diff --git a/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.html b/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.html
index 424252bbce..518fba8625 100644
--- a/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.html
+++ b/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.html
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ <h2 mat-dialog-title i18n>Configure Field "{{ entitySchemaField.label }}"</h2>
                 [options]="typeAdditionalOptions"
                 [optionToString]="objectToLabel"
                 [valueMapper]="objectToValue"
-                [createOption]="createNewAdditionalOption"
+                [createOption]="createNewAdditionalOptionAsync"
               ></app-basic-autocomplete>
 
               <button
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ <h2 mat-dialog-title i18n>Configure Field "{{ entitySchemaField.label }}"</h2>
                 [options]="typeAdditionalOptions"
                 [optionToString]="objectToLabel"
                 [valueMapper]="objectToValue"
-                [createOption]="createNewAdditionalOption"
+                [createOption]="createNewAdditionalOptionAsync"
               ></app-basic-autocomplete>
             </mat-form-field>
           </div>
diff --git a/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.ts b/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.ts
index 801b4cae63..6ef6e510d3 100644
--- a/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/admin/admin-entity-details/admin-entity-field/admin-entity-field.component.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ export class AdminEntityFieldComponent implements OnChanges {
   objectToLabel = (v: SimpleDropdownValue) => v?.label;
   objectToValue = (v: SimpleDropdownValue) => v?.value;
   createNewAdditionalOption: (input: string) => SimpleDropdownValue;
+  createNewAdditionalOptionAsync = async (input) =>
+    this.createNewAdditionalOptionAsync(input);
 
   private updateDataTypeAdditional(dataType: string) {
     this.resetAdditional();
diff --git a/src/app/core/basic-datatypes/entity-array/edit-entity/entity-reference.stories.ts b/src/app/core/basic-datatypes/entity-array/edit-entity/entity-reference.stories.ts
index 28da7af5c3..2ccb673d3a 100644
--- a/src/app/core/basic-datatypes/entity-array/edit-entity/entity-reference.stories.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/basic-datatypes/entity-array/edit-entity/entity-reference.stories.ts
@@ -34,26 +34,34 @@ const Template: StoryFn<FormComponent<any>> = (args: FormComponent<any>) => ({
 });
 
 const fieldConfig: FormFieldConfig = {
+  id: "relatedEntity",
+  label: "related entity",
+  description: "test tooltip",
+};
+const fieldMultiConfig: FormFieldConfig = {
   id: "relatedEntities",
-  viewComponent: "DisplayEntityArray",
-  editComponent: "EditEntity",
-  label: "test related entities label",
+  label: "related entities (multi select)",
   description: "test tooltip",
 };
 const otherField: FormFieldConfig = {
   id: "x",
-  viewComponent: "DisplayNumber",
-  editComponent: "EditNumber",
   label: "other label",
 };
 
 @DatabaseEntity("TestEntityReferenceArrayEntity")
 class TestEntity extends Entity {
   @DatabaseField({
-    dataType: "entity-reference-array",
+    dataType: "entity-array",
     additional: User.ENTITY_TYPE,
   })
   relatedEntities: string[];
+
+  @DatabaseField({
+    dataType: "entity",
+    additional: User.ENTITY_TYPE,
+  })
+  relatedEntity: string;
+
   @DatabaseField() x: number;
 }
 
@@ -62,6 +70,8 @@ testEntity.relatedEntities = [testUser.getId()];
 
 export const Primary = Template.bind({});
 Primary.args = {
-  fieldGroups: [{ fields: [otherField, fieldConfig, otherField, otherField] }],
+  fieldGroups: [
+    { fields: [otherField, fieldConfig, fieldMultiConfig, otherField] },
+  ],
   entity: testEntity,
 };
diff --git a/src/app/core/common-components/basic-autocomplete/basic-autocomplete.component.html b/src/app/core/common-components/basic-autocomplete/basic-autocomplete.component.html
index af2bce9003..b696caa698 100644
--- a/src/app/core/common-components/basic-autocomplete/basic-autocomplete.component.html
+++ b/src/app/core/common-components/basic-autocomplete/basic-autocomplete.component.html
@@ -59,10 +59,8 @@
     [value]="inputElement.value"
   >
     <em
-      i18n="
-        Label for adding an option in a dropdown|e.g. Add option My new Option
-      "
-      >Add option</em
+      i18n="Label for adding an option in a dropdown|e.g. Add new My new Option"
+      >Add new</em
     >
     {{ inputElement.value }}
   </mat-option>
diff --git a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.html b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.html
index 614c0df2f8..84bde5af61 100644
--- a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.html
+++ b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.html
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     [display]="showEntities ? 'chips' : 'none'"
     [options]="availableOptions | async"
     [placeholder]="(loading | async) ? loadingPlaceholder : placeholder"
+    [createOption]="createNewEntity"
   >
     <ng-template let-item>
       <app-display-entity
diff --git a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.spec.ts b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.spec.ts
index a30a5e25d3..f973a1ddd0 100644
--- a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.spec.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import {
   tick,
   waitForAsync,
 } from "@angular/core/testing";
-import { EntitySelectComponent } from "./entity-select.component";
+import {
+  applyTextToCreatedEntity,
+  EntitySelectComponent,
+} from "./entity-select.component";
 import { Entity } from "../../entity/model/entity";
 import { User } from "../../user/user";
 import { Child } from "../../../child-dev-project/children/model/child";
@@ -15,6 +18,8 @@ import { LoginState } from "../../session/session-states/login-state.enum";
 import { LoggingService } from "../../logging/logging.service";
 import { FormControl } from "@angular/forms";
 import { EntityMapperService } from "../../entity/entity-mapper/entity-mapper.service";
+import { FormDialogService } from "../../form-dialog/form-dialog.service";
+import { of } from "rxjs";
 
