We consider it our primary task to maintain the confidentiality of the personal data you provide and to protect it from unauthorized access. We therefore take the utmost care and apply the latest security standards to ensure maximum protection of your personal data.

As a company under private law, we are subject to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the provisions of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). We have taken technical and organizational measures to ensure that the data protection regulations are observed both by us and by our external service providers.

Definitions

The legislator requires that personal data be processed lawfully, fairly and in a manner that is comprehensible to the data subject (“lawfulness, fairness and transparency”). To ensure this, we inform you about the individual legal definitions that are also used in this privacy policy:

1. Personal data

“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as ‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identified or identifiable natural person.

2. processing

“Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

3. restriction of processing

“Restriction of processing” is the marking of stored personal data with the aim of restricting its future processing.

4. profiling

“Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements.

5. pseudonymization

“Pseudonymization” means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

1. 6. File System A "file system" is any structured collection of personal data that is accessible according to specific criteria, regardless of whether this collection is managed centrally, decentrally, or organized based on functional or geographical aspects.

2. Controller A "controller" is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. Where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union law or the law of the Member States, the controller or the specific criteria for its designation may be provided for by Union law or the law of the Member States.

3. Processor A "processor" is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

4. Recipient A "recipient" is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body to whom personal data is disclosed, whether or not it is a third party. However, authorities that may receive personal data in the framework of a specific investigative mandate under Union law or the law of the Member States shall not be regarded as recipients. The processing of such data by the said authorities shall be carried out in accordance with applicable data protection regulations according to the purposes of the processing.

5. Third Party A "third party" is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body other than the data subject, the controller, the processor, and the persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, are authorized to process personal data.

6. Consent "Consent" of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes by which they, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signify agreement to the processing of personal data relating to them.

Legality of Processing The processing of personal data is lawful only if there is a legal basis for the processing. According to Article 6(1) lit. a – f of the GDPR, the legal basis for processing may particularly be:

1. The data subject has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes;

2. Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract;

3. Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;

4. Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another natural person;

5. Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;

6. Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, particularly where the data subject is a child.

Information on the Collection of Personal Data (1) The following provides information on the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data includes, for example, name, address, email addresses, and user behavior. (2) When you contact us via email or a contact form, the data you provide (your email address, possibly your name and telephone number) will be stored by us to answer your questions. We delete the data accumulated in this context once storage is no longer necessary, or processing is restricted if legal retention obligations exist.

Collection of Personal Data When Visiting Our Website When you visit our website for informational purposes only, meaning you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. If you want to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website and ensure stability and security (legal basis is Art. 6(1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR): • IP address • Date and time of the request • Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) • Content of the request (specific page) • Access status/HTTP status code • Amount of data transferred • Website from which the request originates • Browser • Operating system and its interface • Language and version of the browser software.

Use of Cookies (1) In addition to the aforementioned data, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files stored on your hard drive associated with the browser you use, which provide certain information to the entity that sets the cookie. Cookies cannot execute programs or transmit viruses to your computer. They serve to make the internet offering more user-friendly and effective overall. (2) This website uses the following types of cookies, whose scope and functionality are explained below: • Transient cookies (see a.) • Persistent cookies (see b.).

1. Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. This particularly includes session cookies. These store a session ID, which allows various requests from your browser to be assigned to the same session. This enables your computer to be recognized when you return to our website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close the browser.

2. Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a predefined period, which may vary depending on the cookie. You can delete cookies at any time in your browser's security settings.

3. You can configure your browser settings according to your preferences and refuse third-party cookies or all cookies, for example. Third-party cookies are cookies set by a third party rather than the website you are currently visiting. Please note that by disabling cookies, you may not be able to use all functions of this website.

Further Functions and Offers of Our Website (1) In addition to purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you can use if interested. To do so, you typically need to provide additional personal data that we use to provide the respective service and for which the aforementioned principles of data processing apply. (2) In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These providers have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions, and are regularly monitored. (3) Furthermore, we may pass on your personal data to third parties when participating in promotions, competitions, contract conclusions, or similar services offered jointly with partners. You will receive more detailed information about this when you provide your personal data or below in the description of the offering. (4) If our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you about the consequences of this circumstance in the description of the offering.

