To reduce stresses during closing of a manually closable body component, e.g. a door, a control device and a method of controlling closing movement in which, during the closing movement, from an opened position, the body component passes through first movement range in which the body component is moved towards the closed position without any action by a control member, and, thereafter, the body component passes through a second movement range in which the closing movement is varied by the action of the control member that residual kinetic energy of the body component does not exceed a predetermined limit value after passing through the second movement range, irrespective of the initial speed. The residual kinetic energy is not sufficient to close the body component automatically, so it is automatically drawn in a third movement range until a pre catch or main catch of a lock is reached.