Privacy Policy

1. Privacy at a Glance

General Information

The following notes provide a straightforward overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data means any information that can be used to identify you individually. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to the full Privacy Policy below.

Data Collection on This Website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?

Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact details in the "Controller" section of this Privacy Policy.

How do we collect your data?

Some data is collected because you provide it to us — for example, information you enter when subscribing to our newsletter. Other data is collected automatically or with your consent when you visit the website by our IT systems. This primarily includes technical data (e.g. browser type, operating system, or the time of your page request). This data is collected automatically as soon as you access this website.

What do we use your data for?

Some of the data is collected to ensure the website functions correctly and reliably. Other data may be used to analyse how visitors interact with the site.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right at any time to obtain free information about the origin, recipients, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request correction or deletion of that data. Where you have given consent to data processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time with effect for the future. You also have the right, under certain circumstances, to request that processing of your personal data be restricted. Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. For these and any other questions relating to data protection, please contact us at any time.

2. Hosting

Mittwald

Our hosting provider is Mittwald CM Service GmbH & Co. KG, Königsberger Straße 4–6, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany ("Mittwald"). When you visit our website, Mittwald collects various log files, including your IP address. Mittwald's servers are located in Germany.

The use of Mittwald is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in ensuring the reliable presentation of our website. Where consent has been obtained, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, insofar as such consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user's device within the meaning of the TTDSG. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.

Data processing agreement: We have entered into a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with Mittwald pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. This legally required contract ensures that Mittwald processes the personal data of our website visitors only on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

3. General Information and Mandatory Disclosures

Data Protection

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation and this Privacy Policy. Please note that data transmission over the internet (e.g. when communicating by email) may involve security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to guarantee complete protection of data against access by third parties.

Controller

The controller is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data (e.g. names, email addresses).

Retention Period

Unless a more specific retention period has been stated in this Privacy Policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for which it was collected no longer applies. If you submit a legitimate request for deletion or withdraw your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted unless we have other legally permissible grounds for retaining it (e.g. statutory tax or commercial retention periods); in the latter case, deletion will take place once those grounds no longer apply.

Legal Bases for Data Processing

Where you have given your consent to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or, where special categories of data within the meaning of Art. 9(1) GDPR are involved, on the basis of Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR. Where you have expressly consented to the transfer of personal data to third countries, processing is additionally based on Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR. Where you have consented to the storage of cookies or to access to information on your device, processing is additionally based on § 25(1) TTDSG. Consent may be withdrawn at any time. Where your data is necessary for the performance of a contract or for taking pre-contractual steps, we process it on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Where processing is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation, we process it on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Processing may also occur on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Recipients of Personal Data

In the course of our business activities we work with various external parties. This sometimes requires the transfer of personal data to those external parties. We only share personal data where it is necessary for contract performance, where we are legally obliged to do so, where we have a legitimate interest in disclosure, or where some other legal basis permits it. Where we use processors, we disclose our customers' personal data only on the basis of a valid Data Processing Agreement. In cases of joint processing, a joint-controller agreement is concluded.

Withdrawal of Consent

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may withdraw any consent you have already given at any time with effect for the future. The lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal remains unaffected.

Right to Object to Data Collection in Specific Cases and to Direct Marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)

WHERE DATA PROCESSING IS BASED ON ART. 6(1)(E) OR (F) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME, ON GROUNDS RELATING TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION, TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THOSE PROVISIONS. THE LEGAL BASIS ON WHICH PROCESSING RESTS IS SET OUT IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU LODGE AN OBJECTION, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA UNLESS WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR PROCESSING THAT OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR THE PROCESSING SERVES THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE OR DEFENCE OF LEGAL CLAIMS (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(1) GDPR).

Right to Lodge a Complaint with the Supervisory Authority

In the event of breaches of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, their place of work, or the place of the alleged breach. The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy. The competent authority for Saxony is the Sächsischer Datenschutzbeauftragter (Saxon Commissioner for Data Protection).

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in performance of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. Where you request the direct transfer of your data to another controller, this will only be done to the extent technically feasible.

Right of Access, Rectification and Erasure

Within the limits of applicable law, you have the right at any time to obtain free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of data processing, and, where applicable, the right to have that data corrected or erased. For these and any other questions relating to personal data, please contact us at any time.

Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data. Please contact us at any time to exercise this right. The right to restriction of processing applies in the cases specified in Art. 18(1) GDPR.

