diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadCustom.py b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadCustom.py
index 2cdaa1e0e6..dbd1aa396e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadCustom.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadCustom.py
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@ import sys
 import FreeCAD
 import FreeCADGui
 
-if sys.version_info.major < 3:
-    from urllib import unquote
-else:
-    from urllib.parse import unquote
+from urllib.parse import unquote
 
 
 # filename will be given before this script is run
diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
index 74466276ce..0c73ebb64f 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 # contains the html code of the start page.
 # Note: It is built only once per FreeCAD session for now...
 
-import six
 import sys
 import os
 import tempfile
@@ -46,16 +45,6 @@ tempfolder = None   # store icons inside a subfolder in temp dir
 defaulticon = None  # store a default icon for problematic file types
 
 
-def encode(text):
-
-    "make sure we are always working with unicode in python2"
-
-    if six.PY2:
-        if not isinstance(text,six.text_type):
-            return text.decode("utf8")
-    return text
-
-
 def gethexcolor(color):
 
     "returns a color hex value #000000"
@@ -245,9 +234,9 @@ def buildCard(filename,method,arg=None):
     """builds an html <li> element representing a file. 
     method is a script + a keyword, for ex. url.py?key="""
 
-    result = encode("")
+    result = ("")
     if os.path.exists(filename) and isOpenableByFreeCAD(filename):
-        basename = encode(os.path.basename(filename))
+        basename = os.path.basename(filename)
         if not arg:
             arg = basename
         finfo = getInfo(filename)
@@ -255,17 +244,17 @@ def buildCard(filename,method,arg=None):
             image = finfo[0]
             size = finfo[1]
             author = finfo[2]
-            infostring = encode(TranslationTexts.T_CREATIONDATE+": "+finfo[3]+"\n")
-            infostring += encode(TranslationTexts.T_LASTMODIFIED+": "+finfo[4])
+            infostring = TranslationTexts.T_CREATIONDATE+": "+finfo[3] + "\n"
+            infostring += TranslationTexts.T_LASTMODIFIED+": "+finfo[4]
             if finfo[5]:
-                infostring += "\n\n" + encode(finfo[5])
+                infostring += "\n\n" + finfo[5]
             if size:
                 result += '<li class="icon">'
                 result += '<a href="'+method+urllib.parse.quote(arg)+'" title="'+infostring+'">'
-                result += '<img src="file:///'+image.replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+encode(basename)+'">'
+                result += '<img src="file:///'+image.replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+basename+'">'
                 result += '<div class="caption">'
-                result += '<h4>'+encode(basename)+'</h4>'
-                result += '<p>'+encode(author)+'</p>'
+                result += '<h4>'+basename+'</h4>'
+                result += '<p>'+author+'</p>'
                 result += '<p>'+size+'</p>'
                 result += '</div>'
                 result += '</a>'
@@ -309,7 +298,6 @@ def handle():
         CSS = f.read()
     HTML = HTML.replace("JS",JS)
     HTML = HTML.replace("CSS",CSS)
-    HTML = encode(HTML)
 
     # set the language
 
@@ -340,11 +328,11 @@ def handle():
                 if res:
                     f = QtCore.QFile(path)
                     if f.open(QtCore.QIODevice.ReadOnly | QtCore.QFile.Text):
-                        ALTCSS = encode(QtCore.QTextStream(f).readAll())
+                        ALTCSS = QtCore.QTextStream(f).readAll()
                         HTML = HTML.replace("<!--QSS-->","<style type=\"text/css\">"+ALTCSS+"</style>")
                 else:
                     with open(path, 'r') as f:
-                        ALTCSS = encode(f.read())
+                        ALTCSS = f.read()
                         HTML = HTML.replace("<!--QSS-->","<style type=\"text/css\">"+ALTCSS+"</style>")
 
     # turn tips off if needed
@@ -355,14 +343,14 @@ def handle():
     # get FreeCAD version
 
     v = FreeCAD.Version()
-    VERSIONSTRING = encode(TranslationTexts.T_VERSION + " " + v[0] + "." + v[1] + " " + TranslationTexts.T_BUILD + " " + v[2])
+    VERSIONSTRING = TranslationTexts.T_VERSION + " " + v[0] + "." + v[1] + " " + TranslationTexts.T_BUILD + " " + v[2]
     HTML = HTML.replace("VERSIONSTRING",VERSIONSTRING)
 
     # translate texts
 
     texts = [t for t in dir(TranslationTexts) if t.startswith("T_")]
     for text in texts:
-        HTML = HTML.replace(text,encode(getattr(TranslationTexts,text)))
+        HTML = HTML.replace(text,getattr(TranslationTexts,text))
 
