A thermostat valve for an internal combustion engine, comprising a housing with a plurality of cooling liquid connections (12, 14) and a drive which drives a hollow valve element which is mounted rotatably in the housing rotationally by way of the exertion of a drive force, wherein the drive is a linear drive which acts eccentrically on a shaft which mounts the valve element rotationally, the valve element having a plurality of openings (40, 42) which are delimited by its circumferential face and can be brought into congruence selectively with one or more of the cooling liquid connections (12, 14) of the housing for the throughflow of cooling liquid by way of rotation of the valve element, wherein - adjacently with respect to one of the openings (40, 42), the circumferential face of the valve element has a depression or a cutout, - the valve element can assume a connecting position, a closed position and an intermediate position between the connecting position and the closed position, the relevant opening (40, 42) being in congruence with one of the cooling liquid connections (12, 14) of the housing in the connecting position and a cooling liquid flow being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), the relevant opening (40, 42) not being in congruence with the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14) of the housing in the closed position and a cooling liquid flow not being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), and the relevant opening (40, 42) likewise not being in congruence with the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14) of the housing in the intermediate position, a cooling liquid flow being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), however, through the depression or the cutout, - characterized in that the intermediate position is defined by a stop element which is prestressed into a blocked position and against which the valve element moves with an actuating section in the case of a drive force which does not exceed a limit force, the stop element being moved counter to its prestress by the actuating section of the valve element by way of the exertion of a drive force which exceeds the limit force, into a released position, in which the valve element can be moved with its actuating section past the stop element in order to leave the intermediate position. - adjacently with respect to one of the openings (40, 42), the circumferential face of the valve element has a depression or a cutout, - the valve element can assume a connecting position, a closed position and an intermediate position between the connecting position and the closed position, the relevant opening (40, 42) being in congruence with one of the cooling liquid connections (12, 14) of the housing in the connecting position and a cooling liquid flow being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), the relevant opening (40, 42) not being in congruence with the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14) of the housing in the closed position and a cooling liquid flow not being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), and the relevant opening (40, 42) likewise not being in congruence with the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14) of the housing in the intermediate position, a cooling liquid flow being possible between the interior of the valve element and the relevant cooling liquid connection (12, 14), however, through the depression or the cutout, - characterized in that the intermediate position is defined by a stop element which is prestressed into a blocked position and against which the valve element moves with an actuating section in the case of a drive force which does not exceed a limit force, the stop element being moved counter to its prestress by the actuating section of the valve element by way of the exertion of a drive force which exceeds the limit force, into a released position, in which the valve element can be moved with its actuating section past the stop element in order to leave the intermediate position.