Which cookies do we use and why?

Mandatory cookies

We can only ensure the smooth functioning of our website by using certain necessary cookies. Without these cookies, which are also referred to as “strictly necessary”, you could not enjoy problem-free use of our website. No personal data is stored in this type of cookie.

Cookies from third parties

Our website also uses content from third parties, so-called Third-Party Cookies. Examples of these are integrated Facebook content or Google Adwords. We do not control these third-party service providers, however, when you visit our website, they can place cookies and thereby obtain information, such as the information that you have accessed our website. To obtain additional information regarding their use of cookies, please visit the websites of the respective third-party service providers. If you decide not to grant or to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies that require consent, you will only have access to the functions of our website that can be used without such cookies. You will receive a notice informing you of this when you visit the website. If you do not wish to permit the use of any cookies, you can utilise the setting for this in your browser.

What are the advantages of cookies?

If you repeatedly visit the website with the same terminal and browser, some cookies can remember your preferences and usage pattern and thereby contribute to improving your user experience by adapting the content displayed to reflect your preferences and interests.

On what legal basis do we use cookies?

We may place mandatory cookies because they are necessary to provide the services offered by our website.

By using our website, you consent to the placement of the Third-Party Cookies described below.

How do you manage or delete cookies?

You must make the following changes to your browser settings to delete or block cookies. With most browsers it is possible to accept or reject all cookies or to only permit certain types of cookies. It is also possible to set your browser so that you are asked each time a website wishes to store a cookie. Since the cookie administration procedures vary from browser to browser, please use the help function of your browser to find the exact steps to change settings.

Additional information can be found at http://www.youronlinechoices.com; http://www.aboutcookies.org.uk/managing-cookies or https://www.aboutcookies.org/. Standard browsers also have a “Do Not Track” function for Third-Party Cookies.

For which services do we use cookies?

1. Online marketing: Use of Google AdWords conversion tracking

This website uses the “Google AdWords” online advertising programme, and, as part of Google AdWords, the conversion tracking provided by Google LLC., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). We use Google Adwords to draw attention to our attractive offerings through advertisements (so-called Google Adwords) on external websites. Based on the data on advertising campaigns, we can determine how successful the individual advertising measures are. Therefore, we are pursuing our interests in showing you advertising of interest to you, making our website more interesting for you and obtaining a fair calculation of advertising costs.

The conversion tracking cookie is placed when a user clicks on an AdWords advertisement placed by Google. As a rule, these cookies become void after 30 days, and personal identification is not their purpose. If a user visits certain pages of this website and the cookie has not yet expired, we and Google will know that the user clicked on the advertisement and was transferred to this page. Every Google AdWords customer receives a different cookie. Therefore, cookies cannot be tracked over the websites of AdWords customers. The information obtained with the aid of the conversion cookie is used to create conversion statistics for AdWords customers who have decided in favour of conversion tracking. The customers learn the total number of users who clicked on their advertisement and were transferred to a page with a conversion tracking tag. However, they receive no information that could personally identify users. If you do not wish to participate in tracking, you can block this use by deactivating the Google conversion tracking cookie with the user settings on your Internet browser. Then you will not be included in the conversion tracking statistics.

Google LLC with its registered office in the USA is certified under the US-EU “Privacy Shield” Data Protection Convention, which ensures compliance with the level of data protection applicable in the EU.

You can receive additional information about Google’s data protection policies at the following Internet address: http://www.google.de/policies/privacy/

You can permanently deactivate cookies for advertisement defaults by setting your browser software to prevent them or downloading and installing the browser plugin available under the following link: http://www.google.com/settings/ads/plugin?hl=de

Please note that certain functions of this website may not be usable or fully usable if you deactivate the use of cookies.

2. Web analysis services: Google Universal Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website (including a shortened IP address) is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

This website exclusively uses Google Analytics with the extension “_anonymizeIp()”, which shortens the IP address for purposes of anonymisation and precludes any direct link to a particular person. Google uses this extension at the outset to shorten your IP address within the Member States of the European Union or in other Contracting States of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

Google uses this information on our behalf to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports about website activities and provide us with other services related to website use and Internet use. The IP address sent by your browser for the purposes of Google Analytics is not combined with other Google data.

