“Three streets meet and tell a tale.” Today we are standing in Wei\u00df. It is a place directly on the Rhine with a rich past. Wei\u00df was first mentioned in documents in 1130.
Let me paint you a picture of Wei\u00df. Imagine agriculture and wine-growing flourishing in the Rhine floodplain. The fishing rights belonged to the K\u00f6lner Severinstift. This was also the case in S\u00fcrth and Godorf. These places are further up the Rhine.
The Pflasterhof formed the heart of Wei\u00df. It was a knight’s estate given as a fief by the Archbishop. The K\u00f6lner Antoniter owned land here. So did the Abbey of Gro\u00df-Sankt-Martin and the Stift Sankt Severin.
Now, let’s talk about the historical layout of Wei\u00df. In 1887, there were 150 houses in Wei\u00df. They lined Wei\u00dfer Hauptstra\u00dfe, Auf der Ruhr, and Alte Rheinstra\u00dfe. These three streets formed the historic village center. Even today, you will see mostly one- or two-story gabled houses. They are made of brick and half-timber.
Did you know that Wei\u00df has changed over time? After the Second World War, new housing estates sprung up. They connected Wei\u00df more and more with Rodenkirchen and S\u00fcrth. They became a single unit.
Wei\u00df became part of Cologne in 1975. This happened when the old municipality of Rodenkirchen was incorporated. Wei\u00df is known for its Rhine ferry to Z\u00fcndorf. The district offers various recreational activities along the Rhine.
Wei\u00df has some special highlights. There is a landing stage for the passenger ferry. You can find a campsite here. There is the Wei\u00dfer Bogen recreation area. There is also the Georgstra\u00dfe youth center. And of course, we have the Chapel of Saint George and the Pflasterhof.
Let’s step back in time to 1433. Archbishop Dietrich von Moers allowed a chapel to be built. This chapel is believed to be the core of today’s St. George’s Church. The current church building was designed by Josef Bernard. It was completed in 1954. Its overhanging roof juts into the embankment and shapes the district’s skyline.
Wei\u00df also has a beer history. K\u00f6lsch is a beer style from Cologne. The city had brewpubs making a cloudy beer called Wei\u00df. This unfiltered K\u00f6lsch is making a comeback today. K\u00f6lsch evolved from Wei\u00df after World War I. Local brewers codified their traditions into the K\u00f6lsch Konvention. Top-fermenting was kept. Aspects of lighter beers were added. This included pale malts and filtering.
The K\u00f6lsch Konvention also specified where K\u00f6lsch could be brewed. It included Cologne and the area around it. It even specified the glass it would be served in. It is a 20cl tube called a Stange. In 1987, K\u00f6lsch got protected designation of origin status.
So as we stand here in Wei\u00df, remember its journey. From agriculture and wine to a modern suburb. It has a unique character shaped by the Rhine and its people.