Surge protection apparatus, in particular for information technology and/or communication technology systems, having: a housing (ST, BT; GT); a first input terminal for applying a first external voltage signal, a second input terminal for applying a second external voltage signal, a first output terminal for outputting the first external voltage signal, a second output terminal for outputting the second external voltage signal; a surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2) which is at least partially provided on a printed circuit board arranged in the housing (ST, BT; G); a first current path for conducting the first external voltage signal from the first input terminal to the first output terminal while bypassing the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a second current path for conducting the second external voltage signal from the second input terminal to the second output terminal while bypassing the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a third current path for conducting the first external voltage signal from the first input terminal to the first output terminal via the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a first switching contact device for opening and closing the first current path; a first electrical surge protection component which is connected between the first and the third current path (ST1, ST3), the surge protection apparatus characterized by a mechanical tripping device (AU; B, S, EF, SL) for opening the first switching contact device in a non-tripped state and for closing the first switching contact device to interrupt the third current path in a tripped state given a tripping current in the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2) caused by exceedance of a nominal parameter and/or by degradation of the components. a housing (ST, BT; GT); a first input terminal for applying a first external voltage signal, a second input terminal for applying a second external voltage signal, a first output terminal for outputting the first external voltage signal, a second output terminal for outputting the second external voltage signal; a surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2) which is at least partially provided on a printed circuit board arranged in the housing (ST, BT; G); a first current path for conducting the first external voltage signal from the first input terminal to the first output terminal while bypassing the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a second current path for conducting the second external voltage signal from the second input terminal to the second output terminal while bypassing the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a third current path for conducting the first external voltage signal from the first input terminal to the first output terminal via the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2); a first switching contact device for opening and closing the first current path; a first electrical surge protection component which is connected between the first and the third current path (ST1, ST3), the surge protection apparatus characterized by a mechanical tripping device (AU; B, S, EF, SL) for opening the first switching contact device in a non-tripped state and for closing the first switching contact device to interrupt the third current path in a tripped state given a tripping current in the surge protection circuit device (G1, R1, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1; G1, G2, R1, R2, Z1, Z2) caused by exceedance of a nominal parameter and/or by degradation of the components.