An electrostatic discharge protection element comprising: a collector area having a first conductivity type; a first barrier area bordering on the collector area, the first barrier area having a second conductivity type; a semiconductor area bordering on the first barrier area, the semiconductor area being an intrinsic semiconductor area, or a semiconductor area having the first or second conductivity type and a dopant concentration which is lower than a dopant concentration of the first barrier area; a second barrier area bordering on the semiconductor area, the second barrier area having the second conductivity type and a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor area; and an emitter area bordering on the second barrier area, the emitter area having the first conductivity type; wherein an average dopant concentration of the collector area and an average dopant concentration of the emitter are more than 100 times higher than dopant concentrations of the respective barrier areas and an average dopant concentration of the first barrier area and an average dopant concentration of the second barrier area are at least 50 times higher than an average dopant concentration of the semiconductor area; and wherein the dopant concentrations of the first barrier area and of the second barrier area are defined such that the first barrier area and the second barrier area are more than 95% depleted of charge carriers of the second conductivity type when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic discharge protection element and the dopant concentration of the semiconductor area is chosen such that the semiconductor area is more than 95% depleted of its respective majority charge carriers when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic discharge protection element. a collector area having a first conductivity type; a first barrier area bordering on the collector area, the first barrier area having a second conductivity type; a semiconductor area bordering on the first barrier area, the semiconductor area being an intrinsic semiconductor area, or a semiconductor area having the first or second conductivity type and a dopant concentration which is lower than a dopant concentration of the first barrier area; a second barrier area bordering on the semiconductor area, the second barrier area having the second conductivity type and a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor area; and an emitter area bordering on the second barrier area, the emitter area having the first conductivity type; wherein an average dopant concentration of the collector area and an average dopant concentration of the emitter are more than 100 times higher than dopant concentrations of the respective barrier areas and an average dopant concentration of the first barrier area and an average dopant concentration of the second barrier area are at least 50 times higher than an average dopant concentration of the semiconductor area; and wherein the dopant concentrations of the first barrier area and of the second barrier area are defined such that the first barrier area and the second barrier area are more than 95% depleted of charge carriers of the second conductivity type when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic discharge protection element and the dopant concentration of the semiconductor area is chosen such that the semiconductor area is more than 95% depleted of its respective majority charge carriers when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic discharge protection element.