Abstract: A high-pressure glow discharge lamp (1) having a planar discharge vessel (2) which is sealed in a vacuumtight manner, which surrounds a discharge space (3) filled with a gas mixture which forms excimers, and whose parallel walls (4, 5) are formed from a dielectric material. The surfaces (6, 7) of the walls (4, 5) remote from the discharge space (3) are provided with planar electrodes (8, 9). At least one (5) of these walls with its associated electrode (8) is at least partly transparent to the generated radiation. The gas mixture includes at least one of the rare gases Xe, Kr and Ar for forming an excimer and at least one of the halogens I.sub.2, Br.sub.2, Cl.sub.2 and F.sub.2. The partial pressure of the substance forming the excimer is at least 10 and at most 600 mbar in the case of Xe and/or Kr and at least 10 and at most 1000 mbar in the case of Ar. The partial pressure of the halogen is between 0.05 and 5% of the partial pressure of the substance forming the excimer.