The radiation source ELBE (Electron Linac for beams with high Brilliance and low Emittance) provides a large variety of secondary beams wich are available for user operation for research activities. A superconducting linac is accelerating an electron beam with a maximum average current of 1 mA up to an energy of 40 MeV.This electron beam can be directed to different targets in order to generate secondary radiation. To this end, it can be operated either in continuous wave mode (cw) or as a pulsed beam, with pulse geometries being adjustable in a wide temporal range. Bremsstrahlung with a continuous energy spectrum extending up to 18 MeV, coherent narrow-band infrared radiation in the wavelength range between 5 and 250 microns (free-electron lasers), neutrons with a homogenous energy distribution up to 10 MeV and monoenergetic positrons with a maximum energy of 30 keV are available. In addition, it can be offered to extract the electron beam on air. As of 2015, coherent narrowband and broadband THz radiation sources are available for user operation. In combination with high power lasers (100TW, in future up to 1.5 PW), monochromatic X-rays in the 10 keV range can be generated (Thomson backscattering) and experiments on laser plasma acceleration be carried out. The FEL radiation can be transported to the nearby High Magnetic Field laboratory enabling unique magneto-optical experiments.