Abstract: A device for lifting at least one material stack from a support, in particular a stack of blanks from an intermediate support or bottom support in the tobacco industry, comprises the following features: a gripper is guided freely movable in all directions by an industrial robot; the gripper comprises at least one clamping element which is displaceable in the vertical direction and adapted to be placed on the or each stack, at least one elastically deformable finger insertable between the stack and the intermediate or bottom support as well as sensors for detecting the distance between the gripper and the stack; a control circuit including at least one logic unit evaluates and processes the output signals of the sensors and controls the movement of the gripper from a predetermined starting position into the lifting position, the clamping of a stack between a finger and a clamping element, and the subsequent lifting and the carrying away of the or each stack.