“strenge Sorgfalt” – Philologische Standards in wissenschaftlichen Editionen

This article deals with the question as to whether it is possible to test and ensure the quality of scholarly publications (particularly within the sphere of German literary studies) by the application of standards. At the same time it gives an account of the various positions and controversies brought about by the creation and development of such standards – a discussion which vastly expanded in conjunction with the emergence of scholarly editions in the 19^th century. With regard to the further development of editorial techniques in this age of digital media, those controversies lead to the following conclusion: an archival and document-orientated emphasis, complemented by textual criticism as a means of establishing texts, has proved itself a trustworthy strategy, one which still has a future, irrespective of the media, or the methodological manner, in which it is employed.