An impact protection device for a closure of a waterway, the closure having at least one gate element movable back and forth between an open position and a closed position, the impact protection device - having at least one impact protection element and a movable connecting device, - the connecting device being realized as an array of linkages having a plurality of linkage elements, the plurality of linkage elements having a plurality of linkages and at least one drive element, and - the at least one impact protection element being connectable to the gate element by means of the movable connecting device, and - the at least one impact protection element being movable relative to the gate element by means of the at least one drive element, - the impact protection element being movable back and forth between an active position remote from the gate element and a passive position close to the gate element by means of the array of linkages, - at least one of the linkage elements of the array of linkages being realized as an energy absorption element (6, 9) of the impact protection device for absorbing the kinetic energy of an impacting ship, characterized in that the impact protection element is realized as a rigid, substantially tabular plane plate element, the plurality of linkages of the array of linkages being distributed both horizontally and vertically across the surface of the impact protection element. - having at least one impact protection element and a movable connecting device, - the connecting device being realized as an array of linkages having a plurality of linkage elements, the plurality of linkage elements having a plurality of linkages and at least one drive element, and - the at least one impact protection element being connectable to the gate element by means of the movable connecting device, and - the at least one impact protection element being movable relative to the gate element by means of the at least one drive element, - the impact protection element being movable back and forth between an active position remote from the gate element and a passive position close to the gate element by means of the array of linkages, - at least one of the linkage elements of the array of linkages being realized as an energy absorption element (6, 9) of the impact protection device for absorbing the kinetic energy of an impacting ship, - the connecting device being realized as an array of linkages having a plurality of linkage elements, the plurality of linkage elements having a plurality of linkages and at least one drive element, and - the at least one impact protection element being connectable to the gate element by means of the movable connecting device, and - the at least one impact protection element being movable relative to the gate element by means of the at least one drive element, - the at least one impact protection element being connectable to the gate element by means of the movable connecting device, and - the at least one impact protection element being movable relative to the gate element by means of the at least one drive element, - the impact protection element being movable back and forth between an active position remote from the gate element and a passive position close to the gate element by means of the array of linkages, - at least one of the linkage elements of the array of linkages being realized as an energy absorption element (6, 9) of the impact protection device for absorbing the kinetic energy of an impacting ship,