A bending device for rod-shaped workpieces having a bending head with a mandrel rotatable about a rotation axis, a cutting device for cutting the respective workpiece in a cutting plane, and a feed and straightening device for feeding the workpieces to the bending head, the cutting device capable of being moved along a travel path in the feed direction of the workpieces, with the bending head capable of being shifted between an operating position in which it is moved towards the workpiece and an inactive end position remote therefrom, the bending head, in order to assume its operating position, can be moved into the travel path of the cutting device, whereas, when assuming its inactive end position, it is positioned outside the travel path of the cutting device, and, when the bending head is situated in its inactive end position, the cutting device can be moved downstream on its travel path at least partly over the area of the operating position of the bending head.