A frequently used machine element for transferring forces between components are journal bearings. Important requirements for the design of a journal bearing are low friction, low wear and tear, as well as high reliability. Due to the increasingly complex applications on the one hand and cost savings on the other hand, the only experimentally based design is no longer up to date. For the experimental design extensive test series are necessary, which are very expensive and timeconsuming. The numerical design can significantly accelerate the design process in the future and reduce costs. In the past various approaches for wear calculation were developed. However, the nonlinearity of the wear progress is a particular challenge. The combination of a virtual simulation model with a high-quality physics experiment offers a lot of potential. In this thesis a simulation model for the calculation of wear is created, using the example of a hydrodynamic journal bearing. The model is based on the wear model according to Archard and takes the nonlinearity of wear into account. This will be achieved with a time dependent contact model as well as the adjustment of the bearing geometry, which has to be adapted to the bearing wear. The simulation model includes the solid mechanics to describe the elastic behavior of components as well as macro- and microhydrodynamics, to control the pressure build-up in the lubrication gap. To determine the necessary parameters for the simulation model and for reasons of validation of the simulation results, physical tests are performed on a rotary tribometer. By measuring the gravimetric wear, coupled with the simulation, the specific wear coefficient C for the tribological system can be determined. Validation tests on the tribometer are simulated with the help of the developed methodology. A good correlation between experimentally and virtually determined wear values could be achieved. Only with the help of the wear coefficient C and the locally resolved contact pressure wear can be calculated in detail for more complex applications such as journal bearings, locally and over time. It was shown that the local geometry adaptation as well as the influence of contact model play an important role. IV