diff --git a/mltb2/text.py b/mltb2/text.py
index d721e87..9858d6e 100644
--- a/mltb2/text.py
+++ b/mltb2/text.py
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@
 """
 
 import re
-from typing import Dict, Final, Pattern, Tuple
+from collections import Counter, defaultdict
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from typing import Dict, Final, Iterable, Optional, Pattern, Set, Tuple, Union
+
+from scipy.spatial.distance import cityblock
+from tqdm import tqdm
 
 INVISIBLE_CHARACTERS: Final[Tuple[str, ...]] = (
     "\u200b",  # Zero Width Space (ZWSP) https://www.compart.com/en/unicode/U+200b
@@ -138,3 +143,108 @@ def clean_all_invisible_chars_and_whitespaces(text: str) -> str:
     text = replace_multiple_whitespaces(text)
     text = text.strip()
     return text
+
+
+def _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict(counter: Counter, max_dimensions: int) -> defaultdict:
+    """Normalize a counter to to ``max_dimensions``.
+
+    The number of dimensions is limited to ``max_dimensions``
+    of the most commen characters.
+    The counter values are normalized by deviding them by the total count.
+
+    Args:
+        counter: The counter to normalize.
+        max_dimensions: The maximum number of dimensions to use for the normalization.
+            Must be greater than 0.
+    Returns:
+        The normalized counter with a maximum of ``max_dimensions`` dimensions.
+    """
+    total_count = sum(counter.values())
+    normalized_counter = defaultdict(float)
+    for char, count in counter.most_common(max_dimensions):
+        normalized_counter[char] = count / total_count
+    return normalized_counter
+
+
+@dataclass
+class TextDistance:
+    """Calculate the distance between two texts.
+
+    One text (or multiple texts) must first be fitted with :func:`~TextDistance.fit`.
+    After that the distance to other given texts can be calculated with :func:`~TextDistance.distance`.
+    After the distance was calculated the first time, the class can
+    not be fitted again.
+
+    Args:
+        show_progress_bar: Show a progressbar during processing.
+        max_dimensions: The maximum number of dimensions to use for the distance calculation.
+            Must be greater than 0.
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If ``max_dimensions`` is not greater than 0.
+    """
+
+    show_progress_bar: bool = False
+    max_dimensions: int = 100
+
+    # counter for the text we fit
+    _char_counter: Optional[Counter] = field(default_factory=Counter, init=False)
+
+    # normalized counter for the text we fit - see _normalize_char_counter
+    _normalized_char_counts: Optional[defaultdict] = field(default=None, init=False)
+
+    # set of all counted characters - see _normalize_char_counter
+    _counted_char_set: Optional[Set[str]] = field(default=None, init=False)
+
+    def __post_init__(self) -> None:
+        """Do post init."""
+        if not self.max_dimensions > 0:
+            raise ValueError("'max_dimensions' must be > 0!")
+
+    def fit(self, text: Union[str, Iterable[str]]) -> None:
+        """Fit the text.
+
+        Args:
+            text: The text to fit.
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If :func:`~TextDistance.fit` is called after
+                :func:`~TextDistance.distance`.
+        """
+        if self._char_counter is None:
+            raise ValueError("Fit mut not be called after distance calculation!")
+
+        if isinstance(text, str):
+            self._char_counter.update(text)
+        else:
+            for t in tqdm(text, disable=not self.show_progress_bar):
+                self._char_counter.update(t)
+
+    def _normalize_char_counter(self) -> None:
+        """Normalize the char counter to a defaultdict.
+
+        This supports lazy postprocessing of the char counter.
+        """
+        if self._char_counter is not None:
+            self._normalized_char_counts = _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict(self._char_counter, self.max_dimensions)
+            self._char_counter = None
+            self._counted_char_set = set(self._normalized_char_counts)
+
+    def distance(self, text) -> float:
+        """Calculate the distance between the fitted text and the given text.
+
+        This implementation uses the Manhattan distance (:func:`scipy.spatial.distance.cityblock`).
+        The distance is only calculated for ``max_dimensions`` most commen characters.
+
+        Args:
+            text: The text to calculate the Manhattan distance to.
+        """
+        self._normalize_char_counter()
+        all_vector = []
+        text_vector = []
+        text_count = Counter(text)
+        text_count_defaultdict = _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict(text_count, self.max_dimensions)
+        for c in self._counted_char_set.union(text_count_defaultdict):  # type: ignore
+            all_vector.append(
+                self._normalized_char_counts[c]  # type: ignore
+            )  # if c is not in defaultdict, it will return 0
+            text_vector.append(text_count_defaultdict[c])  # if c is not in defaultdict, it will return 0
+        return cityblock(all_vector, text_vector)
diff --git a/tests/test_data.py b/tests/test_data.py
index 3ea9165..dd8db57 100644
--- a/tests/test_data.py
+++ b/tests/test_data.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # which is available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 
 import pandas as pd
+import pytest
 from numpy.testing import assert_almost_equal
 
