Abstract: The damping element for damping translatory motion of a body over a relatively stationary base includes a housing holding a viscous fluid; a friction disk in the viscous fluid in the housing coupled with a shaft extending from the housing; a rotatable drive element having an axis of rotation, connected to the shaft outside the housing, formed so that the drive element can be driven rotatably due to a translatory motion of the body over the base and provided with a cavity coaxial to the axis of rotation; and a coupling device including a free-wheel device in the cavity of the drive element and connecting the friction disk and the rotatable drive element and structured so that rotation of the drive element in one direction results in a torque transferring connection between the friction disk and the drive element, while rotation of the drive element in an opposite direction opposite results in interruption of the torque transferring connection between the friction disk and the drive element.