What if I told you that Cologne has a sibling rivalry of towers. Today we are standing before the Pollonius. This 115-meter-high telecommunications tower is located in Köln-Poll. Pollonius is not open to the public.
Let’s dive into the story of this functional structure. The Pollonius is a Fernmeldeturm in the FMT 15 design. It belongs to Deutsche Funkturm. This is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
The Pollonius began its service in 1990. It transmits radio programs in the UKW range. Its name is a playful reference to its “big brother”. That is the Colonius telecommunications tower in Cologne.
Radio Berg broadcasts from the Pollonius. It operates on 99.7 MHz. The signal is directed northeast. It serves the Bergisch Gladbach urban area with an effective radiated power of 0.5 kW.
The signal is hard to receive in Cologne itself. This is due to the sharp directional radiation. But Radio Berg is available via other transmitters. These are in Leverkusen-Opladen on 96.9 MHz and in Lindlar on 105.2 MHz.
The Colonius is much taller. It measures 266 meters. The Colonius is the highest telecommunications tower in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the seventh highest in Germany. The Colonius started operating on June 3, 1981.
The Colonius has a three-story tower base at 166 meters. It once housed a cafeteria with an observation deck. There was also a restaurant with a revolving seating area. Technical facilities of Deutsche Telekom are located on the upper floor. There were two elevators to the top. A third elevator went to a technical level at 174 meters. A staircase has 925 steps. A neon advertising sign for Telekom is mounted outside the gallery.
The Colonius was transformed into a sculpture using a light installation. This was during the Plan 08 architecture festival in 2008. There were plans for the Colonius Award. It would have been an annual competition between international light artists. But this never happened. Two architectural firms have occupied the office spaces of the entrance building since 2009.
The Colonius transmits Radio Erft on 105.8 MHz. It is directed towards the Rhein-Erft-Kreis. This signal is well-received throughout the Cologne Bay area. That is between Bonn and Düsseldorf, extending to Aachen.
Digital radio DAB is broadcast from the Colonius. The nationwide multiplex on DAB channel 11D is transmitted from the WDR site on the Kölnturm. The nationwide private multiplex has been broadcast on channel 9D since October 29, 2021.
The Colonius transmitted a program package in DVB-T2 HD. It included Das Erste, RTL, ProSieben, SAT.1, VOX and ZDF on channel 43. The regular operation for all programs started on March 29, 2017. The DVB-T2 broadcasts operate in single frequency network mode with other locations.
Both the Pollonius and Colonius play critical roles in Cologne’s broadcasting landscape. They ensure radio and television signals reach residents. While the Colonius gets more attention, the Pollonius quietly supports regional broadcasting. These towers embody Cologne’s blend of innovation and practicality in telecommunications. The people of Cologne rely on them every day.