We present deep observations of polarized radio emission of distant spiral galaxies with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope† at 4.8 GHz. These cross scans with sensitivity of 50 μJy or better open the possibility of a statistical study of magnetic field properties and internal Faraday rotation as a function of inclination for a large sample of unresolved galaxies. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be able to detect polarization of spiral galaxies to high redshift, probing the evolution of magnetic fields in disk galaxies over cosmic time.