 from mltb2.data import _load_colon_data, _load_colon_label, load_colon, load_leukemia_big, load_prostate
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ def test_load_colon_compare_original():
     assert_almost_equal(result[1].to_numpy(), ori_result[1].to_numpy())
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason="see https://github.com/telekom/mltb2/issues/118")
 def test_load_prostate():
     result = load_prostate()
     assert result is not None
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ def test_load_prostate():
     assert result[1].shape == (102, 6033)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason="see https://github.com/telekom/mltb2/issues/118")
 def test_load_prostate_compare_original():
     result = load_prostate()
     ori_result = load_prostate_data()
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ def test_load_prostate_compare_original():
     assert_almost_equal(result[1].to_numpy(), ori_result[1].to_numpy())
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason="see https://github.com/telekom/mltb2/issues/118")
 def test_load_leukemia_big():
     result = load_leukemia_big()
     assert result is not None
@@ -75,6 +79,7 @@ def test_load_leukemia_big():
     assert result[1].shape == (72, 7128)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason="see https://github.com/telekom/mltb2/issues/118")
 def test_load_leukemia_big_compare_original():
     result = load_leukemia_big()
     ori_result = load_leukemia_data()
diff --git a/tests/test_text.py b/tests/test_text.py
index 708e987..d3e2b49 100644
--- a/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/tests/test_text.py
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 # This software is distributed under the terms of the MIT license
 # which is available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 
+from collections import Counter, defaultdict
+from math import isclose
+
 import pytest
 
 from mltb2.text import (
     INVISIBLE_CHARACTERS,
     SPECIAL_WHITESPACES,
+    TextDistance,
+    _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict,
     clean_all_invisible_chars_and_whitespaces,
     has_invisible_characters,
     has_special_whitespaces,
@@ -112,3 +117,72 @@ def test_clean_all_invisible_chars_and_whitespaces_empty_result():
     text = " \u200b\u00ad\u2007   "
     result = clean_all_invisible_chars_and_whitespaces(text)
     assert result == ""
+
+
+def test_text_distance_distance_same():
+    text = "Hello World!"
+    td = TextDistance()
+    td.fit(text)
+    assert len(td._char_counter) == 9
+    assert td._normalized_char_counts is None
+    assert td._counted_char_set is None
+    distance = td.distance(text)
+    assert td._char_counter is None  # none after fit
+    assert td._normalized_char_counts is not None
+    assert td._counted_char_set is not None
+
+    assert isclose(distance, 0.0), distance
+
+
+def test_text_distance_orthogonal():
+    text = "ab"
+    td = TextDistance()
+    td.fit(text)
+    distance = td.distance("xy")
+    assert distance > 0.0, distance
+    assert isclose(distance, 2.0), distance
+
+
+def test_text_distance_extended():
+    text = "aabbbb"  # a:1/3, b:2/3
+    td = TextDistance()
+    td.fit(text)
+    distance = td.distance("bbcccc")  # b:1/3, c:2/3
+    assert distance > 0.0, distance
+    assert isclose(distance, 1 / 3 + 1 / 3 + 2 / 3), distance
+
+
+def test_text_distance_fit_not_allowed_after_distance():
+    text = "Hello World!"
+    td = TextDistance()
+    td.fit(text)
+    _ = td.distance(text)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        td.fit("Hello World")
+
+
+def test_text_distance_max_dimensions_must_be_greater_zero():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        _ = TextDistance(max_dimensions=0)
+
+
+def test_normalize_counter_to_defaultdict():
+    counter = Counter("aaaabbbcc")
+    max_dimensions = 2
+    normalized_counter = _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict(counter, max_dimensions)
+
+    assert isinstance(normalized_counter, defaultdict)
+    assert len(normalized_counter) == max_dimensions
+    assert isclose(normalized_counter["a"], 4 / 9)
+    assert isclose(normalized_counter["b"], 3 / 9)
+    assert "c" not in normalized_counter
+    assert len(normalized_counter) == max_dimensions
+
+
+def test_normalize_counter_to_defaultdict_empty_counter():
+    counter = Counter()
+    max_dimensions = 2
+    normalized_counter = _normalize_counter_to_defaultdict(counter, max_dimensions)
+
+    assert isinstance(normalized_counter, defaultdict)
+    assert len(normalized_counter) == 0