Privacy

General privacy policy

The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this data protection declaration.

As a rule, it is possible to use our website without providing personal data. Insofar as personal data (e.g. name, address or e-mail addresses) is collected on our pages, this is always done, as far as possible, on a voluntary basis. This data will not be passed on to third parties without your express consent.

We would like to point out that data transmission on the Internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

Cookies

Some of the Internet pages use so-called cookies. Cookies do not cause any damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies serve to make our offer more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.

Most of the cookies we use are so-called “session cookies”. They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them. These cookies enable us to recognise your browser on your next visit.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. If you deactivate cookies, the functionality of this website may be limited.

Server-Log-Files

The provider of the pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. These are:

browser type and browser version

Operating system used

referrer URL

Host name of the accessing computer

Time of the server request

This data cannot be assigned to specific persons. This data is not merged with other data sources. We reserve the right to check this data retrospectively if we become aware of concrete indications of illegal use.

Contact form

If you send us enquiries via the contact form, your details from the enquiry form, including the contact details you provide there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the enquiry and in the event of follow-up questions. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

Newsletter data

If you would like to receive the newsletter offered on the website, we require an e-mail address from you as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the e-mail address provided and that you agree to receive the newsletter. No further data will be collected. We use this data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

You can revoke your consent to the storage of the data, the e-mail address and their use for sending the newsletter at any time, for example via the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter.

Google Analytics

This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Google Analytics uses so-called “cookies”. These are text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.rt.

IP anonymisation

We have activated the IP anonymisation function on this website. This means that your IP address is shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area before being transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

Browser Plug-In

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de

Objection to data collection

You can prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set, which will prevent the collection of your data during future visits to this website: Deactivate Google Analytics

For more information on how Google Analytics handles user data, please see Google’s privacy policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

Order data processing

We have concluded an order data processing contract with Google and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.

Demographic characteristics

This website uses the “demographic characteristics” function of Google Analytics. This allows reports to be generated that contain statements about the age, gender and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising from Google as well as visitor data from third-party providers. This data cannot be assigned to a specific person. You can deactivate this function at any time via the ad settings in your Google account or generally prohibit the collection of your data by Google Analytics as shown in the item “Objection to data collection”.

Note for your website administrator about Google Analytics

On browsers of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets), add-ons to suppress Google Analytics user tracking do not always work. Users must have the option to deactivate the collection of their behaviour by Google Analytics. For this purpose, an additional JavaScript link is integrated in your privacy policy at the end of the section “Privacy policy for the use of Google Analytics – objection to data collection”. When you click on it, a cookie is generated for the user which deactivates user tracking in the user’s browser for the Google Analytics account linked to your website.

For this link to work, the following HTML source code with JavaScript can be placed BEFORE your Google Analytics tracking code. This should also replace the string UA-XXXXXXX-X with your Google Analytics tracking ID.

Recommended if you have integrated a contact form into the website that requests user-specific data (e.g. name, email, address).

The legal situation regarding Google Analytics is unclear in many points. The correct implementation depends in many respects on your decisions as a website operator. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for the correct use of Google Analytics.

Facebook-Plug-Ins (Like-Button)

Plug-ins of the social network Facebook, provider Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA, are integrated on our pages. You can recognise the Facebook plug-ins by the Facebook logo or the “Like” button on our site. You can find an overview of the Facebook plugins here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/

Wenn Sie unsere Seiten besuchen, wird über das Plug-In eine direkte Verbindung zwischen Ihrem Browser and the Facebook server. Facebook thereby receives the information that you have visited our site with your IP address. If you click the Facebook “Like” button while you are logged into your Facebook account, you can link the content of our pages to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to associate the visit to our pages with your user account. We would like to point out that we, as the provider of the pages, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Facebook. You can find more information on this in Facebook’s privacy policy at https://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php

If you do not want Facebook to be able to associate your visit to our pages with your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook user account.

No liability is assumed for the use of the data protection declaration because there are still no court decisions on the topics of the “facebook button”, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Xing, LinkedIn etc. and it is unclear whether informing users is sufficient for its use or whether express consent is necessary.

Twitter

Functions of the Twitter service are integrated on our pages. These functions are offered by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. By using Twitter and the “Re-Tweet” function, the websites you visit are linked to your Twitter account and made known to other users. Data is also transferred to Twitter in the process. We would like to point out that we, as the provider of the pages, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Twitter. You can find more information on this in Twitter’s privacy policy at https://twitter.com/privacy.

You can change your privacy settings in the account settings: https://twitter.com/account/settings

Google+

Our pages use functions of Google+. The provider is Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Collection and sharing of information: Using the Google+ button, you can publish information worldwide. Through the Google+ button, you and other users receive personalised content from Google and our partners. Google stores both the information that you have given +1 for a content and information about the page you viewed when you clicked +1. Your +1s can be displayed as notices together with your profile name and photo in Google services, such as in search results or in your Google profile, or in other places on websites and ads on the internet.

Google records information about your +1 activities in order to improve Google services for you and others. In order to use the Google+ button, you need a globally visible, public Google profile, which must contain at least the name chosen for the profile. This name is used in all Google services. In some cases, this name may also replace another name you used when sharing content through your Google Account. The identity of your Google profile may be displayed to users who know your email address or have other identifying information about you.

Use of information collected: In addition to the uses explained above, the information you provide will be used in accordance with Google’s applicable privacy policy. Google may publish aggregate statistics about users’ +1 activities or share them with users and partners, such as publishers, advertisers or affiliated websites.

Instagram

Functions of the Instagram service are integrated on our pages. These functions are offered by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. If you are logged into your Instagram account, you can link the content of our pages to your Instagram profile by clicking on the Instagram button. This allows Instagram to associate the visit to our pages with your user account. We would like to point out that we, as the provider of the pages, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Instagram.

You can find more information in the Instagram privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/

LinkedIn

Our website uses functions of the LinkedIn network. The provider is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Each time one of our pages containing LinkedIn functions is accessed, a connection to LinkedIn servers is established. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our website with your IP address. If you click the LinkedIn “Recommend” button and are logged into your LinkedIn account, it is possible for LinkedIn to associate your visit to our website with you and your user account. We would like to point out that we, as the provider of the pages, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by LinkedIn.

You can find more information in the LinkedIn privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

XING

Our website uses functions of the XING network. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Each time one of our pages containing XING functions is accessed, a connection to XING servers is established. As far as we are aware, no personal data is stored in this process. In particular, no IP addresses are stored or usage behaviour evaluated.

Further information on data protection and the XING Share button can be found in the privacy policy: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection

Comment function on this website

For the comment function on this page, in addition to your comment, details of when the comment was created and, if you do not post anonymously, the user name you have chosen will be stored.

Storage of the IP address

Our comment function stores the IP addresses of users who post comments. Since we do not check comments on our site before they are activated, we need this data in order to be able to take action against the author in the event of legal violations such as insults or propaganda.

Subscribe to comments

As a user of the site, you can subscribe to comments after registering. You will receive a confirmation email to check that you are the owner of the email address provided. You can unsubscribe from this function at any time via a link in the info emails.

SSL encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as enquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser line.

If SSL encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Integration of third-party services and content

It may happen that third-party content, such as videos from YouTube, maps from Google Maps, RSS feeds or graphics from other websites, are integrated within this online offer. This always requires that the providers of this content (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”) are aware of the IP address of the user. Without the IP address, they would not be able to send the content to the browser of the respective user. The IP address is thus necessary for the presentation of this content. We endeavour to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. However, we have no influence if the third-party providers store the IP address, e.g. for statistical purposes. Insofar as this is known to us, we inform the users about this.