     # build a "create new" icon with the FreeCAD background color gradient
 
@@ -385,43 +373,43 @@ def handle():
 
     rf = FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/RecentFiles")
     rfcount = rf.GetInt("RecentFiles",0)
-    SECTION_RECENTFILES = encode("<h2>"+TranslationTexts.T_RECENTFILES+"</h2>")
+    SECTION_RECENTFILES = "<h2>"+TranslationTexts.T_RECENTFILES+"</h2>"
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += "<ul>"
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<li class="icon">'
-    SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<a href="LoadNew.py" title="'+encode(TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW)+'">'
+    SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<a href="LoadNew.py" title="'+TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW+'">'
     if FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Start").GetBool("NewFileGradient",False):
-        SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<img src="file:///'+encode(iconbank["createimg"]).replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+encode(TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW)+'">'
+        SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<img src="file:///'+iconbank["createimg"].replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW+'">'
     else:
-        SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<img src="file:///'+os.path.join(resources_dir, "images/new_file_thumbnail.svg").replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+encode(TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW)+'">'
+        SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<img src="file:///'+os.path.join(resources_dir, "images/new_file_thumbnail.svg").replace('\\','/')+'" alt="'+TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW+'">'
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<div class="caption">'
-    SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<h4>'+encode(TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW)+'</h4>'
+    SECTION_RECENTFILES += '<h4>'+TranslationTexts.T_CREATENEW+'</h4>'
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '</div>'
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '</a>'
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '</li>'
     for i in range(rfcount):
         filename = rf.GetString("MRU%d" % (i))
-        SECTION_RECENTFILES += encode(buildCard(filename,method="LoadMRU.py?MRU=",arg=str(i)))
+        SECTION_RECENTFILES += buildCard(filename,method="LoadMRU.py?MRU=",arg=str(i))
     SECTION_RECENTFILES += '</ul>'
     HTML = HTML.replace("SECTION_RECENTFILES",SECTION_RECENTFILES)
 
     # build SECTION_EXAMPLES
 
-    SECTION_EXAMPLES = encode("")
+    SECTION_EXAMPLES = ""
     if FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Start").GetBool("ShowExamples",True):
-        SECTION_EXAMPLES = encode("<h2>"+TranslationTexts.T_EXAMPLES+"</h2>")
+        SECTION_EXAMPLES = "<h2>"+TranslationTexts.T_EXAMPLES+"</h2>"
         SECTION_EXAMPLES += "<ul>"
         examples_path = FreeCAD.getResourceDir()+"examples"
         if os.path.exists(examples_path):
             examples = os.listdir(examples_path)
             for basename in examples:
                 filename = FreeCAD.getResourceDir()+"examples"+os.sep+basename
-                SECTION_EXAMPLES += encode(buildCard(filename,method="LoadExample.py?filename="))
+                SECTION_EXAMPLES += buildCard(filename,method="LoadExample.py?filename=")
         SECTION_EXAMPLES += "</ul>"
     HTML = HTML.replace("SECTION_EXAMPLES",SECTION_EXAMPLES)
 
     # build SECTION_CUSTOM
 
-    SECTION_CUSTOM = encode("")
+    SECTION_CUSTOM = ""
     cfolders = FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Start").GetString("ShowCustomFolder","")
     if cfolders:
         dn = 0
@@ -431,11 +419,11 @@ def handle():
             if not os.path.exists(cfolder):
                 FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning("Custom folder not found: %s" % cfolder)
             else:
-                SECTION_CUSTOM += encode("<h2>"+os.path.basename(os.path.normpath(cfolder))+"</h2>")
+                SECTION_CUSTOM += "<h2>"+os.path.basename(os.path.normpath(cfolder))+"</h2>"
                 SECTION_CUSTOM += "<ul>"
                 for basename in os.listdir(cfolder):
                     filename = os.path.join(cfolder,basename)
-                    SECTION_CUSTOM += encode(buildCard(filename,method="LoadCustom.py?filename="+str(dn)+"_"))
+                    SECTION_CUSTOM += buildCard(filename,method="LoadCustom.py?filename="+str(dn)+"_")
                 SECTION_CUSTOM += "</ul>"
                 # hide the custom section tooltip if custom section is set (users know about it if they enabled it)
                 HTML = HTML.replace("id=\"customtip\" class","id=\"customtip\" style=\"display:none;\" class")
@@ -514,7 +502,6 @@ def handle():
         UL_WORKBENCHES += '<a href="https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/'+wn+'_Workbench">'+wn.replace("ReverseEngineering","ReverseEng")+'</a>'
         UL_WORKBENCHES += '</li>'
     UL_WORKBENCHES += '</ul>'
-    HTML = HTML.replace("UL_WORKBENCHES",encode(UL_WORKBENCHES))
 
     # Detect additional addons that are not a workbench
 
@@ -554,7 +541,7 @@ def handle():
     SHADOW = "#888888"
     if QtGui.QColor(BASECOLOR).valueF() < 0.5: # dark page - we need to make darker shadows
         SHADOW = "#000000"
-    FONTFAMILY = encode(p.GetString("FontFamily","Arial,Helvetica,sans"))
+    FONTFAMILY = p.GetString("FontFamily","Arial,Helvetica,sans")
     if not FONTFAMILY:
         FONTFAMILY = "Arial,Helvetica,sans"
     FONTSIZE = p.GetInt("FontSize",13)
diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/TranslationTexts.py b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/TranslationTexts.py
index edb0d98f13..ab4fbd3644 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/TranslationTexts.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/TranslationTexts.py
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ def translate(context,text):
     except AttributeError:
         u = QtGui.QApplication.translate(context, text, None)
 
-    if sys.version_info.major < 3:
-        u = u.encode("utf8")
-
     return u.replace(chr(39), "&rsquo;")
 
 T_TITLE = translate("StartPage", "Start")