1. A method for the contactless detection and recognition of gestures in a three-dimensional movement space, the method comprising the steps of: moving an object in a three-dimensional movement spaced defined in a electrical near-field, detecting deformations of the electrical near-field caused by the movements of the object in the three-dimensional movement space, generating from the detected deformations of the electrical near-field at least one movement path corresponding to the movement of the object in the three-dimensional movement space, during the generation of the movement path in the movement path determining a gesture start, and beginning with the gesture start extracting the gesture from the movement path.