History goes back centuries This colorful pillar hangs everywhere - its true meaning often remains hidden

The red, white and blue poles outside barbershops are known all over the world - but hardly anyone knows their history. Originally, it was a sign for a completely different service that was part of everyday life in the Middle Ages.

The rotating poles with the typical red, white and blue stripes are mainly found in barbershops for men. But what is now an unmistakable trademark for barbers has a long and unusual history dating back to the Middle Ages.

As early as the 12th century, the so-called barber pole was a symbol that indicated that this store not only cut hair, but also performed medical procedures such as bloodletting. Back then, bloodletting was considered a cure for various ailments.

Barbers, who were skilled in the use of sharp blades, took on this task - especially after Pope Alexander III banned clergymen from performing medical procedures in 1163.

Today, they are unmistakable symbols

While doctors often found such work too trivial, barbers expanded their range of services. The red and white stripes on the poles symbolized blood and the bandages used after the procedure. According to one theory, the pole itself stands for the stick that patients clutched during the procedure - similar to the stress ball when donating blood.

Over time, a blue line was added to the barber pole in the USA, presumably as an allusion to the American flag. Other interpretations see it as a representation of the veins that were punctured during bloodletting.

Today, the rotating barber poles are not only an unmistakable symbol of barbershops, but are also known for an optical illusion: the rotating movement makes the stripes appear to move vertically. In many barbershops, a rotating pole indicates that the store is open - if it is stationary, the door remains closed.