Arrangement and method for switching high currents in high-, medium- and/or low-voltage engineering

A method for switching high currents in at least one of low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage engineering, the method comprising the following steps:

• routing a current path for a rated current through at least one rated-current contact of a rated-current contact switching path;
• routing a current path for a short-circuit current through at least one contact of a vacuum tube of a vacuum switching path;
• using mutually separated gas-insulated insulating housings separated from the vacuum tube and the at least one rated-current contact to spatially separate the at least one contact of the vacuum tube and the at least one rated-current contact from each other;
• connecting the current path for the rated current and the current path for the short-circuit current in parallel;
• and
• providing the at least one rated-current contact switching path with a rated current, providing the vacuum switching path with metallic elements of the at least one vacuum tube, and using the metallic elements of the vacuum switching path to partially conduct the rated current.