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Chemnitz, formerly Karl-Marx-Stadt: A new home for student Angelina Wettinger

Photo:

Georgiy Kupenskiy

“Grey concrete, rough jargon”: These are the words rapper Trettmann uses to describe his childhood in Chemnitz.

But a lot has happened in the city since then.

Today, Chemnitz is colorful and full of possibilities, says Angelina Wettinger.

The 22-year-old is in her fifth bachelor's semester studying media communication at the Technical University (TU) Chemnitz.

She moved from Upper Palatinate to Saxony to study.

Campus life: location, cafeteria and café

»The TU is spread across several locations in the city.

Some courses have permanent buildings.

My events, on the other hand, take place at different locations, which initially felt a bit random to me.

But I quickly got used to it.

I am often on the campus on Reichenhainer Straße and on the Straße der Nation.

Public transport is well developed and you can commute back and forth between locations in around 15 minutes.

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Cheap cocktails, family atmosphere: student club on campus

Photo: Georgiy Kupenskiy

My favorite campus is the one on Reichenhainer Straße – also because I live here.

The food in the cafeteria is good and there are three student clubs on site.

The bar staff work on a voluntary basis, the drinks are cheap, a cocktail costs around four euros.

My friends and I go to these clubs very often, they are wonderful places to get together.

The 'FPM', for example, has existed since the 1970s. Karaoke evenings and theme parties take place here, and you can also rent the room for birthdays.

The “PEB” is in the basement of my student dormitory and we celebrate here every Wednesday.

Then there’s the ‘wind tunnel’ on the seventh floor of another dormitory.”

Housing: shared apartment prices and districts

»I live in a six-person shared apartment with five roommates who have now become my best friends.

We harmonized right from the start, I am very happy with my living situation.

My 13 square meter room has a flat rate of 270 euros including all costs.

We have never had to pay extra for electricity or gas, even with rising energy costs.

Our shared kitchen/living room is quite large, so we can also have parties.

My dormitory is in Bernsdorf, the area is characterized by students because of the campus on Reichenhainer Straße.

Many students also live in the Lutherviertel, where it is pleasantly quiet despite its proximity to the city center.

The most popular district is Kaßberg.

The district is one of the largest contiguous Wilhelminian style and Art Nouveau districts in Germany and is truly beautiful.

Living in Chemnitz is generally very cheap.

Students who don't feel like living in a shared apartment can afford a one- to two-room apartment here.

Many people have an image of Chemnitz that consists of prefabricated buildings and gray concrete.

In my opinion that is not true.

The city center is absolutely beautiful, a mixture of magnificent old buildings and modern new buildings.«

Leisure: culture, pubs and clubs

»Chemnitz has a large alternative scene and an incredibly lively music culture.

Artists like Trettmann, Kraftklub and Blond come from here.

You can feel this artistic spirit everywhere.

A friend of mine always says that he has never known a city with so many opportunities.

What he appreciates about Chemnitz is that it gives you the tools to create something new yourself - regardless of whether you want to found an initiative, build a cultural venue or implement a start-up idea.

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Gondolas around in a pedal boat: Chemnitz Castle Pond

Photo: Georgiy Kupenskiy

I like to spend my free time at the castle pond, which is located just before the large Küchwald Park.

In summer you can rent pedal boats at the gondola station.

In the evening I usually go to a student club or a bar in the city center.

The bar and party location “Atomino” is quite well known.

The store has had to move a few times, and when it reopened, Kraftklub and Blond played in front of a large audience.

In addition to concerts and the normal bar operations, there are various events.

I once came second in a quiz evening and won socks with the 'Atomino' logo - I still wear them with pride to this day.

If I want something a little more comfortable, I like to go to the “Emmas Onkel” or “Dreamers” cafés.

The coffee is really good in both shops and the atmosphere is relaxed.«

After graduation: what happens next?

»The city offers me a lot of freedom: freedom to live as I want.

Freedom to develop myself.

And freedom to realize myself.

I work in a start-up, am involved at the university, can try myself out and find my strengths.

I really appreciate it.

In Brühl, a well-known street, there are large steel letters that spell out “Zuhause”.

And that’s exactly what Chemnitz is for me now.

I have never had such a feeling of home away from my homeland as I do here.«