Position measuring device for determining the position of a first object in relation to a second object movable relative thereto along at least one measuring direction (x), comprising - a material measure that extends along the measuring direction (x), is connected to the first object and comprises at least one periodic scale grating, which is embodied as a transmission grating and has a first periodicity (d 1), and - a scanning unit, connected to the second object, comprising - at least one light source, - at least one periodic scanning grating (24; 124; 224) having a second periodicity (d 2), and - a detector arrangement consisting of radiation sensitive detector regions (26.1 - 26.n) in a detection plane, said detector arrangement being arranged periodically along the measuring direction (x) with a third periodicity (d 3), and - wherein the beams emitted by the light source initially impinge on the scale grating, then pass through the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) and a periodic fringe pattern with the third periodicity (d 3) results from the interaction of the beams with the scale grating and the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) in the detection plane, a plurality of mutually phase-shifted incremental signals being producible from scanning said periodic fringe pattern by means of the detector arrangement, and - wherein the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) is arranged between at least one first and one second transparent, plate-shaped carrier element (25.1, 25,2; 125.1, 125.2; 225.1, 225.2) and the space between the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) and the detector regions (26.1 - 26.n) is completely filled with a material that has a refractive index n > 1.3, and - wherein the distance (u 1) between the scale grating and the adjacent interface of the first carrier element (25.1) is chosen in the range between 10 μm and 200 μm. - a material measure that extends along the measuring direction (x), is connected to the first object and comprises at least one periodic scale grating, which is embodied as a transmission grating and has a first periodicity (d 1), and - a scanning unit, connected to the second object, comprising - at least one light source, - at least one periodic scanning grating (24; 124; 224) having a second periodicity (d 2), and - a detector arrangement consisting of radiation sensitive detector regions (26.1 - 26.n) in a detection plane, said detector arrangement being arranged periodically along the measuring direction (x) with a third periodicity (d 3), and - at least one light source, - at least one periodic scanning grating (24; 124; 224) having a second periodicity (d 2), and - a detector arrangement consisting of radiation sensitive detector regions (26.1 - 26.n) in a detection plane, said detector arrangement being arranged periodically along the measuring direction (x) with a third periodicity (d 3), and - wherein the beams emitted by the light source initially impinge on the scale grating, then pass through the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) and a periodic fringe pattern with the third periodicity (d 3) results from the interaction of the beams with the scale grating and the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) in the detection plane, a plurality of mutually phase-shifted incremental signals being producible from scanning said periodic fringe pattern by means of the detector arrangement, and - wherein the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) is arranged between at least one first and one second transparent, plate-shaped carrier element (25.1, 25,2; 125.1, 125.2; 225.1, 225.2) and the space between the scanning grating (24; 124; 224) and the detector regions (26.1 - 26.n) is completely filled with a material that has a refractive index n > 1.3, and - wherein the distance (u 1) between the scale grating and the adjacent interface of the first carrier element (25.1) is chosen in the range between 10 μm and 200 μm.