Switching device with at least one contact point and an arc blow device associated with said contact point, where said arc blow device comprises at least one blow magnet (2.1, 2.2) for generating a magnetic blow field, where said blow field is of such nature that a switch arc (3.1, 3.2) developing when said contact point opens is blown out from said contact point, wherein said blow field comprises a first magnetic field area and a second magnetic field area arranged adjacent to said first magnetic field area, wherein said switching device further comprises an arc extinguishing device (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) which is arranged such that said switch arc (3.1, 3.2) is blown through said arc blow device into said arc extinguishing device (5.1, 5.2, 5.3), irrespective of the direction of the current, wherein said arc blow device comprises a first lateral pole plate (6.1), a second lateral pole plate (6.2) and an interposed center pole plate (6.3), where said first magnetic field area is given between said first lateral pole plate (6.1) and said center pole plate (6.3), and where said second magnetic field area is given between said second lateral pole plate (6.2) and said center pole plate (6.3), wherein said first lateral pole plate (6.1) is associated with at least one first blow magnet (2.1), and said second lateral pole plate (6.2) with at least one second blow magnet (2.2), where said first blow magnet (2.1) and said second blow magnet (2.2) are poled oppositely, and where said blow magnets (2.1, 2.2) are permanent magnets, wherein said switching device comprises a first contact point and a second contact point, where said first contact point is associated with a first arc blow device and said second contact point with a second arc blow device, where said first contact point comprises a first fixed contact (7.1) and a first moveable contact (9.1), where said second contact point comprises a second fixed contact (7.2) and a second movable contact (9.2), where said first movable contact (9.1) and said second movable contact (9.2) are arranged at oppositely disposed ends of a common contact bridge, where said first fixed contact (7.1) is associated with at least one first arc guide plate and said second fixed contact (7.2) with at least one second arc guide plate, where said first arc guide plate and said second arc guide plate extend between said respective fixed contact (7.1, 7.2) and said arc extinguishing device (5.1, 5.2) and are conductively connected to said respective fixed contact (7.1, 7.2), where furthermore a third arc guide plate and a fourth arc guide plate are provided, characterized in that magnetic field lines of said first magnetic field area are oriented in opposite direction to magnetic field lines of said second magnetic field area, and where said blow field further comprises a transition area which connects said first magnetic field area and said second magnetic field area with each other, where the orientation of said magnetic field lines in said transition area, each starting out from said first magnetic field area and said second magnetic field area, aligns toward said contact point so that said switch arc (3.1, 3.2) within said transition area is in dependence of the direction of the current, starting out from said contact point, directed either into said first magnetic field area or into said second magnetic field area and there in both cases blown in the same direction away from said contact point, wherein said third arc guide plate and said fourth arc guide plate each extend in an arcuate manner from said first movable contact (9.1) to said second movable contact (9.2), so that said third arc guide plate and said fourth arc guide plate together with said contact bridge each form an almost closed loop, and where said center pole plates (6.3) of said first and said second arc blow device are each arranged between said third and said fourth arc guide plate (13, 14).