I n a short spark discharge (energy release time < 0,5 p) nt pressures between 10 and 100 Torr a pure helium plasma was created and investigated by spectroscopic techniques. The following time dependent plasma parameters could be determined (0,5 S t d 6 ps): pressure p from hydrodynamic considerations, electron density 7~~ from the line profiles and gas temperature T , from the BOLTZMANN population of thc higher levels, i 2 5. The population densities of the levels 3 and 4 deviated from the BOLTz;MaNN-T,-straight line and thus indicated a strong disturbance of thermal equilibrium. For the determination of the electron temperature T , an ionization rate equation was formulated, which took into consideration electron impact ionization, three body recombination and radiat,ion recombination. The deviation from thermal equilibrium of the spark plasma was nearly constant in the investigat,ed pressure-time region: the ratio T,/T, gave 0,06; the ratio ne/no was about 7 orders of magnitude below the corresponding SAHA ratio.