DC charging station for charging a battery of an electric vehicle, having - a DC voltage source with an output, at which a DC voltage is available at least in the operating state of the DC charging station, - a DC output terminal, to which the battery to be charged is able to be connected and which is able to be linked to the DC voltage source, for charging the battery via two lines of the DC charging station, - a voltage balancing unit, which is connected between the output of the DC voltage source and the DC output terminal of the DC charging station and which has a controllable first switch which is able to be controlled so that it can optionally make or break a connection between the output of the DC voltage source and the DC output terminal of the DC charging station, - a first voltage detection unit, which detects the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, - a second voltage detection unit, which detects the output-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, - an open-loop and closed-loop control unit for controlling and regulating the voltage balancing unit, to which the measured values (U1, U2) detected by the first and the second voltage detection unit (122, 123) are supplied, wherein the open-loop and closed-loop control unit is configured to control the first switch to the extent that it - breaks both lines of the connection before and while the battery is connected to the DC output terminal, and - makes a connection, at least for a battery connected to the DC output terminal, if the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit corresponds substantially to the output-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, wherein the voltage balancing unit has a resistor, especially a shunt, via which the input-side voltage is measured and which is switched on when the voltage balancing unit carries out the voltage balancing, wherein, when the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit corresponds substantially to the output-side voltage of voltage balancing unit, the resistor is switched off, and wherein a second switch is provided for the resistor, which is connected in series with the resistor and which is coupled in opposition to the first switch for the line. - a DC voltage source with an output, at which a DC voltage is available at least in the operating state of the DC charging station, - a DC output terminal, to which the battery to be charged is able to be connected and which is able to be linked to the DC voltage source, for charging the battery via two lines of the DC charging station, - a voltage balancing unit, which is connected between the output of the DC voltage source and the DC output terminal of the DC charging station and which has a controllable first switch which is able to be controlled so that it can optionally make or break a connection between the output of the DC voltage source and the DC output terminal of the DC charging station, - a first voltage detection unit, which detects the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, - a second voltage detection unit, which detects the output-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, - an open-loop and closed-loop control unit for controlling and regulating the voltage balancing unit, to which the measured values (U1, U2) detected by the first and the second voltage detection unit (122, 123) are supplied, wherein the open-loop and closed-loop control unit is configured to control the first switch to the extent that it - breaks both lines of the connection before and while the battery is connected to the DC output terminal, and - makes a connection, at least for a battery connected to the DC output terminal, if the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit corresponds substantially to the output-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, - breaks both lines of the connection before and while the battery is connected to the DC output terminal, and - makes a connection, at least for a battery connected to the DC output terminal, if the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit corresponds substantially to the output-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit, wherein the voltage balancing unit has a resistor, especially a shunt, via which the input-side voltage is measured and which is switched on when the voltage balancing unit carries out the voltage balancing, wherein, when the input-side voltage of the voltage balancing unit corresponds substantially to the output-side voltage of voltage balancing unit, the resistor is switched off, and wherein a second switch is provided for the resistor, which is connected in series with the resistor and which is coupled in opposition to the first switch for the line.