data protection

The responsible body within the meaning of data protection laws is:

data protection
Below we would like to inform you about our privacy policy. Here you will find information about the collection and use of personal data when using our website. We comply with the data protection laws applicable in Germany. You can access this declaration at any time on our website.
We expressly point out that data transmission over the Internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) has security gaps and cannot be completely protected against access by third parties.
The use of the contact details in our imprint for commercial advertising is expressly not permitted unless we have previously given our written consent or a business relationship already exists. The provider and all persons named on this website hereby object to any commercial use and disclosure of their data.

Personal data
You can visit our website without providing any personal data. If personal data (such as name, address or email address) is collected on our pages, this is done on a voluntary basis wherever possible. This data will not be passed on to third parties without your express consent. If a contractual relationship is to be established, designed or changed between you and us, or if you send us an inquiry, we will collect and use personal data from you to the extent that this is necessary for these purposes (master data). We collect, process and use personal data to the extent that this is necessary to enable you to use the website (usage data). All personal data is only stored for as long as it is necessary for the stated purpose (processing your inquiry or executing a contract). Tax and commercial law retention periods are taken into account here. At the request of the responsible authorities, we may provide information about this data (master data) in individual cases, insofar as this is necessary for the purposes of criminal prosecution, to avert danger, to fulfil the statutory duties of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution or the Military Counterintelligence Service or to enforce intellectual property rights.

SSL encryption
To protect the security of your data during transmission, we use state-of-the-art encryption methods (e.g. SSL) over HTTPS.
Collection of general information
When you access our website, information of a general nature is automatically recorded. This information (server log files) includes the type of web browser, the operating system used, the domain name of your Internet service provider and similar. This is exclusively information that does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about you personally. This information is technically necessary in order to correctly deliver the website content you have requested and is mandatory when using the Internet. Anonymous information of this type is statistically evaluated by us in order to optimize our website and the technology behind it.

Registration on our website
When you register to use our personalized services, some personal data is collected, such as name, address, contact and communication data such as telephone number and email address. If you are registered with us, you can access content and services that we only offer to registered users. Registered users also have the option of changing or deleting the data provided during registration at any time if necessary. Of course, we will also provide you with information about the personal data we have stored about you at any time. We will also be happy to correct or delete this data at your request, provided that there are no statutory retention periods to the contrary. To contact us in this context, please use the contact details provided at the end of this privacy policy.

Comment function
When users leave comments on the blog, the time of their creation and the user name previously chosen by the website visitor are saved in addition to this information. This is for our security, as we can be held liable for illegal content on our website, even if it was created by users.

Newsletter
When you register to receive our newsletter, the data you provide will be used exclusively for this purpose. Subscribers may also be informed by email about circumstances that are relevant to the service or registration (for example, changes to the newsletter offer or technical conditions).
We require a valid email address for effective registration. In order to verify that registration is actually made by the owner of an email address, we use the "double opt-in" procedure. To do this, we log the order for the newsletter, the sending of a confirmation email and the receipt of the response requested here. No further data is collected. The data is used exclusively for sending the newsletter and is not passed on to third parties.
You can revoke your consent to the storage of your personal data and its use for sending newsletters at any time. There is a link to this in every newsletter. You can also unsubscribe directly on this website at any time or let us know your request using the contact option provided at the end of this privacy policy.

contact form
If you contact us by email or contact form, the information you provide will be stored for the purpose of processing your request and for possible follow-up questions.

Deletion or blocking of data
We adhere to the principles of data avoidance and data economy. We therefore only store your personal data for as long as is necessary to achieve the purposes stated here or as required by the various storage periods stipulated by law. Once the respective purpose no longer applies or these periods have expired, the corresponding data is routinely blocked or deleted in accordance with legal requirements.

Use of Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google Inc. (hereinafter: Google). Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information on your use of the website generated through the cookie is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and saved there. However, due to the activation of IP anonymization on these websites, your IP address will be shortened beforehand by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. 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 to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website operator with other services relating to website activity and Internet usage. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.
You can prevent cookies from being saved 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 Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) and from processing this data by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: Browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics.
In addition or as an alternative to the browser add-on, you can prevent tracking by Google Analytics on our websites by clicking this link. This will install an opt-out cookie on your device. This will prevent Google Analytics from collecting data for this website and for this browser in the future, as long as the cookie remains installed in your browser.

