An electroluminescent device comprising - a substrate and on top of the substrate a substrate electrode, a counter electrode and an electroluminescent layer stack with at least one organic electroluminescent layer to emit light arranged between the substrate and the counter electrode and - an electrically non-conducting encapsulation means arranged on the substrate electrode as a closed contour having an inner edge and an outer edge framing the electroluminescent layer stack, wherein the electroluminescent layer stack at least fully covers the area on top of the substrate electrode defined by the inner edge of the contour and establishing a contiguous first gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the electroluminescent layer stack, and wherein the counter electrode fully covers the electroluminescent layer stack establishing a contiguous second gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the counter electrode smaller than the first gap and sufficiently large to isolate the counter electrode from the substrate electrode, wherein the encapsulation means is suitable to act as a diffusion barrier layer in order to provide a side encapsulation of the electroluminescent layer stack, characterized in that the electroluminescent device further comprises at least one contact means arranged on top of the encapsulation means at a location where the encapsulation means is at least partly covered with the counter electrode in order to establish an electrical connection between the counter electrode and a power source. - a substrate and on top of the substrate a substrate electrode, a counter electrode and an electroluminescent layer stack with at least one organic electroluminescent layer to emit light arranged between the substrate and the counter electrode and - an electrically non-conducting encapsulation means arranged on the substrate electrode as a closed contour having an inner edge and an outer edge framing the electroluminescent layer stack, wherein the electroluminescent layer stack at least fully covers the area on top of the substrate electrode defined by the inner edge of the contour and establishing a contiguous first gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the electroluminescent layer stack, and wherein the counter electrode fully covers the electroluminescent layer stack establishing a contiguous second gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the counter electrode smaller than the first gap and sufficiently large to isolate the counter electrode from the substrate electrode, wherein the encapsulation means is suitable to act as a diffusion barrier layer in order to provide a side encapsulation of the electroluminescent layer stack, characterized in that the electroluminescent device further comprises at least one contact means arranged on top of the encapsulation means at a location where the encapsulation means is at least partly covered with the counter electrode in order to establish an electrical connection between the counter electrode and a power source. wherein the electroluminescent layer stack at least fully covers the area on top of the substrate electrode defined by the inner edge of the contour and establishing a contiguous first gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the electroluminescent layer stack, and wherein the counter electrode fully covers the electroluminescent layer stack establishing a contiguous second gap between the outer edge of the contour and the edge of the counter electrode smaller than the first gap and sufficiently large to isolate the counter electrode from the substrate electrode, wherein the encapsulation means is suitable to act as a diffusion barrier layer in order to provide a side encapsulation of the electroluminescent layer stack,