Urbach

Once a quiet village nestled beside an old arm of the Rhine, Urbach in Cologne now hums with a different kind of energy. Urbach, whose name likely comes from the Old High German word for “old brook,” has seen its share of transformations over the centuries. Imagine Urbach around 1100, a small settlement clustered around its first church. This church served the early inhabitants drawn here by the crossroads of ancient highways. These routes, connecting Deutz, Altenrath, Bergisches Land, Heumar, Eil, Wahn, Troisdorf, and Siegburg, established Urbach as a significant point of passage. Today, traces of these old roads remain in street names like Siegburger Straße, Urbacher Weg, and Deutzer Weg. Here in Urbach, Kaiserstraße and Waldstraße also hint at this rich history. Urbach’s past was marked not only by busy roads but also by the tranquil beauty of its natural surroundings. Wetlands like the Bungert flourished until the mid-20th century. A landmark magnolia tree, known for its spectacular blooms, graced the crossroads near a restaurant and dance hall, drawing admirers from near and far. East of the bank height, the parish church of St. Bartholomew stood alongside grand courtyards: Kirchenhof, Leuschhof, Zehnthof, and Maarhof. To the west, along the flat bank area, you would have found Sternenberger Hof and Wiedenhof, near the village school. North of the intersection, along what is now Kaiserstrasse, a market place bustled with activity. To the south, a fruit tree garden provided for the parish of Bungert. As time marched on, the Rhine arm was gradually built over, the former Bungert becoming a green area with a children’s playground. At its south end stands a war memorial, a poignant reminder of the past, designed by Cologne architect Ludwig Paffendorf and completed in 1934. Urbach, along with Porz, Eil, and Elsdorf, shared the St. Bartholomew church as their parish center. Politically interwoven with its surrounding villages, Urbach belonged to the Porz office in the Duchy of Berg. Following administrative restructuring in 1808, Urbach became part of the Rhine department. By 1815, it was incorporated into Prussia under the Heumar Mayor’s Office. The rise of industrialization saw the Rhine’s importance as a transport artery grow, transforming Porz-Urbach into a new industrial district and leading to the construction of a train station on the Cologne-Niederlahnstein line. Today, this former station is known as Porz-Rhein. By 1975, Urbach had become primarily residential, its traffic situation still favorable as it merged with neighboring villages into a cohesive urban unit. While much has changed, the spirit of Urbach, from its humble beginnings as a crossroads village to its current role as part of a vibrant city, continues to resonate within the fabric of Cologne.