Abstract: Apparatus for the manual control in particular of a driving and/or lifting gear of a hoisting device, includes a control element in the form of a handle for inputting at least one desired value by subjecting the control element to a manual force, and at least one electrical transducer which is coupled to the control element for converting the manual force, acting in a desired direction, into an electric signal. In order to provide a compact manual-control apparatus which requires basically no displacement, the control element is prestressed in the desired direction, and the transducer includes a force sensor having a sensor surface arranged transversely to the desired direction for interaction with the control element.