In the building industry, different types of glass edges are used. Depending on their type, they fulfil requirements for cutting protection, dimensional accuracy, and aesthetics. According to DIN 1249-11, the classification is based on the visual appearance and includes cut (KG), arrissed (KGS), ground (KMG), smooth ground (KGN), and polished (KPO) edge finishing type. However, the mechanical strength of the glass edge requires additional consideration. The characteristic bending tensile strength of glass depends mostly on its surface condition. During production and processing the edge comes in contact with hard tools, which modifies the optical appearance and influences the strength. Presently, the European standardization regulates the edge strength in the design by general coefficients, which reduce the characteristic bending tensile strength depending on the edge finishing type. Existing studies show a large range of values in edge strength depending on the edge finishing and the manufacturer. The design edge strength considers the lower limits of the available glass edge finishing types. Scientifically based evaluation of the optical edge quality with assessment of the mechanical strength is available only for the cut edge. For the industrial cutting process, parameters have been determined on the basis of systematic investigations that show a positive influence on edge strength. It is still unknown how surface interferences by grinding and polishing processes affect the edge strength of processed glass edges and what are the underlying mechanisms. In addition, there is a lack of unified methods for assessing the mechanical edge quality. Within the scope of this work, a test methodology is developed that enables the determination of comparable optical and mechanical characteristics by means of microscopic analysis and destructive tests. A combination of different methods is used to characterize fracture-causing defects and to identify the location of their creation in the manufacturing process. The testing methods are approved and evaluated on the basis of a systematic examination of different edge types of one manufacturer. Subsequently, process adjustments for defect reduction are conducted and investigated with regard to an increase in edge strength. Moreover, the manufacturing process of various polished edge types of a second manufacturer are examined. Thereby, fracture-causing flaws are identified and hypotheses for future investigations are derived that form the basis for processing recommendations for the manufacturing of glass edges. The current status of relevant European design rules is finally discussed for normative recommendations. The arrised edge finishing type revealed the highest edge strength. For the ground, smooth ground, and polished edges, the edge strength is lower compared to the cut and arrised edges. The examination of the polished edge from the second manufacturer resulted in a higher edge strength compared to the polished edge from the first manufacturer. Therefore, the influence of the machine configuration is derived as an impacting process parameter. The analysis of fracturecausing defects has confirmed that a higher edge strength correlates with a reduction in microscopically detectable defects for the cut, arrised, and polished edge types. The defect analysis also enables the detection of strength-reducing defects that are introduced after production and require edge protection measures. Definitions of generally valid process parameters in grinding and polishing that positively affect the edge strength of machined edges are unknown. However, the results of this work enable manufacturers to optimize processes specific to their (manufacturing) process in order to ensure high values of edge strength. Nonetheless, experimental verifications are indispensable in this respect. Optical and mechanical properties of glass edges need to be considered separately. For example, the polished edge is considered to offer the highest optical quality. However, contrary to a widespread assumption, it does not necessarily display high edge strength. A better understanding of the manufacturing processes and the verification of edge strength are necessary for the design to meet the increasing demands in structural glass applications