Situated west of the river Rhine, Zollstock was first mentioned in 1877 and experienced increased development from the 1880s onwards.

Increased construction in the area began in 1881 when a Neustadt district, an expansion of the original nucleus, was added to the city.

Due to an abundance of local clay pits, Zollstock was initially dominated by brick manufactures.

The district's name is derived from a local tollhouse (German: Zollhaus) which stood at a crossing of dirt roads in what later became Zollstock.

[4] In 1896, the district was prepared for the construction of the Südfriedhof, a large monumental cemetery: existing roads were expanded and Zollstock was connected to the city's tram network.