Sterile connector for the sterile transfer of a liquid medium, in particular a biological medium, from a liquid container to a bioprocess engineering system, in particular to a bioreactor, wherein the sterile connector has two coupling devices (4a, 4b), wherein the coupling devices (4a, 4b) each have a housing (5a, 5b) having a housing interior (6a, 6b) and a control element (8a, 8b) which is adjustably mounted in the housing interior (6a, 6b) and forms a channel (7a, 7b), wherein the channel (7a, 7b) extends through the control element (8a, 8b) from a control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) to a control element outlet opening (10a, 10b), wherein the housing of one coupling device is able to be mechanically connected to the housing of the other coupling device, wherein each housing (5a, 5b) has a fluid inlet (11a, 11b) and a fluid outlet (12a, 12b) which connect the housing interior (6a, 6b) to the surroundings, wherein, in the mechanically connected state of the housings (5a, 5b), the fluid outlet of one housing and the fluid inlet of the other housing overlap, wherein, in the mechanically connected state of the housings (5a, 5b), the control elements (8a, 8b) are each adjustable from a starting position, in which a fluid connection between the channel (7a, 7b) and the control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) on the one hand and between the channel (7a, 7b) and the control element outlet opening (10a, 10b) on the other hand is blocked, into an operating position, in which the control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) is fluidically connected to the fluid inlet (11a, 11b) and the control element outlet opening (10a, 10b) is fluidically connected to the fluid outlet (12a, 12b), characterized in that, in the starting position, each channel (7a, 7b) extends in a region of the housing interior (6a, 6b) that is hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings of the housing (5a, 5b). wherein the sterile connector has two coupling devices (4a, 4b), wherein the coupling devices (4a, 4b) each have a housing (5a, 5b) having a housing interior (6a, 6b) and a control element (8a, 8b) which is adjustably mounted in the housing interior (6a, 6b) and forms a channel (7a, 7b), wherein the channel (7a, 7b) extends through the control element (8a, 8b) from a control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) to a control element outlet opening (10a, 10b), wherein the housing of one coupling device is able to be mechanically connected to the housing of the other coupling device, wherein each housing (5a, 5b) has a fluid inlet (11a, 11b) and a fluid outlet (12a, 12b) which connect the housing interior (6a, 6b) to the surroundings, wherein, in the mechanically connected state of the housings (5a, 5b), the fluid outlet of one housing and the fluid inlet of the other housing overlap, wherein, in the mechanically connected state of the housings (5a, 5b), the control elements (8a, 8b) are each adjustable from a starting position, in which a fluid connection between the channel (7a, 7b) and the control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) on the one hand and between the channel (7a, 7b) and the control element outlet opening (10a, 10b) on the other hand is blocked, into an operating position, in which the control element inlet opening (9a, 9b) is fluidically connected to the fluid inlet (11a, 11b) and the control element outlet opening (10a, 10b) is fluidically connected to the fluid outlet (12a, 12b), characterized in that, in the starting position, each channel (7a, 7b) extends in a region of the housing interior (6a, 6b) that is hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings of the housing (5a, 5b).