Susanne Kaufmann, sociology, studied at the University of Umeå in Sweden as part of her Erasmus stay and won first place with her photo Autumn Lights Festival: “I was particularly fascinated by the colourful circles of candles which were visible from far away. They are empty canning jars lovingly adorned with colourful scraps of tissue paper. The dark time of the year is made a little friendlier and warmer which is why it is of major importance in the north and is typically Swedish. Umeå is known for its many festivals including the Autumn Lights Festival. Artists gather every year in the far north to illuminate the gloomy and shorter autumn days.”

Nadja Remus, Romance studies, did her semester abroad at Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. During an excursion to the Moroccan city of Chefchaouen she took this fascinating photo of a sleeping cat which won her second place: “Imagine you are walking through the narrow streets of a city. You go uphill, you go downhill. Sometimes the street is narrower, sometimes many people can pass one another. Traders are standing in front of their small shops entreating you to go in to admire and buy their wares. The children chase one another and use the many building corners as hiding places. The scent of hot, Moroccan mint wafts from a café. The special thing about these alleyways is the colour blue. Not only are the buildings blue, the path is as well, which leads to a dead end. Even though the sun beats down, the medina is teeming with people. A small cat has found a cosy place atop a grain sack and is enjoying her cat nap until dusk when she’ll be off on another mouse hunt.”

Tina Fuhrmann, physics, had a look around the Universitatead in Bucharest, Rumania. She received third place with her photo “Alone in Sibiu”: “Tiny streets, colourful buildings, a sleepy town….Isn’t it familiar somehow? The narrow streets in Sibiu are reminiscent of historic German towns. Those that are well-preserved are now listed monuments in many places. Their appearance reflects reality in Sibiu because there is little money for renovation or restoration. The town is located in Transylvania and was inhabited almost solely by Germans well into the last century. Their influence is still reflected in the townscape.”