Abstract: A housing may hold a control device equipped with heat-producing components. A die-cast housing includes a side wall, a rear wall, a bottom, a cover, a front strut, a cooling element and an air guide device, a cover plate and a front cover. The cooling ribs of the cooling element run parallel to the rear wall, end in the plane of the side wall, and are covered with a bulkhead plate. The bottom and the cover are each provided with perforations for removing heat from the front housing half and openings through which connection lines may be passed. The front strut serves as a lateral frame part for the removable cover plate that covers a lateral access opening of the housing, and for the front cover which can close off the front-side opening of the housing. This results in a housing for a control device in book size format, where the number of assembly parts, the assembly effort and the assembly time are significantly reduced.