A transversally electrically excited gas discharge laser for generating light pulses with a high pulse repetition rate. The gas discharge laser has components include a gas-tight discharge tube with opposed wall passages and front ends. The discharge tube includes ceramic material with laser gas sealed therein. The components also include partial metal layers disposed on the discharge tube. Decoupling and holding elements including support trays are disposed in the wall passages, with the support trays being adhered with solder to the discharge tube via the partial metal layers. The components also include a pair of electrodes extending axially and disposed in the decoupling and holding elements so as to form a gas discharge path. The components also include a pair of rod-shaped electrodes disposed in the discharge tube that are substantially parallel to the main electrodes and operable to control the starting conditions of gas discharge. The electrical excitation circuit includes a switch to generate a high-current discharge from an energy storage device. Support rings are joined to the front ends of the discharge tube and a pair of optical resonator mirrors are welded into the support rings. At least some of the components are usable with an ultrahigh vacuum and heatable to above a second water boundary. The support trays and the support rings are deformable so as to enable fine adjustment of the main electrodes and of the resonator mirrors.