Data Protection Policy

Your Data is Safe with Us

Data protection, confidentiality, privacy and trust are important to us. How we protect, lawfully collect, use and process personal information, are all important matters of concern, care and respect for us. So that you may feel safe whilst visiting our website, we strictly observe the legal regulations in all matters regarding personal information. We would like to inform you about how we use and collect personal information.

1. Anonymous Data Collection

You can view our website without telling us who you are. We save only basic access information, which is non-personal in nature, and includes the name of your internet provider, your internet browser, operating system, date and time of the access, and the names of accessed files. This data is only used to improve the service we offer, and does and cannot not allow you to be personally identified.

2. Collection and Processing of Personal Information

We do not process personal data of our visitors.

3. Cookies

Our website sets "cookies" (small text files) on the machine used to view our website. These cookies serve, among other things, to increase usability (for example, to preserve your language selection across pages), effectiveness and security of the website. In addition cookies enable us to measure the frequency of page views and general navigation trends. Some of these cookies, which are transferred from our server to your computer system, are the so-called "session cookies". Session cookies are characterised by the fact that they are automatically deleted from your computer at the end of the browsing session. Other cookies remain on your computer system and allow us to recognise your computer system during your next visit (the so-called "persistent cookies").

Naturally you can reject cookies at any time, if your browser permits it. We must however inform you, that in this case, not all functions of our website may be fully usable.

4. Google Analytics

If you have given your consent, Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google Ireland Limited ("Google") is used on this website. The use includes the "Universal Analytics" operating mode. This makes it possible to assign data, sessions and interactions across multiple devices to a pseudonymous user ID and thus analyze a user's activities across devices.

Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users interact with the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. However, if IP anonymisation is activated on this website, Google will reduce your IP address within Member States of the European Union or in other states party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area beforehand. We would like to point out that on this website Google Analytics has been extended to include IP anonymisation in order to ensure anonymous collection of IP addresses (so-called IP masking). The IP address transmitted by your browser in the context of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data. For more information on terms of use and data protection, please visit https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or https://policies.google.com/?hl=en.

Purposes of the Processing

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 related to website and Internet use.

Legal Basis

The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is your consent in accordance with Article 6, para. 1, lit. a, GDPR.

Recipients or Categories of Recipients

The recipient of the collected data is Google.

Transfer to Third Countries

Visiting our website may involve the transmission of certain personal data to third countries, in which the GDPR does not apply. Such a transfer takes place in an acceptable manner as determined by the European Commission such that in the third country an appropriate level of data protection is required. If such arrangements by the European Commission are not available, personal data will only be transferred to a third country if there are suitable guarantees in accordance with Article 46, of the GDPR or if one of the requirements of Article 49, of the GDPR is met.

Unless as otherwise stated below, we use the EU standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors in third countries as suitable guarantees: hEUR-Lex - 32010D0087 - EN - EUR-Lexere.

Provided we consent to the transmission of personal data to third countries, the transmission takes place on the legal basis of Article 49, Para. 1, Letter a, of the DSGVO.

Duration of Data Storage

The data sent by us and linked to cookies, user-identifiers (e.g. User-IDs) or advertising-identifiers are automatically deleted after 14 months. Data whose retention period has been reached is automatically deleted once a month.

Rights of the Persons affected

You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by blocking the storage of cookies by setting your browser software accordingly; however, we would like to point out that in this case you may not be able to use all functionalities of this website to their full extent.

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 Google by downloading and installing the Browser Add-on. Opt-out cookies will prevent future collection of your data when you visit this website. To prevent Universal Analytics from collecting data across different devices, you must opt-out on all systems used. If you click here, the opt-out cookie will be set: Disable Google Analytics

5. Usage of Plugins

Joomla! Plugins

Our website is developed and maintained using Joomla!. Within Joomla! various plugins are provided as standard. Any plugins, which are not being used to run our website have been disabled. We only use Joomla! plug-ins, which do not transfer data such as name, e-mail addresses or IP addresses.

However, we do use a Joomla! plug-in in to "track" the number of page-views per menu item.

