The invention concerns a controlling and monitoring device for avoiding damage through overheating in the case of flexible, textile surface heating elements which include at least two opposed contact conductors (3.1, 3.2) made of electrically conducting, non-insulated fibers or wires between which there extends a plurality of heating conductors (8) which are electrically connected to the contact conductors (3.1, 3.2) and to a current-voltage source. At least one additional conductor (1) is guided along at least one contact conductor over the heating conductors (8), wherein the additional conductor (1) is electrically insulated by a covering material and is connected to an electric or electronic evaluation switch (11). The coating material has a softening range which is above the standard heating temperature of the surface heating element, but below the permissible thermal limit temperature of the surrounding materials and of the base material (12), wherein, in the case of overheating, the coating material melts and wherein the heating conductors (8.1, 8.2), together with the additional conductor, form an electrical contact via which, for the purpose of controlling any overheating, an electric current flows to the electric or electronic evaluation unit which is connected to the current-voltage source.