Brake device for braking a traveling body of an elevator system that can be moved in a guided manner along a guide rail in a movement direction , the brake device comprising: a holder , a brake element , a pretensioning element , and a release element , wherein the brake element is held and mounted on the holder in such a way that a brake surface of the brake element can be moved relative to the holder between a freewheel position and a braking position, wherein the brake surface of the brake element can be laterally spaced apart from the guide rail in the freewheel position and laterally pressed against the guide rail in the braking position, wherein the pretensioning element , in a deactivated configuration, does not exert a force on the brake element that moves the brake element toward the braking position and, in an activated configuration, exerts a force on the brake element that moves the brake element toward the braking position, wherein the release element , in a holding state, holds the pretensioning element in the deactivated configuration and, when the release element is activated into a released state, reconfigures the pretensioning element from the deactivated configuration into the activated configuration, characterized in that the brake device further comprises a friction generating element , wherein, in an unactuated state, the friction-generating element does not generate any friction by abutting the guide rail and the friction-generating element therefore does not exert any force resulting from such friction on the brake element , and, in an actuated state, the friction-generating element generates friction by abutting the guide rail in a such a way that the friction-generating element exerts a force resulting from this friction on the brake element , which forces the brake element in a direction toward the freewheel position. a holder , a brake element , a pretensioning element , and a release element , wherein the brake element is held and mounted on the holder in such a way that a brake surface of the brake element can be moved relative to the holder between a freewheel position and a braking position, wherein the brake surface of the brake element can be laterally spaced apart from the guide rail in the freewheel position and laterally pressed against the guide rail in the braking position, wherein the pretensioning element , in a deactivated configuration, does not exert a force on the brake element that moves the brake element toward the braking position and, in an activated configuration, exerts a force on the brake element that moves the brake element toward the braking position, wherein the release element , in a holding state, holds the pretensioning element in the deactivated configuration and, when the release element is activated into a released state, reconfigures the pretensioning element from the deactivated configuration into the activated configuration, characterized in that the brake device further comprises a friction generating element , wherein, in an unactuated state, the friction-generating element does not generate any friction by abutting the guide rail and the friction-generating element therefore does not exert any force resulting from such friction on the brake element , and, in an actuated state, the friction-generating element generates friction by abutting the guide rail in a such a way that the friction-generating element exerts a force resulting from this friction on the brake element , which forces the brake element in a direction toward the freewheel position. <EOS>