Optical position measuring device for capturing the relative position of a measuring standard (30; 30'; 130'; 230) and a scanning plate (20; 20'; 120; 220), which are movably arranged relative to one another along at least one measurement direction (x), - wherein the optical position measuring device is configured in such a way that a beam emitted by a light source (10; 10'; 110; 210) is divided into at least two partial beams by way of a first grating (21, 121, 231), the partial beams undergo a reunification to form a resultant beam and a plurality of displacement-dependent scanning signals are producible from the resultant beam in a detection unit (40; 40'; 140; 240), - wherein the optical position measuring device comprises the measuring standard (30, 30', 130, 230), the scanning plate (20, 20', 120), the detection unit (40', 140, 240) and the means for reunifying the two partial beams, - and polarization means (31, 32, 132, 225) which are arranged in the beam paths of the partial beams along the at least one measurement direction (x) in such a way that the polarization states (Π1,..., Π6) of the partial beams are oriented orthogonal to one another after passing through the first grating (21, 121, 231) and the polarization means (31, 32, 132, 225), and - the effect of the polarization means on the polarization state (Π1,..., Π6) of the respective partial beam in the at least one measurement direction (x) varies periodically with a polarization period (P P) such that linear polarization states (Π1,..., Π6) that respectively vary in terms of their orientation in a spatially dependent manner result in the partial beams, - wherein the polarization period (Pp) of the polarization means is greater than the grating period (d A; d M) of the first grating. - wherein the optical position measuring device is configured in such a way that a beam emitted by a light source (10; 10'; 110; 210) is divided into at least two partial beams by way of a first grating (21, 121, 231), the partial beams undergo a reunification to form a resultant beam and a plurality of displacement-dependent scanning signals are producible from the resultant beam in a detection unit (40; 40'; 140; 240), - wherein the optical position measuring device comprises the measuring standard (30, 30', 130, 230), the scanning plate (20, 20', 120), the detection unit (40', 140, 240) and the means for reunifying the two partial beams, - and polarization means (31, 32, 132, 225) which are arranged in the beam paths of the partial beams along the at least one measurement direction (x) in such a way that the polarization states (Π1,..., Π6) of the partial beams are oriented orthogonal to one another after passing through the first grating (21, 121, 231) and the polarization means (31, 32, 132, 225), and - the effect of the polarization means on the polarization state (Π1,..., Π6) of the respective partial beam in the at least one measurement direction (x) varies periodically with a polarization period (P P) such that linear polarization states (Π1,..., Π6) that respectively vary in terms of their orientation in a spatially dependent manner result in the partial beams, - wherein the polarization period (Pp) of the polarization means is greater than the grating period (d A; d M) of the first grating.