Privacy Policy
We have captured this privacy policy (state: 29.01.2020) in order to explain to you in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which information we collect, how we use data and which possibilities you have as a visitor of this website.
Unfortunately, it is in the nature of things that these explanations sound very technical, but we have endeavored to explain the most important parts as simple and clear as possible.
Automatic data storage
When you visit websites nowadays, certain information is being generated and saved, as is the case on this website.
When you visit our website like now, our webserver (computer on which this website is saved) automatically saves data such as:
- The address (URL) of the accessed page
- Browser and browser version
- The operating system
- The address (URL) of the previously visited website (referrer URL)
- The host name and the IP-address of the accessing device
- Date and time
In data (Webserver-Logfiles).
Usually webserver-logfiles are saved two weeks and then deleted automatically. We don’t transmit this data yet we cannot exclude that in case of an illegal conduct this data is viewed. The legal basis in accordance with article 6 paragraph 1 GDPR (lawfulness of processing) provides, that there is a legitimate interest in the errorless operation of this website by gathering webserver-logfiles.
Cookies
Our website uses HTTP-cookies in order to save user-specific data. In the following we will explain what cookies are and what they are used for in order to give you a better understanding of the privacy policy.
What exactly are cookies?
Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers are for instance Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites save small text data in your browser. This data is called cookies.
What should not be dismissed is that cookies are very helpful. Almost all websites use cookies. More specifically these are HTTP-cookies, as there are other cookies for other application fields. HTTP-cookies are small data, that are being saved on your computer by our website. This cookie-data is automatically saved in the cookie folder, the brain of your browser so to say. A cookie consists of a name and a value. One or more attributes have to be given for the definition of a cookie.
Cookies save certain user data from you, as for instance the language or personal site settings. When you reload our website, your browser transmits the user-related information back to our website. Thanks to the cookies our website knows who you are and offers you your common standard settings. In some browsers every cookie has its own data, in others as for instance Firefox all cookies are saved in one single data.
There are initial provider cookies as well as third-party provider cookies. Initial provider cookies are created by our website, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (i.e. Google Analytics). All cookies are to be evaluated individually as every cookie saves other data. The elapsed time as well varies from a few minutes up to a few years. Cookies are no software programs and do not contain viruses, trojans or other malware.
These are examples of what cookie data looks like:
- Name: _ga
- Elapsed time: 2 years
- Application: determination of the website visitor
- Exemplary value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311147527
A browser should support following minimum sizes:
- A cookie should at least be able to contain 4096 bytes
- Each domain should be able to save at least 50 cookies
- Altogether there should be the capacity to save at least 3000 cookies.
What types of cookies are there?
The question which cookies we use specifically is dependent on the services that are used and will be explained in the following passages of this privacy policy. At this point we want to explain the different types of HTTP-cookies.
We can differentiate 4 types of cookies:
Essential cookies
These cookies are essential in order to ensure basic functions of our website. These cookies are needed for instance when a user puts a product in the shopping basket then surfs on other websites and goes to the checkout later. With the help of these cookies the shopping basket is not deleted even if the user closes his browser window.
Functional cookies
These cookies save information on the user behavior and if the user receives any error messages. With the help of these cookies the loading time and the behavior of the website in different browsers are measured.
Targeted cookies
These cookies ensure a better user-friendliness. For instance, entered locations, font sizes and form data are being saved.
Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They serve to deliver personalized advertisements to the user. That can be really useful but also really annoying.
Usually you will be asked by the website on your first visit what types of cookies you want to accept. Of course, this decision will be saved in a cookie.
How can I delete cookies?
If and how you want to use cookies you can decide for yourself. Regardless of which service or which website the cookies are from, you always have the possibility to delete cookies, only accept partially, or inactivate them.
If you want to determine which cookies were saved in your browser, if you want to delete or change cookie-settings you can find it in your browser-settings.
If you basically don’t want cookies, you can set up your browser that way, that it always informs you if a cookie is to be set. That way you can decide on each cookie if you want to accept the cookie or not. The approach on every browser is different.
How about my privacy?
Since 2009 there is the so-called “cookie-policy”. It states that the saving of cookies requires the consent of the visitor of the website (i.e. from you). Within the EU-countries there are different reactions to this policy. In Germany the cookie policy has not been implemented in the national right. The transposition of this policy is in §15 (3) of the Telemedia Act.
Storage of personal data
Your Personal data that you are transmitting electronically on this website, as for instance name, email address, address or other personal information in the framework of transmission of a form or comments on blogs, along with the date and IP address will only be used for the indicated purpose, kept safe and not be transmitted to third parties.
Thus, we are using your personal data solely for the communication with those visitors, that explicitly want the contact, and for the execution of the services and products that are offered on this website. We don’t transmit your personal data without permission, yet we cannot exclude that in case of an illegal conduct this data is viewed.
When you send us your personal data via email, aside from this website, we cannot ensure a safe transmission and the protection of your data. We recommend to you never to send confidential data unencrypted via email.
In accordance with Article 6 (1a) GDPR (the lawfulness of the processing) you give us the consent to process the entered data. You can revoke these consents at any time, a plain email is sufficient. You can find our contact details in the imprint.
