The present embodiments related to a device having a device element to which a high voltage can be applied. The device is provided with at least one additional conducting element which is disposed, embodied and connected in such a way that the element is assigned a defined potential value and a change to the electric field generated by the high voltage in the sense of a more favorable field distribution is effected by means of position, shape and potential value. According to the invention, maximum loads on switching elements are avoided and undesirable phenomena such as voltage breakdowns or flow voltages are counteracted as a result of the more favorable field distribution.