The invention relates to a switching device (1) suitable for direct-current operation, comprising a housing (6), at least one contact pair (12, 17) having a first contact (10, 15) and a second contact (11, 16), wherein at least one of the two contacts (15, 16) can be moved and the two contacts (10, 15; 11, 16) are in contact with each other in a switched-on state of the switching device (1) and are not in contact with each other in a switched-off state of the switching device (1), an arc driver assembly (24), which produces a magnetic field at least in the area of the contact pair (12, 17), and a first arc conducting assembly (22), by means of which an arc occurring between the contacts (10, 15; 11, 16) and having a first current direction is conducted to a first quenching apparatus (32) for quenching the arc, wherein a second arc conducting assembly (23) is provided, by means of which an arc occurring between the contacts (10, 15; 11, 16) and having a second current direction opposite the first current direction is conducted to a second quenching apparatus (37) for quenching the arc, wherein the two arc conducting assemblies (22, 23) each comprise at least two conducting plates, of which at least one first conducting plate (8) is immovably accommodated in the housing (6) and a second conducting plate (29, 34) is connected at least partially rigidly to a bridge assembly (18, 19) and is movably arranged in the housing (6).