Poll
Right-bank Cologne district shaped for centuries by fishermen and milkmaids — home of the legendary Poller Maifisch.
Poll is a right-bank district of Cologne whose residents lived for centuries by fishing and farming, supplying the city with milk and fish.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Right-bank district of Cologne
- Location
- On the Rhine, southeast of the city centre
- Borough
- Porz
- Incorporated
- 1888, together with Deutz
- First mentioned
- 1 April 1003, as "Polla"
- Known for
- Fishing and the Poller Maifisch
On 23 April 1878, Poll's fishermen caught 183 shad in a single net haul – described as the "best catch in living memory" – and occasionally a sturgeon was pulled from the Rhine too, once exhibited alive on the riverbank for a week for an admission fee (one weighed 435 pounds in 1876).
Location and Neighbours
To the north, Poll borders Deutz along a railway embankment; to the south, the A 4 motorway and the Rodenkirchener Autobahnbrücke separate it from Westhoven. The A 559 forms the eastern boundary with Humboldt/Gremberg, while the Rhine marks the western edge, facing the left-bank districts of Bayenthal and Marienburg.
Name and Early Settlement
The origin of the name "Poll" remains uncertain; proposed derivations include the Dutch "Poel" (polder), "Pöhl" (pool or puddle), and "Boll" (hill). Archaeological finds attest to settlement as far back as the Neolithic period, with the oldest find directly in Poll dating to the Bronze Age. In 454, the Franks stormed Cologne and settled in Poll as well — a presence confirmed by Frankish graves.
Fishing and Farming
In 1003, Poll's fishermen leased the fishing rights from Poll to the Deutz parish church from the Cologne Archbishopric. For centuries the Poller supplied the city with milk and fish; until around 1880, milkmaids rowed their goods across the Rhine by boat. Poll was particularly celebrated for the Poller Maifisch — a shad that swam upstream to spawn in April and May. On 23 April 1878, the fishermen landed 183 Maifisch in a single net haul, the "best catch in living memory." The fishwives were famous for their market cry: "Freesche Maifeesch, Freesche Maifeesch." Crews of eight took turns fishing daily. Commercial fishing ended in 1938.
Worth Knowing
Wine was already being cultivated on a Rhine slope at Weingartengasse as early as 1326, though the vineyards were eventually abandoned. From around 1200, embankments were systematically built to guard against Rhine breaches — only to be repeatedly destroyed by floods.
Timeline
- um 4000–2000 v. Chr.First settlement of the area (Neolithic)
- 2000–1000 v. Chr.Oldest find in Poll (Bronze Age)
- um 310Foundation of Deutz fort; resettlement of the right Rhine bank
- 454Franks storm Cologne and settle in Poll
- 1003First documentary mention of Poll (deed of gift, Archbishop Heribert)
- 1326Viticulture at Weingartengasse first documented
- 1888Poll (with Deutz) incorporated into Cologne
- 1975Municipal reorganisation: Poll becomes part of Porz district
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27