Abstract: A lighting apparatus including: a flexible planar light source having plural illuminants over a surface of a planar carrier material, which includes a flexible planar circuit carrier fitted with the illuminants on a side. The illuminants being interconnected by electrical lines formed in or on the circuit carrier, and a controller to supply power to the illuminants and control the illuminants. The controller includes a housing disposed on an edge of the planar light source and is mechanically connected to the planar light source, an edge of the planar light source being partly accommodated in the housing. The housing including electrical and electronic components and lines connected to the electrical lines of the planar light source. A strain relief is configured to absorb tensile stresses between the housing and the planar light source to keep the tensile stresses away from electrical connections between the controller and the planar light source.