Illumination device for a motor vehicle headlamp and/or for a rear lamp of a motor vehicle and/or for a signal lamp for a motor vehicle for generating at least one light distribution (LV1, LV2) or a partial light distribution, the illumination device comprising one or more imaging units, each imaging unit being configured to generate an intermediate light image in an imaging plane (ZBE, ZBE') specific to the respective imaging unit, wherein each imaging unit consists of a light source and collimator optics or comprises a light source and collimator optics, wherein each collimator optics comprises of a body formed of a transparent light conducting material, said body having a light coupling region, a boundary surface, and a light exit surface, and wherein light coupled into the body via the light coupling region, on one part, propagates directly in the direction of the light exit surface and, on the other part, is directed onto the boundary surface, at which it is reflected, preferably totally reflected, in the direction of the light exit surface, and wherein the collimator optics of each is arranged such that the light emitted from the light source of the respective imaging unit is imaged as an intermediate light image in the imaging plane (ZBE, ZBE') specific to the respective imaging unit, and wherein the illumination device comprises at least one projection device, in particular at least one projection lens, having an optical axis, which at least one projection device has a focal plane, characterized in that at least one of the imaging units is realized as a so-called convergence imaging unit, wherein a convergence imaging unit is formed such that the body of the collimator optics is such that the part of the light which is coupled into the body via the light coupling region and propagates directly in the direction of the light exit surface, as well as the other part of the coupled-in light which is reflected, in particular totally reflected, at the boundary surface, forms a collimator-body light beam (KLB, KLB') converging into a common virtual intermediate light image plane (VBE, VBE'), wherein the light exit surface is curved concavely and the virtual intermediate light image plane (VBE, VBE') is in front of the specific imaging plane (ZBE, ZBE') of the convergence imaging unit in the light propagation direction, wherein the virtual intermediate light image plane (VBE, VBE') is a plane in which a real intermediate image would be generated only if the light rays at the light exit surface of the body were not deflected, and wherein the light exit surface of the body is formed such that, when the collimator-body light beam (KLB, KLB') emerges from the body, the light rays at the light exit surface are deflected at the light exit surface and formed into an exit light beam (ALB, ALB') in such a way that the light rays of the exit light beam (ALB, ALB') form the intermediate light image in the specific imaging plane (ZBE, ZBE'), wherein the specific imaging plane (ZBE, ZBE') is inclined with respect to the focal plane and intersects the focal plane, preferably in the region of the optical axis or, respectively, above or below the optical axis, and wherein the intermediate light image lying in the imaging plane is imaged by the projection device into an area in front of the lighting device, for example in the case of a lighting device installed in a motor vehicle into a traffic area located in front of the motor vehicle, as a light distribution or part of a light distribution.