Why were flat rebar used in the past?

[Corsair]

I started trying to chisel away a part of an old concrete wall. However, I quickly noticed that instead of rebar, they used kind of 5mm thick flat rebar about 3-4cm wide, so it will be necessary to hire someone else to do the job. But why did they do it like that back then? Was it common? The house was built in 1943.

 

[useless]

My guess is that they used what was available.
But why must someone else do the job just because the reinforcement looks different?

 

[Intet]

My garden stairs were reinforced with pipes which pleased the Romanian mason I hired to remodel the now crumbled wartime stairs. So the pipes were reused in the new ones (for the sake of the climate 😁).

 

[Fotografen]

As mentioned, it's probably mason Warg, Cajsa's husband, who took what he had.

 

[MultiMan]

My root cellar is cast in an arch with flat, wide rebar. At least 50 years old. Very well-made overall.