A protective device including a flexible fabric shiftable longitudinally between different functional positions, and provided on opposite side edges with respective stiffening strips guided in a manner shiftable longitudinally in vehicle-mounted guide tracks. A pull-out profile extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal shifting direction of the fabric and is connected to an end region thereof. The pull-out profile is guided in the vehicle-mounted guide tracks by guide elements, and each stiffening strip is fastened on the end side to a respective guide element. Each stiffening strip has at least three receptacles provided one behind another in the longitudinal shifting direction, and the guide element is assigned at least three profiling portions spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal shifting direction and projecting into the receptacles in a form-fitting manner transversely with respect to the longitudinal shifting direction.