Filter element and hydraulic circuit with such a filter element

A filter element has a preferably multilayer structure of a pleated filter medium (3) with a plurality of individual filter pleats (5, 7). Due to an alternating sequence of filter pleats (5) with a first pleat height (h1) and filter pleats (7) with a second pleat height (h2), more effective filter surfaces are available than with filter pleats with a uniform pleat height. Upon throughflow by a fluid to be filtered, a lower surface load for the filter medium (30 and lower passage speed of the fluid are present during filtration. A static loading of the filter medium (3) during operation of the filter is then reduced. A hydraulic circuit has such a filter element (1).