The invention relates to a double-contact switch (10), comprising a first and a second tubular vacuum switching chamber (12, 14), which are designed as partial switching chambers of a switching tube (16); an electrode (18), which is fixed in the switching tube (16) and which is arranged between the first and second vacuum switching chambers (12, 14) and has a first fixed contact (20) protruding into the first vacuum switching chamber (12) and a second fixed contact (22) protruding into the second vacuum switching chamber (14); a first electrode (24), which is arranged in the first vacuum switching chamber (12) and can be moved therein in the axial direction and has a region (26) that bears a contact, which region is blocked off (28) gas-tight from the exterior of the first vacuum switchingchamber; a second electrode (30), which is arranged in the second vacuum switching chamber (14) and can be moved therein in the axial direction and has a region (32) that bears a contact, which region is blocked off (34) gas-tight from the exterior of the second vacuum switching chamber, the second electrode (30) being fixed relative to the switching tube (16) and the first electrode (24) being movable relative to the switching tube (16) in order to open and close the contacts, and stop means (36, 38) being provided in such a way that the axial motion (40) of the first electrode (24) for opening the switching contacts in the vacuum switching chambers (12, 14) relative to the switching tube (16) is limited to a specified distance and, when the stop means (36, 38) hit each other, a mechanical impulse acting on the switching tube (16) is produced in the direction of the axial motion (40) in order break open any weldings of the contacts.