diff --git a/dg_osm/db/core.py b/dg_osm/db/core.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/dg_osm/db/models.py b/dg_osm/db/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6a4796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dg_osm/db/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+from sqlalchemy.orm import DeclarativeBase, Mapped, mapped_column, relationship
+from sqlalchemy import Boolean, ForeignKey, String
+from typing import Optional, List
+
+class Base(DeclarativeBase):
+    pass
+
+class MailServer(Base):
+    __tablename__ = 'mail_server'
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(100))
+    description: Mapped[Optional[str]]
+    host: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    port: Mapped[int]
+    # TODO: do not store password in plain text in the db! Ideally nor the username.
+    username: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    password: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    messages: Mapped[List['Message']] = relationship(back_populates='mail_server', cascade='all, delete-orphan')
+
+
+class ContactList(Base):
+    __tablename__ = 'contact_list'
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(100))
+    description: Mapped[Optional[str]]
+    is_live: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, default=False)
+    short_name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(20))
+    full_name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    email_address: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    contact_lists_test: Mapped[List['Message']] = relationship(back_populates='contact_list', cascade='all, delete-orphan')
+    contact_lists_live: Mapped[List['Message']] = relationship(back_populates='contact_list', cascade='all, delete-orphan')
+
+
+class Message(Base):
+    __tablename__ = 'message'
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    description: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    notes: Mapped[[Optional[str]]]
+    is_complete: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, default=False)
+    mail_server_id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(ForeignKey('mail_server.id'))
+    mail_server: Mapped['MailServer'] = relationship(back_populates='messages')
+    test_contacts_id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(ForeignKey('contact_list.id'))
+    test_contacts: Mapped['ContactList'] = relationship(back_populates='contact_lists_test')
+    live_contacts_id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(ForeignKey('contact_list.id'))
+    live_contacts: Mapped['ContactList'] = relationship(back_populates='contact_lists_live')
+    sent: Mapped[Optional[str]]
+    from_name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    from_address: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    subject_line: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(255))
+    message_body: Mapped[str]