A load breaking switch including a rotor embodied as a switch shaft segment, and a contact arm pivotally mounted in the rotor pivotable between an ON and OFF position about an axis of rotation and at the free end of which is a contact piece which is pivotable with the contact arm and is in contact with an opposite fixedly arranged contact piece when the contact arm is in its ON position. Current flows through the switch via the contact pieces and the contact arm. The contact arm is pivotable into its OFF position when the current flowing via the contact pieces exceeds a rated current value or an overload current value. A magnetizable area is spatially arranged inside the rotor such that the current flowing through the contact arm in this area induces a magnetic field which exerts a torque on the contact arm.