Pohl attended ''Gymnasium'' in his hometown of Darmstadt, Germany, and learned the trade of copper engraver. Concurrently, he took music lessons under Christian Heinrich Rinck. In 1841 he went to Vienna and continued his education under Simon Sechter. From 1849 to 1855 he served as organist of the Protestant Gustav Adolf Church in Gumpendorf. Afterwards he undertook several journeys. In 1866 he took over the post of archivist of the ''Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde'' (Association of Friends of Music) in Vienna.
He emerged as a music writer with books on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Among his friends was Johannes Brahms whom he inspired to compose the Haydn Variations op. 56. Together with him he was one of the founding members of the German School Society[1].
His estate is in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.
