He returned to Kassel in 1840 and embarked upon a traineeship, but left at his own request two years later to pursue his studies, briefly, in Berlin.

Around 1850 Ungewitter set himself up as a freelance architect in Leipzig: here he found few commissions, and he devoted much of his time to honing his draftsmanship skills, sketching the city's old buildings.

Ungewitter's teaching, architectural designs and publications helped to develop high standards of craftsmanship and precision in the new wave of architects.

The English origins of Germany's new tide of Gothic revival architecture are also apparent with Ungewitter, as in the work of many of his contemporaries.

That stands in contrast with the experience of Conrad Wilhelm Hase whose career in many other respects closely mirrored Ungewitter's own.