Incorporation of Services and Content from Third Parties

Parts of our website use content from third parties, for example, videos from YouTube, maps from Google Maps. This presumes, that the providers of such content (hereinafter referred to as "third party") require the IP address of the user. Without the IP address, they cannot send the content to the user’s browser, because the IP address is necessary for displaying the content. We try to ensure, that we only use such content, when the respective third party uses the IP address only for the delivery of content. We cannot, however, ensure that third parties do not use the IP address for other purposes, such as collecting statistics. When such other purposes are known to us, we will make it known to the user.

6. Rights of the Persons Affected

Right to Information (Article 15 GDPR)

According to the Federal Data Protection Act (German: Bundesdatenschutzgesetz) you have a right to the information we have stored about you, free of charge, and a right to rectification, blocking or erasure of data.

The first copy will be free of charge, but further copies will be at a reasonable fee. A copy can only be provided if the rights of other persons are not affected.

Right to Rectification of Data (Article 16 GDPR)

You have the right to ask us to correct your data if it is incorrect and/or incomplete. This right also includes the right to completion through supplementary declarations or notifications.

Right to Deletion of Personal Data (Artactle 17, GDPR)

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data, if:

•  The personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes, for which is was collected and processed.
•  You have revoked your consent for data processing. However, this does not apply is there are other legal grounds for data collection.
•  You have lodged an objection to data processing, the legal permission of which is in the so-called "legitimate interest" (according to Article 6, Paragraph 1, lit. e or f); however, deletion does not have to take place if there are overriding legitimate reasons for further processing.
• You have objected to data processing for direct marketing purposes.
• Your personal data has been wrongnfully processed.
•  It is data of a child that was collected for information society services (=electronic service) on the basis of consent (pursuant to Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the GDPR).

You do not have the right to deletion of your personal data, if:

•  The right to freedom of expression and freedom of information conflicts with the request for deletion.
• • The processing of personal data is necessary for;
  •  Fulfilling a legal obligation (e.g. statutory retention requirements).
  •  Performing public duties and interests under applicable law (this also includes “public health”).
  • Archiving and/or research purposes.
  • Asserting, exercising or defending legal claims.

If personal data has been made public by us (e.g. on the Internet), we must ensure, as far as is technically possible and reasonable, that other data processors are also informed of the request for deletion, including the deletion of links, copies and/or replications.

Right to the Restriction of Data Processing (Article 18 GDPR)

In the following cases you have the right to limit the processing of your personal data:

•  If you have contested the correctness of your personal data, you can request that your data not be used for other purposes for the duration of the verification of the correctness of the data./li>
•  In the case of wrongful data processing, you can request the restriction of data usage instead of data deletion.
•  If you need your personal data to assert, exercise or defend legal claims, but we no longer need your personal data, you can request us to restrict the processing to legal prosecution purposes.
•  If you have lodged an objection to data processing (according to Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the GDPR) and it is not yet clear whether our interests in processing outweigh your interests, you can request that your data not be used for other purposes for the duration of the examination.If you have lodged an objection to data processing (according to Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the GDPR) and it is not yet clear whether our interests in processing outweigh your interests, you can request that your data not be used for other purposes for the duration of the examination.

If the processing of personal data has been restricted at your request, it may still be subject to storage and processing when:

• You have given permission.
• Legal claims are being asserted, exercised or defended.
• Protecting the rights of other natural or legal persons.
• There ist an imprortant public interest.

If a processing limitions are lifted, you will be informed in advance.

Right to Data Portability (Article 20 GDPR)

You have the right to request a copy of the data that you have made available to us, which will be made available in a common file format (e.g. PDF or Excel document).

You can also request us to transmit this data directly to another company (designated by you), if this is technically possible for us.

The prerequisite for you having this right is that:

•  The processing is based on consent or for the performance of a contract and is carried out using automated processes.
•  The exercise of the right to data portability does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

If you use the right to data portability, you still have the right to deletion according to Artarticle 17 of the GDPR.

Right to Appeal (Article 77 DSGVO)

You have the right to complain to a supervisory authority. For this you can contact the supervisory authority of your usual place of residence, your workplace or our company headquarters (The State Commissioner for Data Protection North Baden-Wurttemberg).

