Switching element having temperature monitoring, including: an IGBT module comprising a first terminal (A1) and a second terminal (A2) and also a node (K), a first plurality of' IGBT chips and a second plurality of IGBT chips, wherein the IGBT chips of the first plurality and of the second plurality of IGBT chips in each case have collector terminals and emitter terminals and wherein the collector terminals of the first plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the first terminal (A1) of the IGBT module , and the emitter terminals of the first plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the node (K), and wherein the collector terminals of the second plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the node (K), and the emitter terminals of the second plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the second terminal (A2) of the IGBT module ; a first temperature sensor which is designed to detect a chip temperature at a predetermined position of the IGBT module ; a second temperature sensor which is designed to detect an ambient temperature in the vicinity of the IGBT module ; a current sensor which is designed to detect an electric current which flows into the IGBT module at the node (K) of the IGBT module ; and a monitoring device which is designed to ascertain a limit temperature, using the electric current detected via the current sensor and the ambient temperature detected via the second temperature sensor , and to detect a malfunction of the IGBT module , based on a comparison of the ascertained limit temperature to the chip temperature detected via the first temperature sensor . an IGBT module comprising a first terminal (A1) and a second terminal (A2) and also a node (K), a first plurality of' IGBT chips and a second plurality of IGBT chips, wherein the IGBT chips of the first plurality and of the second plurality of IGBT chips in each case have collector terminals and emitter terminals and wherein the collector terminals of the first plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the first terminal (A1) of the IGBT module , and the emitter terminals of the first plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the node (K), and wherein the collector terminals of the second plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the node (K), and the emitter terminals of the second plurality of IGBT chips are electrically coupled to the second terminal (A2) of the IGBT module ; a first temperature sensor which is designed to detect a chip temperature at a predetermined position of the IGBT module ; a second temperature sensor which is designed to detect an ambient temperature in the vicinity of the IGBT module ; a current sensor which is designed to detect an electric current which flows into the IGBT module at the node (K) of the IGBT module ; and a monitoring device which is designed to ascertain a limit temperature, using the electric current detected via the current sensor and the ambient temperature detected via the second temperature sensor , and to detect a malfunction of the IGBT module , based on a comparison of the ascertained limit temperature to the chip temperature detected via the first temperature sensor . <EOS>