatePublished('2011-06-01T00:00:00Z');
-        $document->store();
-        $validDate = Document::getEarliestPublicationDate();
-        $this->assertEquals('2011-06-01', $validDate);
-
-        // Insert invalid entry into database...
-        $table = TableGateway::getInstance(Documents::class);
-        $table->insert(['server_date_published' => '1234', 'server_date_created' => '1234']);
-        $invalidDate = Document::getEarliestPublicationDate();
-        $this->assertNull($invalidDate, "Expected NULL on invalid date.");
-    }
-
     public function testGetDefaultsForPublicationState()
     {
         $doc = new Document();
@@ -2241,31 +2220,6 @@ public function testIsNewRecord()
         $this->assertFalse($doc->isNewRecord());
     }
 
-    public function testSetServerDateModifiedByIds()
-    {
-        $doc    = new Document();
-        $doc1Id = $doc->store();
-
-        $doc    = new Document();
-        $doc2Id = $doc->store();
-
-        $doc    = new Document();
-        $doc3Id = $doc->store();
-
-        $date = new Date('2016-05-10');
-
-        Document::setServerDateModifiedByIds($date, [1, 3]);
-
-        $doc = new Document($doc1Id);
-        $this->assertEquals('2016-05-10', $doc->getServerDateModified());
-
-        $doc = new Document($doc2Id);
-        $this->assertNotEquals('2016-05-10', $doc->getServerDateModified());
-
-        $doc = new Document($doc3Id);
-        $this->assertEquals('2016-05-10', $doc->getServerDateModified());
-    }
-
     public function testSetServerStateInvalidValue()
     {
         $doc = new Document();
diff --git a/tests/Opus/ModelFactoryTest.php b/tests/Opus/ModelFactoryTest.php
index d31bfe95..0a00164a 100644
--- a/tests/Opus/ModelFactoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Opus/ModelFactoryTest.php
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@
 
 use Opus\Common\Document as CommonDocument;
 use Opus\Common\DocumentInterface;
+use Opus\Common\Model\ModelException;
 use Opus\Document;
+use Opus\DocumentRepository;
+use Opus\ModelFactory;
+use Opus\Person;
 use OpusTest\TestAsset\TestCase;
 
 class ModelFactoryTest extends TestCase
@@ -64,4 +68,32 @@ public function testGet()
         $this->assertEquals($docId, $model->getId());
         $this->assertEquals('article', $model->getType());
     }
+
+    public function testGetRepository()
+    {
+        $modelFactory = new ModelFactory();
+
+        $documentRepository = $modelFactory->getRepository('Document');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(DocumentRepository::class, $documentRepository);
+    }
+
+    public function testGetRepositoryFallbackToModelClass()
+    {
+        $modelFactory = new ModelFactory();
+
+        $personRepository = $modelFactory->getRepository('Person');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Person::class, $personRepository);
+    }
+
+    public function testGetRepositoryUnknownType()
+    {
+        $modelFactory = new ModelFactory();
+
+        $this->expectException(ModelException::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Model class not found: Opus\UnknownModel');
+
+        $modelFactory->getRepository('UnknownModel');
+    }
 }