A short-circuiting device for use in low-voltage and medium-voltage systems for the protection of property and persons, comprising a switching element, which can be operated by a tripping signal of a fault detection device, two mutually opposite contact electrodes (70; 80) having means (1; 2) for power supply, which contact electrodes can be brought into contact with an electrical circuit having connection points at different potentials, furthermore, in at least one of the contact electrodes, a movable contact part, which is under mechanical preload and executes a movement to the further contact electrode with the assistance of spring force in the event of a short circuit, a sacrificial element as a spacer between the contact electrodes (70; 80), as well as with an electrical connection between the sacrificial element and the switching element on the one hand and one of the contact electrodes on the other hand, in order to deliberately cause current-flow-induced thermal deformation or destruction of the sacrificial element, wherein the movable contact part is formed as a hollow cylinder closed on one side, and in the hollow cylinder, a spring is inserted for generating a preload, the hollow cylinder being guided to be movable in a complementary recess in the first contact electrode while forming a sliding contact, characterized in that the switching element is formed on the basis of a bridge igniter and is composed of two mutually opposite contacts (10; 11) having current carrying capacity, which are kept at a short distance by an insulation, wherein the electrical insulation between the contacts (10; 11) is cancelled when the bridge igniter is triggered. a switching element, which can be operated by a tripping signal of a fault detection device, two mutually opposite contact electrodes (70; 80) having means (1; 2) for power supply, which contact electrodes can be brought into contact with an electrical circuit having connection points at different potentials, furthermore, in at least one of the contact electrodes, a movable contact part, which is under mechanical preload and executes a movement to the further contact electrode with the assistance of spring force in the event of a short circuit, a sacrificial element as a spacer between the contact electrodes (70; 80), as well as with an electrical connection between the sacrificial element and the switching element on the one hand and one of the contact electrodes on the other hand, in order to deliberately cause current-flow-induced thermal deformation or destruction of the sacrificial element, wherein the movable contact part is formed as a hollow cylinder closed on one side, and in the hollow cylinder, a spring is inserted for generating a preload, the hollow cylinder being guided to be movable in a complementary recess in the first contact electrode while forming a sliding contact, characterized in that the switching element is formed on the basis of a bridge igniter and is composed of two mutually opposite contacts (10; 11) having current carrying capacity, which are kept at a short distance by an insulation, wherein the electrical insulation between the contacts (10; 11) is cancelled when the bridge igniter is triggered.