SSL/TLS Encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content — such as enquiries you send to us as the site operator — this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the address bar changing from "http://" to "https://" and by the padlock icon in your browser bar.

4. Data Collection on This Website

Cookies and Consent Management

Some pages of this website use cookies. Cookies are small data packets that do not harm your device. They are stored either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies). Technically necessary cookies are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR unless another legal basis is specified. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing necessary cookies to provide its services in a technically sound and optimised manner.

To manage the consents you have given, we use a self-hosted consent management tool. This tool stores your consent decision in your browser (localStorage or cookie) so that your preference is recognised on future visits. No data is transmitted to third parties. Where consent is required for the storage of cookies or access to information on your device, processing is based on § 25(1) TTDSG in conjunction with Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. External content, scripts, and embeds are only loaded after you have given your consent (opt-in). You can change or withdraw your consent at any time through the consent tool settings with effect for the future.

Server Log Files

The provider of this website automatically collects and stores information in server log files that your browser transmits to us automatically. These include: browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, hostname of the accessing computer, time of the server request, and IP address.

This data is not merged with other data sources. It is collected on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the technically error-free presentation and optimisation of its website — for this purpose, server log files must be recorded.

Newsletter

If you wish to subscribe to the newsletter offered on this website, we require an email address and information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the email address provided and that you agree to receive the newsletter. No further data is collected, or only on a voluntary basis. For the operation of our newsletter we use our own, self-hosted system; your data is stored exclusively in our own database and is not passed on to third parties.

Double opt-in: Subscription to our newsletter takes place via a double opt-in process. After signing up you will receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription. This confirmation is necessary to prevent subscriptions being made using someone else's email address. Newsletter sign-ups are logged so that the sign-up process can be evidenced in accordance with legal requirements.

The processing of data entered into the newsletter sign-up form is carried out exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw your consent to the storage of your data, your email address, and their use for sending the newsletter at any time, for example via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the withdrawal. Data stored with us for the purpose of the newsletter will be retained until you unsubscribe and will be deleted from the newsletter distribution list after cancellation.

Interactive Tools (Cost Calculator, Quiz Applications)

We offer interactive tools on our website (e.g. a cost calculator and quiz and recommendation applications). As a general rule, the inputs you make in these tools are processed exclusively in your browser and are not stored permanently. Personal data is only stored if you voluntarily subscribe to the newsletter within these tools and provide your email address. In that case, the provisions set out under "Newsletter" apply accordingly. The legal basis is your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

5. Analytics and Reach Measurement

Self-Hosted Analytics

We use a self-hosted analytics solution for the statistical evaluation of visits to our website. No data is transferred to external services (e.g. Google Analytics); processing takes place exclusively on our own infrastructure. Data collected includes in particular page views, referring source (referrer), browser used (user agent), and IP address. IP addresses are not stored in plain text but are processed exclusively in pseudonymised (hashed) form, so that a direct personal reference is not readily establishable by us.

Processing is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the pseudonymised analysis of user behaviour in order to optimise its web offering and its business performance. Where consent has been obtained, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG. You may object to data collection by contacting the address given in the Legal Notice.

6. Our Own Services and Embedded Features

Web Fonts (Locally Hosted)

This website uses web fonts for uniform typographic presentation. The fonts used are installed locally on our server and are delivered exclusively from there. No connection to third-party servers (e.g. Google) takes place; no personal data (in particular no IP address) is transmitted to third parties in this context.

Search Engine Notification (IndexNow)

To enable faster indexing of new and updated content by search engines, we use the IndexNow protocol. Only the URLs of published posts are transmitted server-side to the IndexNow service. No personal data of our website visitors is transferred in this process. Processing is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest lies in ensuring the timely discoverability of our content.

Affiliate Links

This website contains affiliate links to offers from partner companies. If you follow such a link and make a purchase or take another action with the relevant provider, that partner may collect and process your personal data through its own web services (e.g. to attribute the purchase to us as the referring website). We have no influence over the data processing carried out by these partners; the privacy policy of the respective provider applies. The relevant links are labelled as advertising.

Backups

To protect against data loss, we regularly create backups of our website including its database. These backups are stored exclusively on our hosting provider's infrastructure (server location: Germany); they are not transmitted to external third parties (e.g. cloud storage services). The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest lies in ensuring operational continuity and data security.