The invention relates to an illumination device (51, 52, 53) for a motor vehicle headlight, which illumination device comprises: an illumination means (100) wherein the light beams thereof can be collimated by at least one lens system (200); a polarising beam splitter (300), which divides the collimated light beams into a first and a second linearly polarised beam path (310, 320); a first means for polarisation rotation (400) which is configured to rotate the polarisation direction of the second beam path (320), such that the second beam path (320) has the polarisation direction of the first beam path (310); a reflective means (350) which is configured to deflect the first beam path (310); a single second means for polarisation rotation (600), having at least one segment which can be placed in an active and an inactive state by means of electrical signals; a polarisation filter means (610) which is configured to transmit or block the light beams that have been rotated in terms of their polarisation by the second means for polarisation rotation (600); and at least one projection lens (700) which is provided to generate a light distribution or a partial light distribution of a lighting function in front of a motor vehicle.