A device for the generation of white light serves in particular for the illumination of the interior of the eye. A semiconductor laser (10) emits radiation in the blue/violet/ultraviolet region of the spectrum, which is coupled into an optical waveguide (18). The optical waveguide (18) is doped with fluorescent dyes (26). By superposition of the fluorescent radiations white light is generated at the end (22) of the optical waveguide.