Embedded YouTube videos
We embed YouTube videos on some of our websites. The operator of the corresponding plug-ins is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you visit a page with the YouTube plug-in, a connection is established to YouTube servers. YouTube is informed of the pages you visit. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can assign your surfing behavior to you personally. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account beforehand.
When a YouTube video is started, the provider uses cookies that collect information about user behavior.
Anyone who has deactivated the storage of cookies for the Google Ad program will not have to worry about such cookies when watching YouTube videos. However, YouTube also stores non-personal usage information in other cookies. If you want to prevent this, you must block the storage of cookies in your browser.
Further information on data protection at “Youtube” can be found in the provider’s privacy policy at: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/

Social Plugins
Our websites use social plugins from the providers listed below. You can recognize the plugins by the fact that they are marked with the corresponding logo.
These plugins may send information, which may also include personal data, to the service provider and may be used by them. We prevent the unconscious and unwanted collection and transmission of data to the service provider using a 2-click solution. In order to activate a desired social plugin, it must first be activated by clicking on the corresponding switch. Only by activating the plugin will the collection of information and its transmission to the service provider be triggered. We do not collect any personal data ourselves using the social plugins or through their use.
We have no influence on which data an activated plugin collects and how this data is used by the provider. At present, it must be assumed that a direct connection to the provider's services is established and that at least the IP address and device-related information is collected and used. It is also possible that the service providers try to store cookies on the computer used. Please refer to the privacy policy of the respective service provider to find out which specific data is collected and how it is used. Note: If you are logged into Facebook at the same time, Facebook can identify you as a visitor to a specific page.
We have integrated the social media buttons of the following companies on our website:
Facebook Inc. (1601 S. California Ave – Palo Alto – CA 94304 – USA)
Twitter Inc. (795 Folsom St. – Suite 600 – San Francisco – CA 94107 – USA)

Whatsapp
Your rights to information, correction, blocking, deletion and objection
You have the right to receive information about your personal data stored by us at any time. You also have the right to have your personal data corrected, blocked or, apart from the mandatory data storage for business transactions, deleted. Please contact our data protection officer for this purpose. You will find the contact details at the bottom.
In order to ensure that data can be blocked at any time, this data must be kept in a blocking file for control purposes. You can also request that the data be deleted, provided there is no legal obligation to archive it. If such an obligation exists, we will block your data on request.
You can make changes or revoke your consent by notifying us accordingly with effect for the future.
Changes to our privacy policy
We reserve the right to occasionally adapt this privacy policy so that it always complies with current legal requirements or to implement changes to our services in the privacy policy, e.g. when introducing new services. The new privacy policy will then apply to your next visit.

right of providing information
You have the right to inquire about the data collected about you at any time, free of charge and without delay. You have the right to revoke your consent to the use of your personal data at any time with effect for the future. To obtain information, please contact the provider using the contact details in the imprint. If you have any questions about data protection, please send us an email or contact our data protection officer directly:
Stephanie Bunk
This privacy policy was created using the privacy policy generator of activeMind AG.

Information on data processing in connection with Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google Ireland Limited. If the controller responsible for data processing on this website is located outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland, then Google Analytics data processing is carried out by Google LLC. Google LLC and Google Ireland Limited are hereinafter referred to as "Google".

Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies", text files that are stored on the visitor's computer and that enable an analysis of the use of the website by the visitor. The information generated by the cookie about the use of this website by the visitor (including the shortened IP address) is usually transferred to a Google server and stored there.

Google Analytics is used exclusively with the extension "_anonymizeIp()" on this website. This extension ensures that the IP address is anonymized by shortening it and excludes any direct personal reference. The extension means that Google's IP address is shortened beforehand within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. The IP address transmitted by the corresponding browser as part of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data.

On behalf of the website operator, Google will use the information collected to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on website activities and to provide the website operator with other services relating to website and internet usage (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR). The legitimate interest in data processing lies in optimizing this website, analyzing website usage and adapting content. The interests of users are adequately protected by pseudonymization.

Google LLC is certified according to the so-called Privacy Shield (list entry here) and guarantees an appropriate level of data protection on this basis. The data sent and linked to cookies, user IDs (e.g. user ID) or advertising IDs are automatically deleted after 50 months. Data whose retention period has been reached is automatically deleted once a month.

The visitor can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data by adjusting the cookie settings for this website. The collection and storage of the IP address and the data generated by cookies can also be objected to at any time with effect for the future. The corresponding browser plug-in can be downloaded and installed using the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

The site visitor can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data on this website by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set which prevents the future collection of data when visiting this website.

Further information on data usage by Google, setting options and objection options can be found in Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy) and in the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

reCAPTCHA
To protect your enquiries via the internet form, we use the reCAPTCHA service from Google Inc. (Google). The query is used to distinguish whether the input was made by a human or abusively by automated, machine processing. The query includes sending the IP address and possibly other data required by Google for the reCAPTCHA service to Google. For this purpose, your input is transmitted to Google and used there. However, your IP address is shortened beforehand by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of this service. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of reCaptcha will not be merged with other Google data. The different data protection provisions of the company Google apply to this data. Further information on Google's data protection guidelines can be found at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de