Privacy Policy

Data protection information

We process personal data gathered when visiting our websites in compliance with applicable data protection legislation. We neither publish your data nor transmit them to third parties on an unauthorised basis. In the following section, we explain which data we record when you visit one of our websites, and exactly how they are utilised:

General information

  1. Scope of data processing
    As a matter of principle, we gather and utilise users' personal data only to the extent required to ensure the functioning of our website and of our contents and services. The gathering and utilisation of our users' personal data normally occurs after users have granted their consent. An exception occurs where data processing is legally permitted.
  2. Data deletion and storage duration
    The affected individual's personal data are deleted as soon as the purpose of the storage ceases to apply.

Provision of the website and creation of log files

Each time you visit our website, our service and applications automatically record data and information from the computer system of the visiting computer.

The following data are gathered temporarily:

Your IP address; Date and time of your access to the website; Address of the page visited; Address of the previously visited website (referrer); Name and version of your browser/operating system (if transmitted).

These data are stored in our systems' log files.

Storage occurs in log files in order to ensure the website's functionality. The data also help us optimise the websites, eliminate malfunctions and ensure our IT system security.

The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were gathered. If data are gathered for the provision of the website, this is the case if the respective visit is ended. In the instance that data are stored in log files, this is the case after seven days at the latest.

The recording of data for the provision of the website and the storage of data in log files is essential to operate the website. As a consequence, users do not have an option to revoke such data recording.

Web analysis

For the statistical data recording of utilisation behaviour, we deploy the Matomo web analysis program (formerly: Piwik), which utilises cookies and JavaScript to collect various information on your computer and transmit it to us automatically. Each time you visit our websites, our system records the following data and information from the visiting computer's computer system:

IP address, anonymised by shortening; Previously visited URL (referrer), if communicated by the browser; Name and version of the operating system; Name, version and language setting of the browser.

Additionally, if JavaScript is activated: URLs visited on this website; Times at which pages are visited; Type of HTML queries; Screen resolution and colour depth; Formats and techniques supported by the browser (e.g. cookies, Java, Flash, PDF, WindowsMedia, QuickTime, RealPlayer, Director, SilverLight, Google Gears).

The evaluation of the data we obtain enables us to aggregate information about the utilisation of our websites' individual components. This helps us constantly improve our websites and their user-friendliness

The data are deleted after the formation of the conclusive annual sums for access statistics.

It goes that saying that you can revoke data gathering. You have the following possibility to revoke data recording by the central server:

In your browser, activate the do-not-track or do-not-follow settings. If these settings are active, our central server will not store any data relating to you. Important: The do-not-track instruction generally applies only for the device and browser in which you activate the setting. If you utilise several devices/browsers, you will need to separately activate do-not-track in all relevant locations.

Utilisation of cookies

Our website utilises cookies. Cookies are text files stored in the Internet browser or by the Internet browser on the user's computer system. If a user visits a website, a cookie can be stored on the user's operating system. This cookie contains a sequence of characters enabling the browser to be clearly identified when visiting the website again.

We deploy cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website also technically require the identification of the visiting browser after a change of page. The following data are saved and transmitted in the cookies: whether the user agreed to the user agreement during registration; who is logged-in.

The cookies are deleted when the session is closed.

The purpose of utilising technically necessary cookies is to simplify the utilisation of websites for users. Some of our website's functions cannot be offered without the utilisation of cookies. For these, it is necessary that the browser can also be re-identified following a change of page. We require cookies for the following applications: register as user; log in to the user account.

User data gathered by technically necessary cookies are not utilised to prepare user profiles. Cookies are stored on the user's computer, which transmits them to our site. For this reason, you, as the user, also have full control over the utilisation of cookies. You can deactivate or restrict the transmission of cookies through changing your Internet browser settings. Cookies that have already been saved can be deleted at any time. This can also occur automatically. If cookies for our website are deactivated, you may find not all of the website's functions can continue to be utilised in full.

Data transmission

Your personal data will only be conveyed to state institutions and authorities in legally essential cases or for criminal prosecution based on attacks on our network infrastructure. The data are not transmitted to third parties for other purposes.