Data protection

The operators of this website take their responsibility to protect your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in strict accordance with the applicable statutory data protection regulations and with this privacy policy.

The use of our website does not generally require the entry of any personal details. Whenever any personal data (such as name and postal or e-mail address) is collected, this collection will be done on a voluntary basis wherever possible. Such data will not be passed on to any third parties without express permission.

We consider it necessary to warn you that data transfer using the internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) may be subject to security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to guarantee that such data can be entirely reliably protected against access by third parties.

Cookies
Some of our web pages use software tools that are generally referred to as cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer in any way and do not contain viruses. Cookies serve the purpose of making our internet presence more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies are small text files that are written on your computer data storage system and stored by your browser.

Most of the cookies we use are what are referred to as “session cookies”. They are deleted automatically as soon as you end your visit to our site.  Some other cookies remain saved on your user device until you decide to delete them. Such cookies allow us to recognise your browser the next time you visit our site.

You can configure your browser so that you are informed when cookies are being written and to allow cookies only on a case-by-case basis, to allow cookies only under certain defined circumstances, to set a general prohibition on cookies, or to delete cookies automatically on closing your browser. Disabling cookies may restrict the functionality of this website.

Server log files
The provider of these pages automatically collects and stores certain items of information in what are referred to as server log files, which your browser then transmits to us automatically. This information includes the following:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system being used
• Referring URL
• Host name of the accessing computer
• Time of the server request

These data cannot be associated with any specific person. The data are not combined with any other data sources. We reserve the right to examine these data later in cases where we have specific and concrete reason to suspect any unlawful usage of our site.

Contact form
If you should decide to send us any enquiry via our contact form, all the details contained on the enquiry form, including the contact details you entered onto that form, will be stored for the purposes of processing your enquiry and in case of the need to ask follow-up questions. These data will never be transferred to any third party without your express permission.

Analytical services

Data protection declaration for the use of Google Analytics
This website uses some functions of the Google Analytics website analysis service. These functions are provided by Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Google Analytics uses software tools often referred to as “cookies”. These cookies are text files saved on your computer that allow them to analyse how you use this website. The information generated by the cookie relating to your use of this website is generally passed on to a Google server located in the USA, where the data is saved.

If you enable IP-anonymisation on this website and if you are located in one of the member states of the European Union or in other signatory States of the European Economic Area, then your IP address will first of all be truncated by Google. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address first sent in its full form to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. This information is used by Google on behalf of the operators of this website to analyse your usage of the site, to assemble reports on activity carried out on the site and to provide other services relating to website and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address obtained as part of the Google Analytics service will not be combined with any other data possessed by Google.

You can prevent cookies from being saved on your computer by making the appropriate browser settings. However, we must warn that if you do so you may not be able to use all functions of the site to their full extent. In addition, you can prevent the cookie from recording website-related activity (including of your IP address) and thus prevent such data from being processed by using the link below to download and install the appropriate browser plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

You can prevent Google Analytics from recording such data by clicking on the following link. Doing this will have the effect of setting an opt-out cookie, which will prevent any recording of your data during your future visits to this website. Disable Google Analytics

You can find more information on terms and conditions of use and data protection at https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html and at https://policies.google.com/?hl=en&gl=de. It should be noted that this website uses an extended version of Google Analytics to include “anonymizeIp” code, which ensures all recordings of IP addresses are anonymised (using a process referred to as IP masking).

Data protection declaration for the use of Facebook plugins (the Facebook like button)
Our site has embedded a number of plugins provided by the Facebook social network. The provider of these plugins is Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. You can recognise Facebook plugins by the Facebook logo or by the “Like” button that appears on our site. You can find some information on Facebook plugins here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.

When visiting our site, these plugins create a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. This connection provides Facebook with the information that you have visited our site from your IP address. If you click on the Facebook “Like” button while logged into your Facebook account, you can link the content of our site to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to assign your visit to our site to your user account. We hereby declare that as the operator of this site we receive no information on the content of the data transmitted to Facebook nor of how it is used by Facebook. You can find further information on this topic in Facebook’s Data Protection Declaration at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

If you do not wish Facebook to be able to assign your visit to our site in your Facebook account, then please log out from your Facebook account.

Data protection declaration for the use of Twitter
Our web pages have a number of Twitter functions embedded into them. These functions are provided by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Using Twitter and the “Retweet” function will have the effect of connecting websites that you visit to your Twitter account and make them known to other users. Data are transmitted Twitter as part of this process. We hereby declare that as providers of this site we receive no information on the content of the data transmitted to Twitter nor of how it is used by Twitter. You can find further information on this topic in Twitter’s Data Protection Declaration at http://twitter.com/privacy.

You can change the data protection settings for you Twitter account in the account settings located at http://twitter.com/account/settings.

Data protection declaration for the use of Google +1
Our web pages use some of the functions of Google +1. These functions are provided by Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Recording and transmission of information: You can use the Google +1 button to publish information worldwide. Using the Google +1 button, eanbles you and other users to receive personalised content both from Google and from our partners. Google saves both the information that you have specified as +1 content and the details of the page that you were looking at when you pressed +1. Your +1s may appear together with your profile name and photo in Google services, such as in search results or in your Google profile, or in other locations on websites and internet adverts. Google records information on your +1 activities in order to improve Google services for you and others. In order to be able to use the Google +1 button, you will need a public Google profile visible worldwide, whose data must contain at least the name you have chosen for that profile. This name is used for all Google services. Is some cases, this name may also replace any other name that you may have used when sharing content using your Google account. The identity of your Google profile may be shown to other users who know your e-mail address or possess other identifying information about you.

Usage of the information recorded: In addition to its use for the purposes described above, information on you may also be used in accordance with the applicable Google data protection policy. Google may publish combined statistics on the +1 activities of users, and may give this information to users and partners, such as publishers, advertisers or associated websites.

Data protection declaration for the use of Twitter

Our website uses social plugins provided by the Pinterest social network, which is operated by Pinterest Inc., 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA (or “Pinterest” for short).  When you call a page containing such a plugin, your browser will create a direct connection with Facebook’s servers. In the process, the plugin sends a bundle of log data to Pinterest’s server located in the USA. These log data may include your IP address, the address of websites you have visited that also contain Pinterest functions, your browser type and settings, the data and time of your query, details on how you use Pinterest, and cookies.

For more information on the purpose, scope and subsequent processing and use of the data by Pinterest and the rights and options available to you  to protect your privacy, see Pinterest’s privacy policy: https://about.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy

Information, deletion, blocking
You have the right to receive at any time information at any time on the personal data relating to you stored by ourselves, on their origin and recipient and n the purpose for which such data may have been processed. You also have the right to require that this data be corrected, blocked or deleted.  You can contact us at any time at the address given on this site’s Legal Declaration page to receive further information on the topic of personal data.