Apparatus for attaching a cone-shaped crushing mantle of a cone crusher to a carrier cone of the cone crusher and for detaching the crushing mantle from the carrier cone, the carrier cone having a carrier cone axis, the apparatus comprising - a pressure plate adapted for resting on a top surface of the crushing mantle, - the pressure plate comprising a central opening and at least two through holes located around the central opening preferably equidistantly in respect to each other in a circumferential direction, - at least two attachment screws, wherein one of the screws is assigned to each of the at least two through holes and wherein each of the screws is adapted to be inserted into the through hole to which it is assigned and to be screwed into a head region of the carrier cone, thereby pressing the crushing mantle against the carrier cone in an axial direction extending essentially parallel in respect to the carrier cone axis, and - a hydraulically actuated pre-tensioning device adapted for pressing the crushing mantle against the carrier cone in a pre-tensioning process in the axial direction prior to tightening the screws in the head region of the carrier cone during attachment of the crushing mantle to the carrier cone and prior to loosening the screws in the head region of the carrier cone during detachment of the crushing mantle from the carrier cone, the hydraulic pre-tensioning device comprising a pressure chamber and a piston limiting the pressure chamber, the pressure chamber being adapted for receiving a pressurized hydraulic medium, whereby a volume of the pressure chamber is increased and the piston is moved, wherein movement of the piston is such that the crushing mantle is pressed against the carrier cone, characterized in that - the hydraulic pre-tensioning device is adapted to be applied externally to the pressure plate during the pre-tensioning process, such that a piston rod of the piston or a rod-shaped element attached thereto extends through the central opening of the pressure plate and is attached to the head region of the carrier cone, wherein the pressure chamber and the piston of the hydraulic pre-tensioning device are located on a side of the pressure plate opposite to the carrier cone, and - wherein the hydraulic pre-tensioning device is further adapted to be released from the pressure plate outside the pre-tensioning process. - a pressure plate adapted for resting on a top surface of the crushing mantle, - the pressure plate comprising a central opening and at least two through holes located around the central opening preferably equidistantly in respect to each other in a circumferential direction, - at least two attachment screws, wherein one of the screws is assigned to each of the at least two through holes and wherein each of the screws is adapted to be inserted into the through hole to which it is assigned and to be screwed into a head region of the carrier cone, thereby pressing the crushing mantle against the carrier cone in an axial direction extending essentially parallel in respect to the carrier cone axis, and - a hydraulically actuated pre-tensioning device adapted for pressing the crushing mantle against the carrier cone in a pre-tensioning process in the axial direction prior to tightening the screws in the head region of the carrier cone during attachment of the crushing mantle to the carrier cone and prior to loosening the screws in the head region of the carrier cone during detachment of the crushing mantle from the carrier cone, the hydraulic pre-tensioning device comprising a pressure chamber and a piston limiting the pressure chamber, the pressure chamber being adapted for receiving a pressurized hydraulic medium, whereby a volume of the pressure chamber is increased and the piston is moved, wherein movement of the piston is such that the crushing mantle is pressed against the carrier cone, - the hydraulic pre-tensioning device is adapted to be applied externally to the pressure plate during the pre-tensioning process, such that a piston rod of the piston or a rod-shaped element attached thereto extends through the central opening of the pressure plate and is attached to the head region of the carrier cone, wherein the pressure chamber and the piston of the hydraulic pre-tensioning device are located on a side of the pressure plate opposite to the carrier cone, and - wherein the hydraulic pre-tensioning device is further adapted to be released from the pressure plate outside the pre-tensioning process.