testimonial

story

Ronja Protzmann

Ronja Protzmann spent her countryside semester in Kirchanschöring, Bavaria. There, the prospective interior designer developed a utilization and design concept for a vacant barn in the middle of the village. A job offer followed.

How did your RURASMUS semester come about?

I grew up in a town in the north of Germany. I only knew village life from stories told by my father, who grew up in the countryside. When my professor at HAWK Hildesheim told me about RURASMUS, I was immediately all ears. At that time I was already looking quite desperately for a suitable theme for my bachelor thesis. The idea of spending some time in the countryside appealed to me very much. And the topic that Kirchanschöring offered as a RURASMUS project was a perfect fit for my field of interest.

So you moved to Bavaria for a time. What did you do there?

The municipality of Kirchanschöring had the opportunity to lease a vacant former stable for pigs and cattle with a threshing floor in it. It is located in the center of the village of about 3000 inhabitants and I was supposed to find out how the building could be put to good use for the local population. My project was divided into two phases: the analysis, in which I also incorporated the wishes and needs of the people of Kirchanschöringen, and then the planning of the building.

Where did you live and work in Kirchanschöring?

I was allowed to move into an apartment right across from the town hall. I organized the furniture with the support of the municipality. I also worked from there. I was offered a part-time job in the town hall, but I kept many of my documents in the apartment and thus always had everything clearly organized. The three months on site passed quickly. I finalized my work in Hildesheim, where I was able to use the university’s library and workshop.

"Ronja was highly motivated and really wanted to make a difference!"

Hans-Jörg Birner, Mayor of Kirchanschöring

What were the highlights of your project during this time?

One was definitely the presentation of the results to the assembled local community. Through the whole process, the people became aware of the building and thought about the future of the place. The idea thus developed that the former barn should become an event space, which at the same time would also be home to the farmer’s market that the inhabitants wanted. I showed plans and a model and got great feedback. I am really very happy with the result. And when I was able to present the project at the vacancy conference in Kolbermoor, about an hour’s drive away, I got a job offer from an architectural firm in the region. Now I live and work here in the south of Germany.

Congratulations! It’s really great that this has now resulted in a job for you. Did you also keep friendships from your RURSAMUS time?

I was very warmly welcomed and felt in good hands from the very beginning. On the very first day, I met my friend at a citizens’ council on a new housing project in the municipality. I also made friends immediately at the culture café, where karaoke nights, quiz nights and the like take place.

Please tell me about your most curious experience.

In the village, you simply must have a means of transportation. That’s why an employee of the town hall took me to the building yard. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. In the city, these things happen in the background and somehow automatically. There were about 20 broken bicycles at the building yard. The very nice Bauhof employees then put together a bike for me from the best parts, which became my faithful companion on discovery tours through the beautiful region.

Profile

Name: Ronja Protzmann

Period: March until May 2022

Rurasmus Municipality: Kirchanschöring, Bavaria, Germany

Topic: Huber – the farm for everyone (inventory development, bachelor thesis)

Study: Interior design

University: University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen (HAWK)

Professor Patrick Pütz / Fakultät Gestaltung