An instrument for endoscopic surgery, with a housing having a grip element and a shaft-receiving element, the grip element having a fixed grip part and a pivotable grip part, and the shaft-receiving element being intended to receive and lock the proximal end of a tubular shaft, with a tool at the distal end of the shaft, and with an actuation member extending through the shaft and being longitudinally movable therein, or with a slide piece acting on the actuation member. The actuation member engages in the shaft-receiving element of the housing and is coupled to the grip part mounted pivotably on the housing, so that a pivoting of the grip part causes a longitudinal movement of the actuation member and an actuation of the tool. The grip element of the housing is rotatable relative to the shaft-receiving element of the housing about a rotation axis extending perpendicular to the shaft.
