In the past, the Kölnische Rundschau was regarded as conservative in comparison with the left oriented and liberal Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

The Kölnische Rundschau was founded by the journalist and local politician Reinhold Heinen (1894-1969); it was first published on March 19, 1946.

Heinen, who was imprisoned for four years in Sachsenhausen concentration camp during the Nazi period, received permission, along with other licensees, from the British occupying forces to publish a center-right (CDU) newspaper, but he did not accept this offer until after his journalistic independence had been ensured.

The Allgemeine Kölnische Rundschau, a nationwide edition, was first published in 1948, but the paper lost millions and had to be closed in 1950.

It was already the market leader in the district of Oberbergen (although this was disguised by a cooperation between the two publishers) before the withdrawal of the local office of the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

In 2014, local editorial offices of the Kölnische Rundschau and the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger were outsourced to produce content for both newspapers.

[7] The Kölnische Rundschau and its subsidiary newspapers are distributed in the following independent cities or districts: The publisher Reinhold Heinen, Hans Rörig, Karl and Edmund Pesch held the position of editor-in-chief during the first years.