Circuit arrangement for operating and dimming at least one LED comprising: - an input having a first and a second input connection for coupling to a DC supply voltage (U Zw); - at least one first and one second electronic switch in a bridge arrangement, wherein the first and the second electronic switch are coupled in series between the first and the second input connection so as to form a bridge centre point; - an output having a first and a second output connection for connecting the at least one LED; - an inductor; - a rectifier having a rectifier input and a rectifier output, wherein the inductor is coupled between the bridge centre point and the rectifier input, wherein the rectifier output is coupled to the output (A1, A2) of the circuit arrangement; and - a drive apparatus having at least one first and one second output for feeding corresponding drive signals (AH, AL) to the first and the second electronic switch, wherein the drive signals (AH, AL) have a prescribable frequency (f HB), wherein the drive apparatus has an input (SE1, SE2) for feeding a piece of dimming information, wherein the drive apparatus is designed to increase the frequency (f HB) of the drive signals (AH, AL) in order to dim the at least one LED with increasing dimming, wherein an increasing dimming denotes a decreasing dimming value and therefore a decrease in the emitted light; characterized in that the drive apparatus is designed, in order to dim the at least one LED, to increase the frequency (f HB) of the corresponding drive signals (AH, AL) until the decreasing dimming value reaches a prescribable dimming threshold value, wherein the frequency (f HB) of the drive signals (AH, AL) represents a maximum frequency value (f HBmax) in order to set the dimming value, which corresponds to the dimming threshold value, wherein the circuit arrangement furthermore comprises a short-circuit apparatus for masking out an output signal of the bridge arrangement during prescribable periods having at least one input and at least one output, wherein the at least one input of the short-circuit apparatus is coupled to at least one further output (AB1, AB2; AB) of the drive apparatus, wherein the at least one output of the short-circuit apparatus is coupled to the rectifier input, wherein the drive apparatus is furthermore designed, in order to set any dimming value that is lower than the prescribable dimming threshold value, to set the frequency of the drive signals to the maximum frequency value and to activate the short-circuit apparatus during the prescribable periods, and wherein the prescribable periods correspond to an integer multiple of individual half-waves of the output signal of the bridge arrangement. - an input having a first and a second input connection for coupling to a DC supply voltage (U Zw); - at least one first and one second electronic switch in a bridge arrangement, wherein the first and the second electronic switch are coupled in series between the first and the second input connection so as to form a bridge centre point; - an output having a first and a second output connection for connecting the at least one LED; - an inductor; - a rectifier having a rectifier input and a rectifier output, wherein the inductor is coupled between the bridge centre point and the rectifier input, wherein the rectifier output is coupled to the output (A1, A2) of the circuit arrangement; and - a drive apparatus having at least one first and one second output for feeding corresponding drive signals (AH, AL) to the first and the second electronic switch, wherein the drive signals (AH, AL) have a prescribable frequency (f HB), wherein the drive apparatus has an input (SE1, SE2) for feeding a piece of dimming information, wherein the drive apparatus is designed to increase the frequency (f HB) of the drive signals (AH, AL) in order to dim the at least one LED with increasing dimming, wherein an increasing dimming denotes a decreasing dimming value and therefore a decrease in the emitted light; characterized in that the drive apparatus is designed, in order to dim the at least one LED, to increase the frequency (f HB) of the corresponding drive signals (AH, AL) until the decreasing dimming value reaches a prescribable dimming threshold value, wherein the frequency (f HB) of the drive signals (AH, AL) represents a maximum frequency value (f HBmax) in order to set the dimming value, which corresponds to the dimming threshold value, wherein the circuit arrangement furthermore comprises a short-circuit apparatus for masking out an output signal of the bridge arrangement during prescribable periods having at least one input and at least one output, wherein the at least one input of the short-circuit apparatus is coupled to at least one further output (AB1, AB2; AB) of the drive apparatus, wherein the at least one output of the short-circuit apparatus is coupled to the rectifier input, wherein the drive apparatus is furthermore designed, in order to set any dimming value that is lower than the prescribable dimming threshold value, to set the frequency of the drive signals to the maximum frequency value and to activate the short-circuit apparatus during the prescribable periods, and wherein the prescribable periods correspond to an integer multiple of individual half-waves of the output signal of the bridge arrangement.