The study commences with a discussion of two highly influential and much feted editorial feats - the Stuttgart and Frankfurt Hölderlin editions - combining an appreciation of their approaches and achievements with a probing examination of their more contestable points. The emphasis is however by no means solely on an abstract evaluation of editorial concepts and methods. Taking Hölderlin's tragedy 'Der Tod des Empedokles' as an example, the author also embarks on a practical and functional critique of the existing editions with constant close reference to the text of the drama and the problems of establishing an authoritative version. Recourse to Hölderlin's manuscript reveals a number of glaring defects in both the Stuttgart and the Frankfurt editions, thus illustrating the immediate relevance of critique for editorial revision.