As a girl, I had finally made it from the village to the big city - from the provinces to Hamburg to study.

Now it was officially sealed.

However, many students only turn their place of study into a second home or register late.

In Thuringia, universities would like this to change.

After all, anyone who makes the place of study their main residence also has a say there politically.

The universities want to use their idea to promote high voter turnout and strengthen democracy.

Nobody explicitly says that the main aim here is to mobilize voters against the AfD.

But the idea is obvious.

But the neutrality requirement applies to universities - so how sensitive is the action?

My colleague Tanya Falenczyk asked political scientist Wolfgang Merkel - and got exciting answers.

I hope you enjoy reading

Katharina Hölter, editor of SPIEGEL Start

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“Defend democracy”: This was the motto under which demonstrators met in Jena at the beginning of February – the universities are also pursuing a similar goal with their campaign

Photo: Roman Moebius / Roman Möbius / IMAGO

This is how Thuringian students should influence the election outcome:

Universities in Thuringia are asking students to change their primary residence - this is the only way they can take part in the upcoming elections there.

What promotes democracy for some borders on electoral fraud for others.

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Student Kuß in her university town of Freiberg: “Hiking, walking, enjoying the fresh air – that’s what makes my everyday life here.”

Photo: Andreas Hiekel

Why it's good to study in Freiberg:

For techno clubs you have to go to nearby Dresden.

Freiberg inspires enthusiasm for this in other places, says student Sarah Kuß - for example in the surrounding forests.

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Unsure about how to address them?

Which one is correct depends on the environment and age (symbolic image)

Photo: Donatella Loi / plainpicture

Hello boss, what's going on?

Gen Z is entering the job market.

With it the language becomes more relaxed, says the chairman of the Etiquette Council Jonathan Lösel.

Is a salutation like “Dear Sir or Madam” still appropriate?

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Secretly healthy: cake with undercover vegetables

Photo: Sebastian Maas / DER SPIEGEL

Good as breakfast for the whole week - oat carrot cake for 50 cents:

Because if you don't like mornings, you often don't make the best decisions when you get up, it's worth planning ahead.

For example, by preparing breakfast for the coming days on Sunday.