The article outlines the historical and current framework conditions as well as various guiding principles of the editorial practice of Sorbian literature. Three phases can be identified: the end of the 19 th century, the 1960s/70s and the present day. This perspective can identify various areas of tension that have determined editorial activity from the outset, but which are weighted differently in the individual phases and accordingly influence the conception and realisation of the editions. The discussions held here offer important starting points for further theoretical and practical considerations in the field of Sorbian studies.