From the sea to the Ruhr: Carlotta Fehrmann and her new start in the Ruhr region
Carlotta Fehrmann from Kiel moved to Witten to study medicine at UW/H. She explains why community and people are important to her and what surprised her about her new adopted home.
Carlotta Fehrmann says of herself that she "belongs in the north of Germany". This is her home, this is where she grew up. She loves the sea, being close to her family, the beautiful houses and cafés. For her studies, the Kiel native was drawn out of Schleswig-Holstein and into the Ruhr region. She has been studying medicine at Witten/Herdecke University since October 2025 - and is discovering a completely different region of Germany for herself.
After completing her higher education entrance qualification, Carlotta trained as a paediatric nurse in Kiel and then worked on various wards for two years, the longest time on the paediatric cardiac ward. She then moved to Hamburg. Here she was employed in the hospital as a stand-in in various areas, but always with children. She only took over the care of adults once for six weeks during her training - and is therefore all the more pleased to be able to deepen this part of her studies. She has wanted to study medicine for a long time. During her research, she realised that UW/H was a good match for her values and ideals and applied. With success.
Two unknown people who helped with the move
Carlotta lives alone in a flat in the city centre. She likes having her "safe space" - although she sees the advantages of living in a shared flat, especially for people who find it difficult to socialise. She had a little respect before looking for a flat because she didn't know anyone or anything and had never been to NRW before, let alone the Ruhr region.
But since she had even mastered the search in Hamburg, she was reasonably positive. And she was not disappointed. After researching Immoscout and eBay classifieds, she looked at three flats in one day - and took the third, in the centre of Witten, straight away. Here she is surrounded by many other students and never alone. And: "You get a lot more for a lower price than in Hamburg, for example. It's a real advantage as a student that you can afford your own flat."
However, the move was a bit of a challenge as she had clothes both in her flat in Hamburg and with her parents in Kiel and everything had to be well coordinated. Her family supported her - as did two fellow students she didn't even know yet. "We had a WhatsApp group for the semester before we started and I just wrote in there and asked if anyone could help me. Two guys got in touch; I'm still good friends with them now."
The mentoring semester also organises a lot in medicine. The mentors are in their third semester, set up the WhatsApp group for the new freshers, organise a freshers' trip or organise a city rally. Carlotta not only found her relocation helpers in the WhatsApp group, but also another student from Kiel, with whom she networked directly, and fellow students with whom she cycled to campus on the first day of classes. "There are so many opportunities to get to know people here. I like approaching people, but you still wonder whether you'll make friends. But you don't really need to worry, the university and the sponsorship semester take really good care of you, so you can concentrate on other things like the move."
An oasis in the backyard
Carlotta has already got to know a few corners of Witten and the Ruhr region and discovered "the most important spots" - Knut's, the Kijami Café, the roof terrace at Café Leye, Lake Kemnader and the city park. Her first impression after her stops in Kiel and Hamburg? "I'd be lying if I said it was super nice. You can't compare the Ruhr region with Hamburg. There are no big shopping centres with avenues and the Alster and everything. But that's okay. But the university is a dream, it's like a refuge when you come here." Her tip: always travel by bike: "I think you just see different things than on foot. Because even if you get lost, you discover places you haven't seen before."
What's completely new for Carlotta is "that it feels like you meet someone you know every five minutes. That's not the case in Hamburg and not in Kiel either." She was surprised by how much people help to shape their city. For example, her neighbours have created their own little oasis in the backyard with a hut and raised beds, where she likes to spend time. She also didn't expect the wide range of cultural activities on offer - be it readings in Café Leye, discussion groups or concerts - or the proximity to other cities. "If you want to go somewhere in the north, to a larger city, it can take two hours to get there. Easy. And here you get on the train and you're in Dortmund, Bochum or Essen in no time at all. I was always told that this was the case, but I thought: 'As if. That doesn't work. But it does. That was crazy." It now takes her a little longer to get "into the real countryside" - unlike in Kiel, where the sea was no more than ten minutes away.
Nevertheless, people remain central to her feeling at home in a place. "If I ever go back, I'll be really homesick for the people I've got to know here. Also for their mentality. The people here are simply more open. I strike up conversations much more often and I really appreciate that."