Discharge lamp of the short arc type

A discharge lamp of the short arc type having an arc tube, a hermetically sealed tube at each of opposite ends of the, a pair of electrodes which are located in the arc tube, electrode rods which support the electrodes, support parts which are each formed by part of one of the hermetically sealed tubes, optionally cylindrical retaining bodies which are each located within and welded to a respective one of the support parts and in which a respective one of the electrode rods time is held securely, and a trigger component which is located on an outer side surface of the support parts, the support parts of the respective hermetically sealed tube and/or the cylindrical retaining bodies are formed of a material that contains a metal or a metallic compound for increasing the dielectric constant. In this way, even with a great distance between the electrodes of the lamp and a high gas filling pressure, the operating properties of the lamp can be improved and it can be reliably operated at a low breakdown voltage.