The invention relates to a method for shredding sheet-shaped material, preferably for shredding stacked sheets of paper. In addition, the invention relates to a device for performing said method.According to the method according to the invention, a stack of paper is placed onto a support, the sheets are grasped individually from the stack and, whilst realizing a sheet loop, are guided one after another through a through-opening in the support to a cutting system, and are shredded in the cutting system, wherein, when the loops are formed, the sheets are merely deformed elastically and consequently reversibly such that by realizing a free end each sheet loop is opened again before it reaches the cutting system, and is cut up, unfolded, into regular particles over its entire length.