Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for securing together two relatively movable body parts has a housing mounted on one of the parts, a bolt mounted on the other part and engageable in the housing, a fork pivotal in the housing between a latched position engaging around the bolt when therein and an unlatched position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the housing, and a pawl pivotal in the housing between a holding position retaining the fork in the latched position and a freeing position permitting the fork to move between its positions. A release lever engageable with the pawl is pivotal in the housing between a holding position holding the pawl in its freeing position and a freeing position in which it does not impede movement of the pawl between its positions. A position-holding element engageable in the housing with the lever is movable between a blocking position preventing movement of the lever out of the freeing position and an unblocking position permitting movement of the lever between its positions.