Rheinauhafen

The street Im Zollhafen runs across the peninsula, where the Crane Houses stand. Its southern continuation is called Anna-Schneider-Steig, followed further south by Agrippinawerft. The Rheinuferstraße (B 51) runs parallel along the riverbank, and the Severinsbrücke bridge spans the peninsula. The area no longer serves any harbour function.

After severe ice flooding in February 1784, Cologne's merchants and boatmen demanded a winter harbour for their vessels. At Napoleon's instigation, construction of a safety harbour began in 1811; it was in use by 1813 but not fully completed until 1840. It silted up and was difficult for larger vessels to access. As river transport shifted from towpath haulage to steam navigation, cargo volumes grew sharply and a new harbour became necessary. In 1847, city architect Bernhard Wilhelm Harperath and fortifications engineer Carl Schnitzler planned to connect the southern tip of the Rhine island to the bank, creating today's peninsula — work began that same year. In 1848, Johann Anton Wallé designed a safety harbour at Werthchen whose basin was completely enclosed by dock walls.