Operator control apparatus, in particular for an electronic household appliance, comprising: an operator control panel with a cutout in the form of an aperture; a printed circuit board which is arranged on an inner side of the operator control panel facing away from a user; an operator control element which is at least partially arranged within the cutout of the operator control panel and is rotatable about an axis of rotation running perpendicular to the plane of the operator control panel; a rotation detection device for detecting a rotational movement and/or a rotational position of the operator control element, said rotation detection device comprising an encoder provided on the operator control element and an optical sensor arranged on the printed circuit board; and a holding element with a receiving portion for at least partially receiving the operator control element, wherein the operator control element is rotatably mounted in the receiving portion, and wherein the holding element is designed, in a portion (21a, 21b) provided between the encoder of the operator control element and the optical sensor of the printed circuit board, to be at least partially permeable to the radiation used by the optical sensor, characterized in that the holding element is a closed fluid-tight holding element which is inserted into the cutout of the operator control panel and is fluid-tightly sealed in relation to the operator control panel by means of a seal device comprising a labyrinth seal, with the result that the printed circuit board is protected behind a closed fluid-tight surface composed of operator control panel and holding element; and the holding element comprises, in the region of the receiving portion, a clamping apparatus for latching the operator control element in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the operator control element in the receiving portion. an operator control panel with a cutout in the form of an aperture; a printed circuit board which is arranged on an inner side of the operator control panel facing away from a user; an operator control element which is at least partially arranged within the cutout of the operator control panel and is rotatable about an axis of rotation running perpendicular to the plane of the operator control panel; a rotation detection device for detecting a rotational movement and/or a rotational position of the operator control element, said rotation detection device comprising an encoder provided on the operator control element and an optical sensor arranged on the printed circuit board; and a holding element with a receiving portion for at least partially receiving the operator control element, wherein the operator control element is rotatably mounted in the receiving portion, and wherein the holding element is designed, in a portion (21a, 21b) provided between the encoder of the operator control element and the optical sensor of the printed circuit board, to be at least partially permeable to the radiation used by the optical sensor, characterized in that the holding element is a closed fluid-tight holding element which is inserted into the cutout of the operator control panel and is fluid-tightly sealed in relation to the operator control panel by means of a seal device comprising a labyrinth seal, with the result that the printed circuit board is protected behind a closed fluid-tight surface composed of operator control panel and holding element; and the holding element comprises, in the region of the receiving portion, a clamping apparatus for latching the operator control element in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the operator control element in the receiving portion.