Disclaimer

Data protection
1. Basic Information


The use of our website is generally possible without providing personal data. Different regulations may apply to individual services, which are explained below. We process your personal data (such as name, address, email address, telephone number) exclusively in accordance with the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act. Personal data is any information that can be clearly attributed to a specific natural person.

Please note that data transmission over the internet can have security vulnerabilities. Complete protection against access by third parties is technically impossible.



2. Cookies


We use cookies on our website. These are small text files that your internet browser places and stores on your computer. They serve to optimize our website and our services. We primarily use so-called "session cookies," which are automatically deleted after you leave our website. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them or their storage period expires. These cookies allow us to recognize your browser on your next visit. This is done using the IP address stored in the cookies. We use the information obtained in this way to optimize our services and provide you with more convenient access to our website.

You can prevent the installation of cookies by adjusting your browser settings accordingly. However, please note that in this case you may not be able to fully utilize all the functions of our website.



3. Collection of technical information


For technical reasons, certain data is automatically collected when you visit our website, which your internet browser transmits to our web hosting provider. These so-called server log files include the browser type and version, the operating system used, the website from which you visited us (referrer URL), the web pages you visit on our site, the date and time of your access, and your internet protocol (IP) address.

This anonymous data is stored separately from any personal data you may have provided and does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a specific person. It is used exclusively for statistical purposes and to improve our website.



4. Registration on our website


We offer you the opportunity to register on our website. The data you enter during this registration process, which you can view in the registration form, in particular your email address, is collected and stored solely for the purpose of using our services. When you register, we also store your IP address and the date and time of registration. This serves as a safeguard in case third parties misuse your data and register on our website without your knowledge. Your data will not be shared with third parties. Furthermore, the data collected during registration will not be compared with data that may be collected by other components of our website.

5. Newsletter


You can subscribe to our newsletter on our website. This newsletter will keep you regularly informed about our offers. To receive our newsletter, you need a valid email address. We use a double opt-in process to verify that you are indeed the owner of the email address provided and have consented to receiving the newsletter.

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we store your IP address as well as the date and time of your subscription. This information is stored as a safeguard in case a third party misuses your email address and subscribes to our newsletter without your knowledge. We do not collect any other data. The collected data is used exclusively for sending the newsletter and is not shared with third parties. Furthermore, this data is not compared with data that may be collected by other components of our website.

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Detailed information on how to unsubscribe can be found in the confirmation email and in every newsletter.



6. Making contact


We offer you the option of contacting us via email and/or a contact form. In this case, the information you provide will be stored by us for the purpose of processing your request. This information will not be shared with third parties. Furthermore, this data will not be compared with data that may be collected by other components of our website.

7. Comment function


When you leave comments on posts on our website, we store not only your comment but also the IP address of the internet connection you used. This storage is for our security in case the comment infringes on the rights of third parties or contains illegal content. Since we may be held liable for such legal violations, we have a legitimate interest in storing the author's IP address. This data will not be shared with third parties unless required by law or necessary for legal defense.



8. Subscription to comments


You have the option to subscribe to subsequent comments on a post. If you choose this option, you will receive a confirmation email to verify that you are indeed the owner of the email address provided. You can unsubscribe from comments at any time. Further information can be found in the confirmation email. The data collected as part of the comment subscription will not be shared with third parties.



9. Use of web analytics


We use the web analytics service Matomo (formerly Piwik) on our website. Matomo uses cookies for this analysis. These are small text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of website usage.

The information generated by cookies, such as the time, location, and frequency of your website visit, including your IP address, is transmitted to and stored on our Matomo server. Your IP address is immediately anonymized during this process, so you remain anonymous to us as a user. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website will not be shared with third parties. You can prevent the installation of cookies by adjusting your browser settings; however, please note that in this case, you may not be able to fully utilize all the functions of our website.



10. Use of social media components


Our website uses components of the social network Meta (formerly Facebook), a service of Meta Platforms Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Each time you access a page on our website that contains such a component, this component causes your browser to download a corresponding representation of the component from Meta. This process informs Meta which specific page of our website you are currently visiting.

When you visit our website while logged into Meta, Meta uses the information collected by the component to identify the specific page you are visiting and associates this information with your personal Meta account. For example, if you click the "Like" button or leave a comment, this information is transmitted to and stored in your personal user account. Additionally, information about your website visit is transmitted to Meta – this occurs regardless of whether you interact with the component.

If you wish to prevent this data transfer and storage, you must log out of Meta before visiting our website. Meta's privacy policy provides detailed information on this, in particular regarding the collection and use of data, your related rights, and the settings options for protecting your privacy: [ https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy/ ]

External tools are also available [ http://webgraph.com/resources/facebookblocker/ ] that can block meta plugins using browser add-ons. An overview of the meta plugins can be found at [ https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/ ].



11. Your data protection rights


Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), you have the right to information about the collection, processing, and use of your personal data. Furthermore, you have the right to rectification of inaccurate data and to erasure of your personal data, provided that this does not conflict with any legal retention obligations. You can exercise these rights free of charge.