Abstract: A buck converter for converting a DC voltage at input terminals into an output voltage at output terminals is disclosed. The buck converter includes a DC voltage link including a series-connection of at least two capacitors between the output terminals, and one subcircuit per each capacitor of the series-connection. Each subcircuit includes an inductor and a freewheeling diode. A first one of the input terminals is connected to a first output terminal by a series-connection of a semiconductor switch and the inductor of a first one of the subcircuits, and the subcircuits are coupled for balancing the voltages across their inductors. The buck converter may be used upstream of an inverter bridge of an inverter, such that a maximum voltage at the input terminals may exceed a maximum voltage rating of the bridge switches within the inverter.