You can prevent the storage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser software. However, we must point out that, in this case, you may not be able to fully use all the functions of this website. Moreover, you can prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookies related to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available under the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de

As an alternative to the browser plugin or in browsers on mobile devices, please click on the following link to place an opt-out cookie to prevent the collection of data by Google Analytics within this website in the future (this opt-out cookie only functions in this browser and only for this domain. If you delete your cookies in this browser, you must click on this link again): Deactivate Google Analytics

Google LLC with its registered office in the USA is certified under the US-EU “Privacy Shield” Data Protection Convention, which ensures compliance with the level of data protection applicable in the EU.

This website also uses Google Analytics for cross-device analysis of visitor streams, which are carried out with a User ID. You can deactivate the cross-device analysis in your customer account under “My data”, “Personal data”.

You can find more information about how Google Analytics handles user data in Google’s privacy policy at: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

3. Retargeting/remarketing/testimonials: Google AdWords Remarketing

Our website uses the functions of Google AdWords Remarketing to advertise this website in Google search results and on third-party websites. The service provider is Google LLC., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). For this purpose, Google places a cookie in the browser of your terminal, which automatically enables interest-based advertising on the pages you visit using a pseudonymous cookie ID.

Additional data processing only occurs if you have given your consent to Google for Google to link your Internet and app browsing history with your Google account and use the information in your Google account to personalise the advertisements you view on the web. In this case, if you are logged in to Google while visiting our website, Google uses your data together with Google Analytics data to create and define target group lists for cross-device remarketing. For this purpose, Google temporarily links your personal data with Google Analytics data to form target groups.

You can permanently deactivate cookies for advertisement defaults by setting your browser software to prevent them or downloading and installing the browser plugin available under the following link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.

Google LLC with its registered office in the USA is certified under the US-EU “Privacy Shield” Data Protection Convention, which ensures compliance with the level of data protection applicable in the EU.

You can view additional information and the data protection policies with respect to advertising and Google here:

http://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/

4. Social plugins: Facebook and Instagram

So-called social plugins of the Facebook and Instagram social networks are used on our website. These services are offered by Facebook Inc. and Instagram LLC. The personal data of European users of both social networks are processed by Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2 Ireland (“Facebook Ireland”).

Facebook is operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Facebook”). The personal data of European users of Facebook is processed by Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2 Ireland (“Facebook Ireland”). You can find an overview of Facebook’s plugins and what they look like here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins. Additional information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/help/206635839404055?ref=dp and here: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

Instagram is operated by Instagram LLC., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA (“Instagram”). You can find an overview of the Instagram buttons and what they look like here: http://blog.instagram.com/post/36222022872/introdu-cing-instagram-badges. Instagram’s privacy policies can be found at: https://help.instagram.com/155833707900388/.

Facebook can only collect your data if you actively click on the aforementioned plugins.

5. Fan pages

5.1 Facebook and Instagram

We operate so-called fan pages on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Ireland is also responsible for the cookies placed by Instagram. These cookies are surveyed by us and Facebook jointly. Additional information regarding the collaboration between Facebook and Instagram can be found under the caption: “How do the Facebook companies work together?” in Facebook’s data guidelines, which are linked above: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

5.2 Twitter

We operate a fan page on Twitter. The personal data of European Twitter users is processed by Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 Ireland (“Twitter Ireland”). The cookies placed by Twitter Ireland are surveyed by us and Twitter Ireland jointly. Twitter’ privacy policy can be found at https://twitter.com/de/privacy.

5.3 Pinterest

We operate a fan page on Pinterest. The personal data of European Pinterest users is processed by Pinterest Europe Ltd, Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland (“Pinterest Ireland”). The cookies placed by Pinterest Ireland are surveyed by us and Pinterest Ireland. Pinterest’s privacy policy can be found at https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy.