Centrifuge, comprising a) a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on the drive shaft and adapted to be axially removable in a removal direction, b) a quick-acting closure acting between the rotor and the drive shaft, which closure is used to fix the rotor in position relative to the drive shaft in the removal direction, c) an abutment connected to the drive shaft, d) a locking bearing connected to the rotor, e) at least one locking element which, when activated, fixes the rotor in place relative to the drive shaft and acts between the locking bearing of the rotor and the abutment of the drive shaft, wherein the quick-acting closure has an actuating element, and the locking element is operatively connected to the actuating element in such a way in that unlocking the quick-acting closure is effected by a movement of the actuating element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, and by a movement of the locking element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft relative to the locking bearing and/or to the abutment, and that, during locking, the locking element on the one side, and the locking bearing and/or the abutment on the other side will move relatively towards one another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, with the locking element being pivotable about a pivot axis at least between a locking position and an unlocking position thereof, characterized in that the pivot axis is aligned perpendicular to a straight line that is parallel to the drive shaft, and the locking element includes a cardan shaft rotatable about the pivot axis or a bearing, with the cardan shaft engaging in a bearing, or the bearing comprising a cardan shaft. a) a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on the drive shaft and adapted to be axially removable in a removal direction, b) a quick-acting closure acting between the rotor and the drive shaft, which closure is used to fix the rotor in position relative to the drive shaft in the removal direction, c) an abutment connected to the drive shaft, d) a locking bearing connected to the rotor, e) at least one locking element which, when activated, fixes the rotor in place relative to the drive shaft and acts between the locking bearing of the rotor and the abutment of the drive shaft, wherein the quick-acting closure has an actuating element, and the locking element is operatively connected to the actuating element in such a way in that unlocking the quick-acting closure is effected by a movement of the actuating element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, and by a movement of the locking element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft relative to the locking bearing and/or to the abutment, and that, during locking, the locking element on the one side, and the locking bearing and/or the abutment on the other side will move relatively towards one another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, with the locking element being pivotable about a pivot axis at least between a locking position and an unlocking position thereof, characterized in that the pivot axis is aligned perpendicular to a straight line that is parallel to the drive shaft, and the locking element includes a cardan shaft rotatable about the pivot axis or a bearing, with the cardan shaft engaging in a bearing, or the bearing comprising a cardan shaft.