Position detection device for detecting a position of a moveable elements (109, 401, 607, 611) of a drive device, comprising: - two supports (103, 303) which are arranged next to one another along a travel distance of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), a distance being formed between the first and second supports (103, 303), - in which the supports (103, 303) each have two detection modules (105, 107; 305, 307), arranged at a predetermined distance next to one another and without overlap, for detecting a position of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), - in which the detection modules each comprise an excitation coil (311, 313) and a receiving coil (315a, 315b), assigned to the excitation coil (311, 313), with a geometry having a period, an excitation pulse of the excitation coil (311, 313) inducing an electrical voltage in the receiving coil (315a, 315b), - in which the detection modules (105, 107) are designed to detect a change in the electrical voltage induced in the receiving coil (315a, 315b) owing to the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), and to output a position signal upon detection of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), and - in which the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611) has a length which is greater than the predetermined distance between the two detection modules (105, 107; 305, 307) of the support so that upon superimposition of the moveable element on the predetermined distance, a position signal is output both by the first detection module and by the second detection module of the support (103, 303) in order to measure the predetermined distance based on the position signals as reference distance, - so that on displacement of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611) along the two supports (103, 303) over the distance, an absolute value of the distance can be determined on the basis of the reference distance. - two supports (103, 303) which are arranged next to one another along a travel distance of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), a distance being formed between the first and second supports (103, 303), - in which the supports (103, 303) each have two detection modules (105, 107; 305, 307), arranged at a predetermined distance next to one another and without overlap, for detecting a position of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), - in which the detection modules each comprise an excitation coil (311, 313) and a receiving coil (315a, 315b), assigned to the excitation coil (311, 313), with a geometry having a period, an excitation pulse of the excitation coil (311, 313) inducing an electrical voltage in the receiving coil (315a, 315b), - in which the detection modules (105, 107) are designed to detect a change in the electrical voltage induced in the receiving coil (315a, 315b) owing to the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), and to output a position signal upon detection of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611), and - in which the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611) has a length which is greater than the predetermined distance between the two detection modules (105, 107; 305, 307) of the support so that upon superimposition of the moveable element on the predetermined distance, a position signal is output both by the first detection module and by the second detection module of the support (103, 303) in order to measure the predetermined distance based on the position signals as reference distance, - so that on displacement of the moveable element (109, 401, 607, 611) along the two supports (103, 303) over the distance, an absolute value of the distance can be determined on the basis of the reference distance.