The math lecture in presence shocked Leonie Horsch a bit.

"We all thought: it would have been best if you could have pressed 'pause' because you just didn't understand anything." Her fellow student Elia Loewenhardt agrees: "You really miss that." In digital lectures before and rewinding has become a habit for the two student teachers at Goethe University over the past two years.

Kim Maurus

volunteer.

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Sasha Zoske

Sheet maker in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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They have completed their first face-to-face event of the new semester on the Westend campus and are now sitting outside on a bench.

And even if they can no longer comfortably watch the lecture at home, at least the cloudless sky this Monday should have made it easy for them to go back to the university in the literal sense.

Both began their studies in autumn 2019, and the pandemic broke out soon after.

Horsch is therefore looking forward to the first summer in presence.

"Just sitting in the sun with friends," like now, adds Loewenhardt.

They are not very afraid of infection in the events.

Nevertheless, Horsch says about the math course: "I'm glad that most of them wore a mask."

Mask on and through - with this motto the state universities in Hesse are entering the lecture period of the summer semester.

Because most of the Corona rules have been dropped, the universities have to consider how to use the remaining leeway for safety precautions.

According to the Hessian Ministry of Science, they have to weigh up the fight against infection against Article 12 of the Basic Law, which guarantees the free choice of training.

Masks should continue to be worn in buildings

Since universities and ministries had set themselves the goal some time ago of having as many face-to-face operations as possible in the summer semester and 3-G restrictions are no longer permitted, the mask remains the most important weapon in the fight against the virus.

There is a consensus at state universities, art colleges and universities of applied sciences that mouth and nose protection should continue to be worn in buildings and especially at events.

According to Tanja Brühl, spokeswoman for the Conference of Hessian University Presidents, the universities either prescribe the masks or at least strongly recommend their use - the latter, for example, does the Goethe University.

Frank Dievernich, spokesman for the universities of applied sciences, refers to the still rampant omicron variant, which leads to high levels of sick leave.

"We don't prescribe the mask because of a dramatic danger, but to keep teaching going." At the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, of which Dievernich is President, the face covering may be removed in certain situations: If event rooms are not fully utilized and a minimum distance of 1 .5 meters are observed, lecturers and students could agree to take off the masks.

However, the room then has to be aired every 20 minutes.