A retractor, particularly for cranial surgery, having two articulated parts that can be pivoted relative to each other about a rotary axis, wherein each articulated part has a handle part on the proximal end and a retracting element on the distal end, wherein a section of each articulated part spans a plane and wherein a clamping arm is arranged on at least one of the articulated parts. The clamping arm has multiple tensioning elements, which are threaded onto a traction cable and engage with each other and can be tilted and rotated relative to each other, wherein the clamping arm is arranged about a pivotal axis and the pivotal axis is connected to the articulated part by an arm arranged in a plane, wherein the arm is aligned outwards from the articulated part and the pivot axis is positioned in the plane at a distance from the articulated part.
