Device for the cooling of biological and/or medical samples, comprising ➢ a freezing device for the biological and/or medical samples, ➢ wherein the freezing device consists of precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b), ➢ wherein the precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b) consist of a material having low cold brittleness and a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W/(m•K), ➢ wherein at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) is arranged so as to be movable relative to the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a), ➢ wherein the surface subelements (3a, 3b), when fitted together, form the freezing device and are in thermally interacting contact with the sample positioned between the surface subelements and ➢ wherein the samples drop out of the freezing device when the surface subelements (3a, 3b) are spaced apart, and also ➢ a release device, ➢ wherein the release device has a tensioned state and a released state, ➢ wherein the release device comprises at least one activation means, the actuation of which can bring the release device from the tensioned state into the released state, ➢ wherein the release device holds at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) apart from the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) in the tensioned state and ➢ wherein the at least one movable surface subelement (3a; 3b) and the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) are pressed against one another in the released state, wherein the device comprises a number of operating states, ➢ wherein in a first operating state of the device, at least the freezing device is precooled and the release device is in the tensioned state, and ➢ wherein in a second operating state of the device, at least the freezing device is precooled and the release device is in the released state. ➢ a freezing device for the biological and/or medical samples, ➢ wherein the freezing device consists of precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b), ➢ wherein the precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b) consist of a material having low cold brittleness and a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W/(m•K), ➢ wherein at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) is arranged so as to be movable relative to the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a), ➢ wherein the surface subelements (3a, 3b), when fitted together, form the freezing device and are in thermally interacting contact with the sample positioned between the surface subelements and ➢ wherein the samples drop out of the freezing device when the surface subelements (3a, 3b) are spaced apart, and also ➢ wherein the freezing device consists of precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b), ➢ wherein the precoolable surface subelements (3a, 3b) consist of a material having low cold brittleness and a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W/(m•K), ➢ wherein at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) is arranged so as to be movable relative to the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a), ➢ wherein the surface subelements (3a, 3b), when fitted together, form the freezing device and are in thermally interacting contact with the sample positioned between the surface subelements and ➢ wherein the samples drop out of the freezing device when the surface subelements (3a, 3b) are spaced apart, and also ➢ a release device, ➢ wherein the release device has a tensioned state and a released state, ➢ wherein the release device comprises at least one activation means, the actuation of which can bring the release device from the tensioned state into the released state, ➢ wherein the release device holds at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) apart from the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) in the tensioned state and ➢ wherein the at least one movable surface subelement (3a; 3b) and the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) are pressed against one another in the released state, ➢ wherein the release device has a tensioned state and a released state, ➢ wherein the release device comprises at least one activation means, the actuation of which can bring the release device from the tensioned state into the released state, ➢ wherein the release device holds at least one of the surface subelements (3a; 3b) apart from the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) in the tensioned state and ➢ wherein the at least one movable surface subelement (3a; 3b) and the at least one further surface subelement (3b; 3a) are pressed against one another in the released state, wherein the device comprises a number of operating states, ➢ wherein in a first operating state of the device, at least the freezing device is precooled and the release device is in the tensioned state, and ➢ wherein in a second operating state of the device, at least the freezing device is precooled and the release device is in the released state.