Contact forms
On some of our websites, we keep contact forms available for you, allowing you to conveniently contact us online and address your request to us.
On our websites, the following data are collected via the relevant contact forms:
Company
First name and surname:
Email address
Telephone number
Fax number (optional)
Moreover, at the time of sending the message, the data and time of dispatch of the contact form will be stored:
For processing data, reference is made to this data protection statement when sending the relevant data.
Alternatively, on some websites it is possible to use the email address provided to make contact. In this case, the personal data of the user sent with the email message are stored.
We use your data solely to process your request and can contact you for this purpose under the contact data provided. Any use of such data for advertising purposes or any forwarding to third parties will occur only once you have explicitly agreed to such use.
The processing of personal data derived from the input screens enables us to process the contact details alone. In the event of contact being made by email, this is also based on the necessary legitimate interest in the processing of data.
The other personal data processed serve to prevent misuse of the contact form and to safeguard the security of our information technology systems.
The data are erased as soon as they are no longer necessary to achieve the purpose of their collection. For the personal data derived from the input screens of the contact forms and those sent by email, this will be the case if the relevant conversation with you has come to an end. The conversation will end when it can be assumed in the circumstances that the factual situation in question has been finalized.
The personal data additionally collected during the dispatch process will be erased no later than seven days.
 

Right to object 
You have the right to object to the processing or your personal data at any time. To this end, please contact our Data Protection Officer under the email address specified above. In such a case, the conversation cannot be continued.
All personal data saved in the course of the contact dialog will be erased in this case.

3. How are my data used and possibly transmitted to third parties, and for what purpose is this done?
We will use the personal data made available to you for answering your questions, making services available and for processing your order.
Any disclosure, sale or any other transmission of your personal data to third parties will take place only if such forwarding is necessary for contractual processing or for settlement purposes or collection of remuneration (e.g. forwarding agency or payment service providers) or if you have explicitly given your consent.

4. Integration and use of social networks
Some of our websites feature links to the social media platforms Instagram, YouTube, Twitter. This is done via the relevant icon on our websites bearing the logo of each social media platform with a link to our social media page in question. Social plugins (such as the Instagram “Like” button) are not integrated in these cases.
Our links to the social media services do not cause any of your data to be transmitted to these services. These are normal hyperlinks, via which generally no data transmission takes place. Clicking on the link will take you directly to our social media presence with the respective social media service. Data transmission only takes place if you are logged onto your user account of the social media service in question. You can then link or share content from our websites directly with the social media service or, in the case of YouTube, you can watch the videos on our YouTube channels. In certain circumstances the social media services may find out what content you viewed while on our websites.
The entities responsible for the social media services linked to us exclusively are as follows:
for YouTube and its website: YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., St. Bruno, CA 94066, USA;
for Twitter and its website: Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA;
You can obtain further information on the purpose and extent of data collection and the further processing and use of your data by the relevant social media service from the data protection provisions of the service in question. These can be retrieved from Internet under the following URLs:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/privacy
Instagram: http://instagram.com/privacy 
Under the links mentioned, you will also find e.g. information on optional settings to protect your privacy and on your farther-reaching rights relating to the collection, processing and use of your data by the relevant social media service.
You yourself are responsible for data transmission to the above-mentioned social network services because by logging onto your social network account and following the link in question, you become actively involved as well, subsequently initiating the data processing by the relevant social network service.

5.What security measures have we taken to protect your data?
We have adopted a large number of security measures to adequately protect personal data to the appropriate extent.
Our databases are protected by physical and technical measures as well as procedural measures that restrict access to information to specially authorized persons in conformity with this Data Protection Statement. Our information system is protected by a software firewall in order to prevent access from other networks connected to the Internet. Only employees who need the information to perform a certain task receive access to personal information. Our employees are trained in the field of security and data protection practices.
When collecting and transmitting data via our websites, we deploy the standardized SSL encryption technology. Personal data are protected within the scope of the order process via SSL encryption, identifiable by the padlock icon and the prefix “https.//” in the URL bar.
If a password is necessary for access to our websites, you should never allow third parties access to it and change it regularly. In addition, when accessing our websites you should not use the same password that you also use on other websites for password-protected access (email account, online banking, etc.). When you have left our pages, you should confirm the logout and close your browser to avoid unauthorized persons from obtaining access to your user account.
When communicating by email, we cannot guarantee full-scale data security.

