Abstract: An overvoltage protection element includes a housing and at least two electric conductors leading into the housing for the electrical connection of the overvoltage protection element. A surge arrester for limiting an overvoltage of the electric conductors and a pressure-sensitive switch for short circuiting the electric conductors are arranged in the housing. Even with a defective surge arrester, the overvoltage protection element provided thereby reliably and safely short circuits the electric conductors when an arc occurs in the housing, so that an overvoltage protection preferably connected upstream of the overvoltage protection element, for example, a fuse, can be deployed.