The invention relates to a vacuum valve for interrupting, releasing or controlling a flowing medium in the interior (3) of the vacuum valve (1). A shaft (6) coupled to a valve drive (5) is routed gas-tight from the atmospheric area (4) to the interior (3) through a valve housing (2) by way of a sealing shaft penetration (20) so that a movement produced by the valve drive (5) can be transferred from the atmospheric area (4) to the interior (3) for the purposes of interrupting, releasing or controlling the flow.