Operating method for a discharge lamp having at least one dielectrically impeded electrode

The invention relates to a method for operating a discharge lamp, which has at least one dielectrically impeded electrode ( 2, 3 ), on a flyback converter, which applies periodically recurring voltage pulses to the discharge lamp (La 1 ). If the discharge lamp (La 1 ) has a starting aid ( 10 ), the voltage amplitude (U S ) of the voltage pulses is successively raised until a dielectrically impeded discharge is formed in the discharge lamp, and until the voltage amplitude (U S ) has reached the nominal operating voltage. If the discharge lamp (La 1 ) has no starting aid, a first discharge which causes a partial ionization of the discharge medium is firstly ignited in the discharge lamp (La 1 ). Immediately after the first discharge has been brought back to extinction, a dielectrically impeded discharge is ignited anew, and the voltage amplitude (U S ) of the voltage pulses is increased until the nominal operating voltage of the discharge lamp (La 1 ) is reached.