Rights in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation
In accordance with the GDPR you basically have following rights:
- Right of adjustment (Article 16 GDPR)
- Right of erasure (Article 17 GDPR)
- Right of limitation of the processing (Article 18 GDPR)
- Right of notification – notification obligation in conjunction with the adjustment or erasure of personal data or the limitation of the processing (Article 19 GDPR)
- Right of data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
- Right of objection (Article 21 GDPR)
- Right not to be subjected solely on automated processing of data – including profiling (Article 22 GDPR)
If you believe that the processing of your data violates the General Data Protection Law or your data protection claims have been violated in other ways you can address the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
Evaluation of visitor behavior
In the following passages we will inform you, if and how we evaluate the data of your visits on this website. The evaluation of the collected data is usually anonymous and your behavior on this website is not indicative of you as an individual.
You can learn more about the objection to the evaluation of the visitor’s data in the following privacy policy.
TLS encryption via https
We use https in order to transmit data tap-proof on the internet (data protection by design Article 25 (1) GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security) an encryption protocol for the safe data transmission on the internet, we can ensure the protection of private data. You can tell the use of this protection of data transmission by the little lock on the top left in the browser and by the use of the scheme https (instead of http) as a part of our internet address.
Google Maps privacy policy
We use Google Maps of the company Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) on our website. With the help of Google Maps we are able to visually demonstrate locations better and improve our service. By using Google Maps data is transmitted to Google and saved on the Google-Servers. We want to get into more detail, what Google Maps is, why we make use of this Google-Service, which data is saved and how you can prevent this.
What is Google Maps?
Google Maps is an online map service of the company Google Inc. With the help of Google Maps you can search for exact locations of cities, attractions, accommodations or companies on the internet. If companies are part of My Business you will have access to further information on the company along with the location. In order to show the travel options, map sections of a location can be integrated via a HTML-Code into a website. Google Maps shows the earth’s surface as a street map or as an aerial view and/or as a satellite image. Thanks to the street view images and the high-quality satellite images accurate representations are possible.
Why do we use Google Maps on our website?
All our efforts on this website have the goal to offer you a useful time on our website. With the help of Google Maps we can give you the most important information on various locations. Thanks to Google Maps you can find our company location immediately. The directions always show you the best and fastest way to us. For the access route you can choose between routes with the car, with public transportation, walk or by bike. The supply of Google Maps is part of our customer service.
Which data is saved by Google Maps?
In order for Google Maps to fully offer their services, the company needs to collect and save your data. This includes the entered search terms, your IP-address and the latitudes and longitudes. If you use the route planner function the entered starting location will also be saved. But the data is saved on the Google Servers. We can only inform you but we don’t have any influence on this. As we have integrated Google Maps into our website, Google sets at least one cookie (Name: NID) into your browser. This cookie saves data on your user behavior. Google uses this data primarily to optimate their services and provide individual, personalized advertisements.
Following cookie is set in your browser due to the integration of Google Maps:
- Name: NID
- Elapse time: after 6 months
- Application: NID is used by Google in order to adjust advertisements to your google search. With the help of this cookie Google “remembers” your most frequently entered search queries or your previous interactions with ads. The cookie contains a unique ID that Google uses to collect personal settings of the user for advertising purposes.
- Example value: 188=h26c1Ktha7fCQTx8rXgLyATyITJ311147527
Note: We cannot ensure completeness of the indication of the saved data. Especially for the use of cookies changes by Google can never be excluded. In order to identify the cookie NID an individual test site was created where solely Google Maps was integrated.
How long and where is the data saved?
Google servers are located in data centers all over the world. Most servers are located in America though. Due to this fact most of your data will be saved in the US. Here you can learn more about where the Google data centers are located:
https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=de
Google distributes the data to various data carriers. Thus, the data is quickly available and protected against manipulation attempts. Each data center has special emergency programs. If there are any problems with the Google hardware or a natural catastrophe affects the servers with high probability the data still remains protected.
Some data Google saves for a certain period. For other data Google only gives you the opportunity to delete these manually. The company further anonymizes information (such as advertising data) in server protocols by deleting a part of the IP address and cookie information after 9 and/or 18 months.
How can I delete my data and/or prevent data storage?
With the introduction of the auto-delete function of location and activity data in 2019, information of location determination and web-/app-activities – subject to your decision – is saved 3 or 18 months and then deleted. In addition to that you can always delete this data in your Google Account manually from your browser history. If you want to prevent your location determination completely you need to pause it in the section “web- and app-activity” in your Google Account. Click on “data and personalization” and then chose the option “activity options”. Here you can enable or disable the activities.
You can also disable, delete or manage individual cookies on your browser. The ways to do this depends on the browser you are using.
In case you generally don’t want to have cookies, you can set up your browser, so that you will always be informed when a cookie is supposed to be set. That way you can always decide on each cookie if you want to allow it or not.
Google is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, where the correct and safe data transfer of personal data is settled. You can find more information on this here: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI.
If you want to learn more about the data processing of Google, we recommend you to read the Privacy Policy of the company here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.
Google Fonts Local Privacy Policy
We use Google fonts of the company Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA94043, USA) on our website. We have integrated the Google Fonts to our webserver not on Google’s servers. Thus, there is no connection to the Google server and therefore no data transmission and/or storage.
What are Google Fonts?
Google Fonts (earlier Google Web Fonts) is an interactive directory of more than 800 fonts that Google LLC offers for free use. With Google Fonts you could use fonts, without uploading them to your server. But in order to prevent any information transmission to the Google server we have downloaded the fonts on our server. This way we act compliant with data protection and don’t forward any data to Google Fonts.
Unlike other Web-fonts Google allows us full access to all fonts. This means we have access to a variety of fonts and get the maximum out of our website. For further information on Google Fonts or questions: