Exhaust gas recirculation cooler for an internal combustion engine

The cooler (1) for an exhaust gas taken from the main exhaust stream (HAG) of an internal combustion engine (2) has cooling tubes branching from an exhaust pipe (7,22) and across them flows the engine's cooling medium (MKM). At least a part of the cooling tubes is separated from the passage of the exhaust gas (AG). Both ends of the U-form cooling tubes are connected to the exhaust pipe, whereby one end of the cooling tubes may be closed off by hinged flap.