To provide an apparatus for separating an electric circuit, especially for high current intensity, to separate a circuit to be interrupted surely, quickly and irreversibly.

A separation range 9 is provided by installing at least one electric conductor element 3 inside a housing 1. The housing 1 is provided so the conductor element 3 can be inserted in the circuit to be separated so that the circuit to be separated is extended via a conductor element 3. Furthermore, an operation enabling means 13 is provided in the housing 1 or on the housing 1 to generate starting pressure, directly on the separating range 9 or acting on the separating range 9 via a driving cartridge 17 abutted to the separating range 9 at a starting position. After the separation range 9 and/or the driving cartridge 17 is actuated by the operation enabling means 13, the separating range 9 is completely separated so that rupture excision or the area of the cut-off section is reduced.