Control Device

A control device is disclosed for an electric heating device with a PTC element as an auxiliary heater in a motor vehicle. The control device has a control housing in which a printed circuit board, equipped with at least one power switch is provided. The power switch is applied against a cooling surface in a heat-conducting manner under pretension via an elastic pretensioning element. The pretensioning element is formed from an elongated piece of a soft-elastic plastic part extruded with at least one through-opening. Also disclosed is an electric heating device having such a control device.