Exercising the Rights of the Person Affected

To exercise the rights of person affected, please contact the above-mentioned office. Inquiries submitted electronically will usually be answered electronically. The information, notifications and measures to be made available under the GDPR, including “exercising the rights of the affected person”, are generally provided free of charge. Only in the case of manifestly unfounded or excessive requests are we entitled to charge a reasonable fee for processing or to refrain from taking action (according to Article 12, Paragraph 5, DSGVO).

If there are justified doubts about your identity, we may request additional information from you for the purpose of identification. If we are unable to identify you, we are entitled to refuse to process your request. If possible, we will inform you separately if there is no possibility of identification. (See Article 12, Paragraph 6, and Article 11, GDPR).

Requests for disclosure and information are usually processed forthwith, within one month of receipt of the request. The deadline can be extended by a further two months if this is necessary taking into account the complexity and/or the number of requests; in the event of an extension of the deadline, we will inform you of the reasons for the delay within one month of receipt of your request. If we do not act on a request, we will inform you of the reasons for this forthwith within one month of receipt of the request and inform you of the possibility of lodging a complaint with a supervisory authority or taking advantage of a judicial remedy. (See Article 12, Paragraphs 3 & 4, GDPR).

Please note that you can only exercise your rights as an affected person within the framework of the restrictions and limitations provided by the Union or the member states. (Article 23 GDPR)

Right of Revocation (Article 7, Paragraph 3, GDPR)

You have the right to revoke your consent to the processing of your data at any time. Your declaration of revocation does not change the lawfulness of the processing of your personal data up to the point of revocation.

Right of Objection (Article 21, GDPR)

You have the right, for reasons arising from your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of your personal data, which is based on a weighing of interests (Article 6, paragraph 1, lit. f, GDPR). This is particularly the case if the data processing is not required to fulfill a contract. If you make use of your right of objection, we ask you to explain the reasons. We will then no longer process your personal data unless we can prove to you that we have compelling legitimate grounds for data processing worthy of protection outweigh your interests and rights. Please address your objection to the contact address of the person responsible given above.

7. Linking to our Social Media Pages

We have linked our website to social media logos and posts from Instagram (hereinafter "providers"), which themselves forward to our profiles stored with the providers and are intended to enable you to follow us there, to communicate with other active users or to obtain further information on offer about us.

Instagram is a service of Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. In the EU, this service is in turn operated by Facebook Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.

You can access and view Instagram's data protection policy.

Due to reasons of data protection, we have only implemented a link to our respective profiles at the providers. This means that no data about you will be transmitted to the providers unless you click on the respective social media links. However, as soon as you click on the link to our respective profile that we have set, you will be redirected to the provider's website, which means that data will be transmitted to the respective provider. We have no influence on this data transmission and collection by providers. Likewise, we have no knowledge of their specific purposes for data processing, its scope and storage duration. We do not know whether the providers make deletions, generate or allocate profiles or set anonymizations, nor is it within our sphere of influence.

If you are logged in to one of the aforementioned providers when you click on our link implemented on our website, the data collected by the provider, when you visit their website, will be associated to your profile there.

The processing of the personal user data takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests in effective information about users and communication with them in accordance with Article 6, Paragraph 1, lit. f of the GDPR. If the users are asked by the respective providers for their consent to data processing (i.e. by declaring their consent, e.g. by ticking a checkbox or confirming a button), the legal basis for the processing is Article 6 (1) (a) of the GDPR in conjunction with Article 7 of the GDPR.

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the possibility of objection (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks. In the case of requests for information and the assertion of one’s own rights with regard to their data, we would like to defer to the respective provider, since they have access to the data of the users and can take appropriate measures and provide information.

8. Data Security

Our website and other systems are secured through technical and organizational measures against removal, modification, access or distribution of your data by unauthorised persons.

9. Further Information

If you have further questions about data protection, please contact us. For questions regarding the collection, processing or use of personal information, the disclosure, correction, blocking or deletion of data and or the revocation of rights to data, please contact us at:

10. Downloading and Printing

You can print this text by using the print function of your web browser. With many browsers you will need to select the file menu and select "print".