Abstract: A calender roll has a hollow cylinder which surrounds or is surrounded by a stationary support. That surface of the support which faces the cylinder has circumferential and axially parallel grooves for the coils of electromagnets which are energizable independently of each other or simultaneously and serve to prevent flexing and/or other deformation of the cylinder when the latter rotates and contacts a running web of paper, textile material or metallic or plastic foil. Those sections of the aforementioned surface of the stationary support which are surrounded by the coils constitute portions of circumferentially extending arcuate or annular pole faces and the polarity of each circumferentially extending pole face is constant. However, the polarities of neighboring pole faces the different, i.e., pole faces which constitute south and north poles alternate with each other, as considered in the axial direction of the calender roll.