The invention relates to a braking device (1), in particular for a motor vehicle brake system, wherein the braking device (1) has at least one movable activation element (2,3,4) and at least one device for monitoring the position and movement of at least one activation element (2, 3, 4), and at least one compressible, electrically conductive device spring (11) which is arranged in an elastically prestressed fashion between two abutments, wherein at least one of the abutments is of movable design, and the movement of the abutment is coupled at least partially to a movement of at least one activation element (2, 3 ,4), and wherein the device spring (11) is provided for moving at least one of the abutments into its unactivated release position. In order to provide an improved braking device which permits, in a cost-effective way, precise, reliable, robust and durable determination of the position and movement of an activation element, as far as possible over its entire movement range, the invention proposes that the device spring (11) be additionally assigned a sensing function in that the device spring (11) is the component of the device for monitoring the position and movement of at least one activation element (2, 3, 4), wherein a degree of compression of the device spring (11) can be sensed, and wherein the device spring (11) is arranged in an electrically insulated fashion between the two abutments.