The invention relates to a switching device for overvoltage protection devices, consisting of a surge-current-enabled first switching element F1, in particular of a fuse, which is connected to the one or more arresters GDT1 of the overvoltage protection device forms a series circuit of a surge current path, and a fault current path which is connected in parallel to the arrester GDT1. In the fault current path a second switching element F2 is at least arranged and mechanically coupled with a short-circuiting device KS1 that, for ongoing undue loads on the arrester ÜS1 the surge current path a short circuit with the result of the triggering of the first switching element and electrical isolation of the surge current path from the respective network L; N.