6. Advertising messages by email (e.g. email newsletters)
In order to make additional information on our offering available to you, we offer newsletters on some of our websites. For processing of data in the newsletter mentioned below, your consent is obtained as part of the registration process and reference is made to this Data Protection Statement.
In connection with data processing for the purpose of sending information via our information services, no data are passed on to any third parties. The data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter.
The purpose of collecting your e-mail address is to send you the newsletter.
The collection of other personal data as part of the registration process serves to prevent misuse of the services or of the email address used.
The data are erased as soon as they are no longer necessary to achieve the purpose of their collection. Your email address will be stored as long as the subscription to the information service is active.
You can cancel your subscription to the services at any time. To this end, each newsletter contains a corresponding notice.
This also makes it possible to revoke the consent to storage of personal data collected during the registration process.

7. Newsletter tracking
In some of our email messages we use a process known as newsletter tracking This results in an evaluation of the opening rate of the e-mails and a click evaluation within the newsletter. We use this technology to determine the degree of interest in specific topics and to measure the effectiveness of our communication measures. The relevant data are segmented and stored in anonymized format. We do not share such data with anyone and we do not attempt to link click-throughs to individual email addresses. The individual user data will be erased after creation of the anonymized overall evaluation – no later than 3 months.
Right to object 
By exercising your right to object to the receipt of the newsletter (see link above), you can also object to the processing of your data for tracking purposes.

8. When visiting our websites, a cookie is stored on your computer. What does that mean?
We use so-called cookies on our websites. Cookies are small amounts of data in the form of text information that the web server sends to your browser. These cookies are only stored on your hard disk. Cookies can only be read by the server that previously stored them and receive information about what you have viewed on a website and when. Cookies themselves only identify the IP address of your computer and do not store any personal information, such as your name. The data stored in the cookies are not linked to your personal data (name, address, etc.).
We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website require that the calling browser can be identified even after a page change.
The following data are stored and transmitted in the cookies:
1.Browser settings regarding cookies (whether they are activated or not)
2.Language settings of the user
3.Log-in information
We also use cookies on our website which enable an analysis to be made of the user’s surfing behavior.
In this way, the following data can be transmitted, for example:
1.Search terms entered
2.Frequency of page views
3.Duration of stay on individual pages
4.Customer history
5.Use of website functions
The user data collected in this way are pseudonymized by technical precautions. Therefore it is no longer possible to assign the data to the calling user. The relevant data will not be stored together with other personal data of the users.
You can decide yourself whether you want to accept cookies or not. Firstly, by changing your browser settings (usually under “Option” or “Settings” in the browser menus), you have the choice of accepting all cookies, being informed when a cookie is set or rejecting all cookies.
The purpose of using technically necessary cookies is to simplify the use of websites for users. Some functions of our website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. For these, it is necessary that the browser is recognized even after page change.
The user data collected by technically necessary cookies are not used to create user profiles.
The analysis cookies are used to improve the quality of our website and its content. The analysis cookies enable us to learn how the website is used and can thus continuously optimize our offering.
Cookies are stored on the user’s computer and transmitted by it to us. Accordingly, you as a user also have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your Internet browser, you can deactivate or restrict the transmission of cookies. Cookies that have already been saved can be erased at any time. This can also be done automatically. If cookies are deactivated for our website, it may no longer be possible to use all functions of the website in full. The storage period for cookies on our websites varies and depends on whether technical specifications or legal storage (retention) periods make it necessary to store personal data. The maximum period of storage of some data collected via cookies is one year.
Some of our services also use tracking bugs or tracking pixels. These are usually code snippets measuring only 1×1 pixels, which are able to identify and recognize your browser ID – the individual fingerprint of your browser. This allows the service provider to see when and how many users have accessed the pixel, or whether and when an e-mail was opened or a website visited.
To prevent web bugs on our websites, you can use tools such as webwasher, bugnosys or AdBlock. To prevent web bugs in our newsletter, please set your mail program so that no HTML is displayed in messages. Web bugs are also prevented when you read your emails offline. Without your explicit consent, we will not use web bugs to collect personal information about you or to transmit such information to third parties and marketing platforms without your knowledge.

9. Rights of data subjects
If your personal data are processed, you are a data subject as contemplated by the GDPR and you have the following rights in relation to the controller:
Information, rectification, limitation of processing and erasure
You have the right to free information about your personal data stored by us, their origin and recipients as well as the purpose of data processing via our websites at any time. Furthermore, you have the right to rectification, erasure and limitation of processing of your personal data, provided that the statutory requirements for this are met.
Right to data portability
You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us as data controller in a structured, common and machine-readable format. We can fulfill this right by providing a csv export file of the customer data processed concerning you.
Right to information
If you have exercised your right to have the data controller rectify, erase or limit data processing, the controller is obliged to inform all recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been disclosed of such rectification, erasure or limitation of processing unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort.
You have the right in relation to the controller to be informed of such recipients.

10. Amendments to this data protection (privacy) statement
We reserve the right to amend this data protection statement for any reason and without prior notice. Accordingly, please inform yourself regularly on this page about possible changes to this data protection statement.