A doctor blade holding apparatus, preferably for coating devices, includes a clamping mechanism which holds, via a mounting plate, a doctor blade support which carries a doctor rod. The apparatus includes a pressing tube which presses against the doctor blade support and thus presses the doctor rod against a counter roll. A holding strip provided at a back side of the doctor blade support clamps the mounting plate to the doctor blade support. The holding strip is disposed laterally with respect to a mid-plane of the doctor blade support to provide a contact region between a back side of the doctor blade support and the pressing tube which is in substantially the same plane as the mounting plate.