Provisions to charge the battery of a hearing apparatus without having to remove the battery from the housing are provided. A hearing apparatus separates charging contacts, which are disposed on the surface of the housing and serve to charge the battery, from the battery and to connect the battery to an amplifier circuit, when the battery is not being charged. Otherwise, when the battery is being charged, the hearing apparatus connects the charging contacts to the battery and separates the battery from the amplifier circuit. This double switching function means that the amplifier circuit is protected from charging power surges and also in the normal operating state of the hearing apparatus electrochemical reactions at the charging contacts are avoided.