The apparatus of the present invention is used for cardiopulmonary massage and / or resuscitation of a patient, by the drive unit (18) can be inverted can be driven in actuating direction (23), the target contact zone on the rib cage (12) of the patient (11) ( having a pressing surface (20) that can be placed in 21), including a massage device (15). To pressure surface of the massaging apparatus is prevented simply and reliably that deviate from the target pressure points (21), a plunger (19) is a target contact zones of the rib cage (12) of the patient (11) (21) securable to, also when the unloaded condition between at least two massage strokes, is freely mounted so as to be movable in a plane transverse to the working direction (23) (Figure 1).