The invention relates to an electroluminescent device (10) comprising a layer system with a substrate electrode (20) on top of a substrate (40) and at least one stack of subsequent layers comprising a counter electrode (30) and an electroluminescent layer stack with at least one organic electroluminescent layer (50) wherein the electroluminescent layer stack is arranged between the substrate electrode (20) and the counter electrode (30), and at least one electrical shunt means (122, 122′, 122″) applied to the top of the substrate electrode (20) to improve the current distribution over the substrate electrode (20), characterized in that the electrical shunt means (122, 122′, 122″) is applied to the substrate electrode (20) via at least one electrical connecting means (120), whereas the electrical connecting means (120) and the shunt means (122, 122′, 122″) are arranged outside the stack of subsequent layers. The invention further relates to a method for shunting a substrate electrode of an electroluminescent device by an electrical shunt means.