Abstract: An operating method, in particular a dimming method for a discharge lamp. In order to set the maximum brightness, two outer electrodes (5,6), for example, are used to generate in the discharge lamp a dielectrically impeded discharge which, through the formation of xenon excimers, emits UV radiation which is converted into light with the aid of fluorescent materials (2). In order to permit intense dimming of the discharge lamp, two cold cathodes (3, 4) are used to generate a xenon low-pressure discharge emitting UV beams, and the dielectrically impeded discharge is switched off. Both types of discharge are preferably excited by high-voltage pulses which are generated by an operating unit (7). Dimming is preferably performed by blanking pulse trains.