An arrester is disclosed. In an embodiment, the arrester includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a switching contact, a first discharge space between the first and second electrodes and a short-circuiting mechanism suitable for short-circuiting the first and second electrodes and for switching a state of the arrester, wherein, in a first state, at least one electrode of the first and second electrodes is not electrically conductively connected to the switching contact and, in a second state, the at least one electrode is electrically conductively connected to the switching contact.