 describe("EntitySelectComponent", () => {
   let component: EntitySelectComponent<any, any>;
@@ -168,4 +173,46 @@ describe("EntitySelectComponent", () => {
       jasmine.arrayWithExactContents([...testUsers, testChildren[0]]),
     );
   }));
+
+  it("should create a new entity when user selects 'add new' and apply input text", async () => {
+    component.entityType = [Child.ENTITY_TYPE];
+    const formDialogSpy = spyOn(
+      TestBed.inject(FormDialogService),
+      "openFormPopup",
+    );
+    const savedEntity = new Child("123");
+
+    formDialogSpy.and.returnValue({ afterClosed: () => of(undefined) } as any);
+    const resultCancel = await component.createNewEntity("my new record");
+    expect(resultCancel).toBeUndefined();
+
+    formDialogSpy.and.returnValue({
+      afterClosed: () => of(savedEntity),
+    } as any);
+    const resultSave = await component.createNewEntity("my new record");
+    expect(resultSave).toEqual(savedEntity);
+    expect(formDialogSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({ name: "my new record" }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("should smartly distribute the input text to all toStringAttributes when create a new record", async () => {
+    class TestEntity extends Entity {
+      static override toStringAttributes = ["firstName", "lastName"];
+    }
+
+    expect(applyTextToCreatedEntity(new TestEntity(), "one")).toEqual(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({ firstName: "one" }),
+    );
+    expect(applyTextToCreatedEntity(new TestEntity(), "one two")).toEqual(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({ firstName: "one", lastName: "two" }),
+    );
+    expect(applyTextToCreatedEntity(new TestEntity(), "one    two")).toEqual(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({ firstName: "one", lastName: "two" }),
+    );
+    // if more input parts than toStringAttributes, put all remaining parts into last property:
+    expect(applyTextToCreatedEntity(new TestEntity(), "one two three")).toEqual(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({ firstName: "one", lastName: "two three" }),
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.ts b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.ts
index ac2d1633d1..482f49f4df 100644
--- a/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/common-components/entity-select/entity-select.component.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, Input } from "@angular/core";
 import { Entity } from "../../entity/model/entity";
-import { BehaviorSubject } from "rxjs";
+import { BehaviorSubject, lastValueFrom } from "rxjs";
 import { FormControl, FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule } from "@angular/forms";
 import { MatChipsModule } from "@angular/material/chips";
 import { MatAutocompleteModule } from "@angular/material/autocomplete";
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import { BasicAutocompleteComponent } from "../basic-autocomplete/basic-autocomp
 import { MatSlideToggle } from "@angular/material/slide-toggle";
 import { asArray } from "../../../utils/utils";
 import { LoggingService } from "../../logging/logging.service";
+import { FormDialogService } from "../../form-dialog/form-dialog.service";
+import { EntityRegistry } from "../../entity/database-entity.decorator";
 
 @Component({
   selector: "app-entity-select",
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ export class EntitySelectComponent<
   constructor(
     private entityMapperService: EntityMapperService,
     private logger: LoggingService,
+    private formDialog: FormDialogService,
+    private entityRegistry: EntityRegistry,
   ) {}
 
   /**
@@ -226,6 +230,24 @@ export class EntitySelectComponent<
       (e) => !e.isActive && this.autocompleteFilter(e),
     ).length;
   }
+
+  createNewEntity = async (input: string): Promise<E> => {
+    if (this._entityType?.length < 1) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this._entityType.length > 0) {
+      this.logger.warn(
+        "EntitySelect with multiple types is always creating a new entity of the first listed type only.",
+      );
+      // TODO: maybe display an additional popup asking the user to select which type should be created?
+    }
+
+    const newEntity = new (this.entityRegistry.get(this._entityType[0]))();
+    applyTextToCreatedEntity(newEntity, input);
+
+    const dialogRef = this.formDialog.openFormPopup(newEntity);
+    return lastValueFrom<E | undefined>(dialogRef.afterClosed());
+  };
 }
 
 function isMulti(
@@ -233,3 +255,28 @@ function isMulti(
 ): cmp is EntitySelectComponent<any, string[]> {
   return cmp.multi;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Update the given entity by applying the text entered by a user
+ * to the most likely appropriate entity field, inferred from the toString representation.
+ */
+export function applyTextToCreatedEntity(entity: Entity, input: string) {
+  const toStringFields = entity.getConstructor().toStringAttributes;
+  if (!toStringFields || toStringFields.length < 1) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const inputParts = input.split(/\s+/);
+  for (let i = 0; i < inputParts.length; i++) {
+    const targetProperty =
+      toStringFields[i < toStringFields.length ? i : toStringFields.length - 1];
+
+    entity[targetProperty] = (
+      (entity[targetProperty] ?? "") +
+      " " +
+      inputParts[i]
+    ).trim();
+  }
+
+  return entity;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/core/form-dialog/form-dialog.service.ts b/src/app/core/form-dialog/form-dialog.service.ts
index ed8a666254..5aa2e52a8f 100644
--- a/src/app/core/form-dialog/form-dialog.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/form-dialog/form-dialog.service.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export class FormDialogService {
    */
   openFormPopup<E extends Entity, T = RowDetailsComponent>(
     entity: E,
-    columnsOverall: ColumnConfig[],
+    columnsOverall?: ColumnConfig[],
     component: ComponentType<T> = RowDetailsComponent as ComponentType<T>,
   ): MatDialogRef<T> {
     if (!columnsOverall) {