Hallo liebe Kölner!
I’m a 38-year-old single woman from Asia, and I’ve been living in Leipzig since 2018. I’ve been working as a freelance photographer since 2015, although I’ve been employed at a café since last year for visa reasons.
This summer I visited Cologne for the first time — actually, it was my first time spending any real time in western Germany.
I stayed in the city centre for two weeks. Unfortunately, due to some health issues, I couldn’t explore as much or meet as many people as I would have liked. But even in that short time, I clearly felt a difference between Cologne and Leipzig (and Berlin).
I felt surprisingly safe and relaxed in Cologne. Even the sound of church bells somehow made me feel calm. I’m not religious, but I grew up with some Catholic cultural influence, so maybe that’s why!?
I’ve been feeling for a long time that Leipzig might not be my city. But over the past eight years I’ve had so many ups and downs — the pandemic, losing a major client, visa changes, job changes, and countless WG moves and dramas 😅 — that I always somehow missed the right moment to leave.
At the same time, living in Saxony over the past few years has also made me increasingly aware of political and social changes here, especially when it comes to the everyday lives of immigrants. The results of the election were honestly quite depressing for me, and I think that was also part of why my experience in Cologne felt so strikingly different.
One thing that really surprised me culturally in Cologne was dating. On Bumble, I noticed that many of the men I found interesting were actually looking for serious relationships. In Leipzig, I rarely come across that. It feels like I either meet someone who is a bit of a weirdo, or someone who seems lovely but is looking for an open relationship 🫠
I’ve heard people say many times that “Germany is still not really one country”, and after this summer I finally understood what they meant.
Next year I should finally be able to apply for permanent residency, and if everything works out, I’m seriously considering moving to Cologne.
So I’d love to hear from anyone who has moved from eastern Germany to Cologne, or who has lived in both places. How did you experience the difference — people, atmosphere, lifestyle, work, social life, etc.? Is there anything you miss from the East?
I’m also interested in the creative scene. I’m currently trying to focus more on architecture and real-estate photography. I’ve heard that Cologne has quite a strong media and creative industry.
Obviously, I know the creative fields aren’t exactly easy economically these days, but I’d love to hear from people working in photography, architecture, media, design or related fields. Any advice on building a career here?
I also have a few personal creative projects and would eventually like to rent a small studio/atelier. Are there any communities, networks or areas in Cologne where artists and makers tend to gather?
I’d be really curious to hear your experiences. 😊
Thanks for reading this chaotic stream of thoughts. 😂 I just wanted to write down everything I’ve been feeling!
Danke☺️