Abstract: Surge voltage arrester with a gas-tight housing wherein two truncated cone-shaped electrodes are disposed respectively opposite one another and form a gap therebetween, the electrodes being received in opposite ends of a tubular insulating body and being formed with a bottom surface facing into the tubular insulating body and a lateral conical surface, including at least one strip of electrically conductive material serving as an ignition strip, said strip extending within the tubular body over part of the length thereof in direction from one to the other electrode, at least a part of the ignition strip terminating at a first distance opposite the lateral surface of the one electrode and at a second distance short of the bottom surface of the one electrode, at least one of the distances being shorter than the length of the gap.