Lodz Social Media
Frederik Hansen
BA IVE, is doing a European Project Semester at the Lodz University of Technology
For me it was "Driving Home for Christmas", as for many other exchange students in Lodz. I heard from people who stayed in the hall of residence that it was empty. So that everyone could travel comfortably, all lectures were online in the week before Christmas and in the first week of January.
To brighten up the freezing temperatures and gray weather, I went to Wrocław last weekend. The influence of German culture is very noticeable here, which is also due to the fact that Wrocław was part of the German Empire. This is partly reflected in the architectural style, but also in the language. At the Christmas market, there were stalls with the German translation in front of the English translation. The Christmas market could be one to one in Germany and would not stand out. There are almost the same mulled wine stalls, food stalls and similar handicrafts.
Unisport
Like almost everywhere in Europe, soccer is the most widespread sport here. But I'm active in other ways through the university, the European Student Network and the hall of residence. For example, there's a large sports center just 300 meters from my hall of residence where I've been swimming a few times, gone rock climbing and participated in some team sports. The ESN also sometimes offers sports activities, such as ice skating or a running group last week.
Climate activism in Poland
In connection with the UN climate conference #COP26, there was a protest in Lodz by Młodzieżowy Strajk Klimatyczn, which means Youth Climate Strike. I had a little respect for the strike as I wanted to find out a bit about it on the internet beforehand and read an article with the headline "At the Fridays for Future protest in Warsaw there are signs saying "Save Bees, not Refugees"". Fortunately, the fears did not materialize at all. The bottom line is that the best way to get a picture is through your own experiences. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to do. For example, the planned Polish coal phase-out is 2049 and therefore much too late. In addition, the protest of around 60 demonstrators was quite small for a City with more than half a million inhabitants.
At Politechnika Lodzka, I am taking part in the European Project Semester (EPS) project. This is a project that is offered at various European universities, for example at universities in Oslo, Barcelona, Bucharest, Porto, but also in Kiel and Lodz. The main aspect is joint project work, which earns 20 ECTS credits. Another 10 ECTS are added through modules such as the national language, project management or team building. At the beginning of the semester, the 22 participants in Lodz were divided into a total of 5 projects. I am part of a team of 4 students, with my team partners coming from the Netherlands and Spain. The project also has an interdisciplinary structure. For example, my team partners are studying Industrial Engineering and Industrial Design.
If you are more interested, a look at the website www.europeanprojectsemester.eu or a conversation at the International Office will certainly help.
Sight seeing and city tour
In order to get to know my adopted home a little better, I visited two city tours organized by the ESN (Erasmus Student Network). Two Polish students told me about the history and interesting places in Lodz. We walked through many of the numerous parks in Lodz. Since I arrived, they have changed their colors from lush green to a bright autumnal yellow. In recent years, some of the more than 300 former factories in Lodz have been renovated and now serve as apartments, museums, cafés, shopping centers and much more.
First impressions from Lodz!
The first days in Lodz are over. After I arrived here, my mentor, a Polish student, picked me up and we had a delicious breakfast in a small café and then she showed me around the City a bit. In the evening, I went to play billiards in the City with two other Erasmus students from my hall of residence.
To get to know the City a bit, I went cycling. Of course, the first free half hour immediately reminded me of the sprat fleet. At the end of the weekend, there was also a street food festival where I ate delicious tacos. The first weekend was also full of semester kick-off parties, which are now allowed again in Poland.
Departure to Lodz!
After two failed attempts at a semester abroad, it's finally time to go. The first challenge was to fit the whole winter semester into two suitcases. After one suitcase was full with the comforter and shoes, I had to repack. So I put on my winter shoes and took the blanket with me as a pillow for the journey.
Today I took the student ticket to Hamburg in the afternoon, where I met up with two friends to say goodbye. Now, with delicious ramen in my stomach, I'm off to Lodz by bus. After hopefully leaving the shitty weather in northern Germany, the next stop is Lodz at 4:30.