diff --git a/api/advent22_api/dav_common.py b/api/advent22_api/dav_common.py
index b01d898..ab602d6 100644
--- a/api/advent22_api/dav_common.py
+++ b/api/advent22_api/dav_common.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import re
-from io import BytesIO
+from io import BytesIO, TextIOWrapper
+from typing import TextIO
 
 from webdav3.client import Client as WebDAVclient
 
@@ -29,3 +30,8 @@ async def dav_get_file(path: str) -> BytesIO:
     buffer.seek(0)
 
     return buffer
+
+
+async def dav_get_textfile(path: str, encoding="utf-8") -> TextIO:
+    buffer = await dav_get_file(path)
+    return TextIOWrapper(buffer, encoding=encoding)
diff --git a/api/advent22_api/routers/_misc.py b/api/advent22_api/routers/_misc.py
index 3947a13..f1c98de 100644
--- a/api/advent22_api/routers/_misc.py
+++ b/api/advent22_api/routers/_misc.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ import itertools
 import random
 from typing import Any, Sequence
 
-from ..dav_common import dav_get_file
+from ..dav_common import dav_get_textfile
 
 
 async def get_loesungswort() -> str:
-    fp = await dav_get_file("loesungswort.txt")
-    return fp.read().decode("utf8").strip()
+    fp = await dav_get_textfile("loesungswort.txt")
+    return fp.read().strip()
 
 
 async def get_rnd(bonus_salt: Any = "") -> random.Random: