Discover Chemnitz with the Mayor
On 12 December 2013, 15 freshmen explored Chemnitz together with Mayor Barbara Ludwig - from the stage at the opera house to the tower of the town hall
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Stop at the Karl Marx Monument: Mayor Barbara Ludwig told the students of the history of the bust, which is the second largest free standing bust of the world after the Egyptian Sphinx. Picture: Sven Gleisberg -
In the Town Hall watchman Stefan Weber gave the students detailed information of this particular building of their new home town. Picture: Micele Ulbricht -
Uta Schneider, 23, from near Nuremberg, Bachelor Psychology: "The living conditions are fantastic for students, especially on the Kaßberg there are incredibly beautiful old buildings, which a student could not afford in other cities. I also like the university very well. Regarding the city tour especially the opera has impressed me." Picture: Micele Ulbricht -
Min Su Jang, 24, South Korea, Bachelor Business Management: "The people here are very friendly. In particular, the International Office of the TU supports foreign students very well. The tour is a unique opportunity to learn more about the city." Picture: Micele Ulbricht -
Marie-Luise Hagelauer, 20, Koblenz, Bachelor Psychology: "I`ve only been four weeks in Chemnitz, because I was accepted in the clearing process. I like the city very well and the university is very familial. I`m definitely happy to study now in Chemnitz." Picture: Micele Ulbricht
"Dear gentlemen, listen, let me tell you: The bell has chimed and it`s two o`clock! There are two ways to choose. Lord, lead me to the right," called Stefan Weber, the watchman of Chemnitz, on time by 2 p.m., when the 15 freshmen in the City Hall Tower of Chemnitz listened to his stories about the history of Chemnitz. Nevertheless not the "Lord" led the students on 12 December 2013 - but Mayor Barbara Ludwig.
At the beginning of the city tour for freshmen organized by the university marketing campaign `Mein Campus von Studieren in Fernost´ all participants came together in the Old Senate Chamber in the Böttcher-Bau of TU Chemnitz and were provided with single-use cameras and rain jackets for the city tour - the rain jackets were fortunately not used because of the sunny weather.
At half past twelve they went together with Dr. Urs Luczak, the Brühl Manager of the city Chemnitz, to the theatre square, which was the first stop of the tour. The technical director of the Opera House, Raj Ullrich, gave the students some exclusive insights behind the scenes of the theatre. This also included information about German fairy tales, which was of particular interest to students from Russia, China, South Korea and India. In front of the opera house the students finally also met Barbara Ludwig, who previously got held up in the traffic. She gave the students dynamically and with detailed knowledge an overview of the history of `her´ city: "In Chemnitz at many places you can see the socialist heritage. But with this heritage we have to live - and we want to live, even though if it`s not always easy,” Ludwig said.
The most famous feature of this heritage is probably the Karl Marx bust at Brückenstraße, which German as well as the international participants have already known before. "With our Charly or Karl Chemnitz, or however you want to call him, the people in Chemnitz have made their peace," Ludwig told the freshmen. Afterwards the group went through the Christmas market to the Town Hall. "I have previously studied in Berlin and when I came to Chemnitz, it was quite a change. The city is not so vast as our federal capital, which has the advantage that you are able to reach nearly everything by walk," said Uta Weber, who is originally from a town close to Nuremberg and is studying Psychology at TU Chemnitz.
At the Town Hall of Chemnitz Stefan Weber, the watchman, continued with the city tour and told the new students, among other things, that the Town Hall was almost completely composed of concrete and only the facades were later covered with for example marble. This information even the students of higher semesters, who accompanied the freshmen and answered them questions, did not know. After the group had climbed the 200 steps of the Town Hall tower, they had a fantastic overview of the city: The entire Chemnitz skyline could be seen. This was very impressive and Marie-Luise Hagelauer from Koblenz said: "I liked most the view of the city at the end of the Town Hall tour." At this point she did not know that the tour finally ended up in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall, where all participants were offered coffee, cakes and other snacks and they could get to know each other in smaller groups. "Everyone was very enthusiastic, we continued talking and finally decided to meet again at the same evening at the Erasmus Party," said Jakob Landwehr, who is studying European Studies and was translating for the international students during the city tour. This also pleased Min Su Jang from South Korea: "The people here are very friendly. In particular, the International Office of TU supports foreign students very well. The city tour is a great opportunity to learn more about the city."
When the photos of the single-use cameras, which made a lot of pictures during the tour, are developed, the freshmen will have a very special memory of their beginning of term at TU Chemnitz. Until then, there are some impressions of the tour available in the Facebook album of TU: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.549344351816548
(Authors: Micele Ulbricht and Antonin Fischer, Translation: Jakob Landwehr)
Katharina Thehos
17.12.2013