Children Our offer is generally aimed at adults. Persons under the age of 18 should not transmit personal data to us without parental or guardian consent.

Rights of the Data Subject

(1) Withdrawal of Consent If the processing of personal data is based on given consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. You can contact us at any time to exercise your right of withdrawal.

(2) Right to Confirmation You have the right to request confirmation from the controller as to whether we process personal data concerning you. You can request confirmation at any time using the contact details provided above.

(3) Right to Access If personal data is processed, you have the right to request access to this personal data and the following information:

1. The purposes of processing;

2. The categories of personal data being processed;

3. The recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed, particularly recipients in third countries or international organizations;

4. If possible, the planned duration for which the personal data will be stored, or if not possible, the criteria used to determine that duration;

5. The existence of a right to rectification or deletion of personal data concerning you, or to restrict processing by the controller, or to object to such processing;

6. The existence of a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;

7. If the personal data is not collected from the data subject, any available information about the source of the data;

8. The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to Article 22 (1) and (4) of the GDPR, and – at least in those cases – meaningful information about the logic involved as well as the significance and intended consequences of such processing for the data subject.

If personal data is transferred to a third country or an international organization, you have the right to be informed about the appropriate safeguards under Article 46 of the GDPR regarding the transfer. We will provide a copy of the personal data that is being processed. For any additional copies you request, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs. If you submit the request electronically, the information shall be provided in a commonly used electronic format unless otherwise specified. The right to obtain a copy as per paragraph 3 must not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

(4) Right to Rectification You have the right to request the immediate rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you. Considering the purposes of processing, you also have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of a supplementary statement.

(5) Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) You have the right to request that the controller delete personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we are obliged to delete such data without undue delay if one of the following reasons applies:

1. The personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.

2. The data subject withdraws consent on which the processing was based according to Article 6 (1) (a) or Article 9 (2) (a) GDPR, and there is no other legal basis for the processing.

3. The data subject objects to the processing under Article 21 (1) GDPR, and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for processing, or the data subject objects to processing under Article 21 (2) GDPR.

4. The personal data has been unlawfully processed.

5. The deletion of the personal data is required to comply with a legal obligation under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject.

6. The personal data was collected in relation to the offer of information society services according to Article 8 (1) GDPR.

If the controller has made the personal data public and is obligated to delete it under paragraph 1, reasonable measures, including technical measures, shall be taken, considering available technology and implementation costs, to inform controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested the deletion of any links to, or copies or replications of, this personal data.

The right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) does not apply where processing is necessary:

• For exercising the right to freedom of expression and information;

• To fulfill a legal obligation requiring processing under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or to carry out a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;

• For reasons of public interest in the field of public health under Article 9 (2) (h) and (i) and Article 9 (3) GDPR;

• For archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes under Article 89 (1) GDPR, where the right referred to in paragraph 1 is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the processing objectives; or

• For the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

(6) Right to Restriction of Processing You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data if one of the following conditions applies:

1. The accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data;

2. The processing is unlawful, and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and instead requests the restriction of its use;

3. The controller no longer needs the personal data for processing purposes, but the data subject requires it for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims; or

4. The data subject has objected to processing under Article 21 (1) GDPR, pending verification of whether the legitimate interests of the controller override those of the data subject.

If processing has been restricted under the above conditions, such personal data—aside from storage—shall only be processed with the data subject’s consent or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims, or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or a Member State.

To exercise the right to restriction of processing, the data subject may contact us at any time using the above-mentioned contact details.

(7) Right to Data Portability You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit this data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to whom the personal data was provided, provided that:

1. The processing is based on consent under Article 6 (1) (a) or Article 9 (2) (a) or on a contract under Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR, and

2. The processing is carried out by automated means.

When exercising the right to data portability under paragraph 1, you have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible. The exercise of the right to data portability does not affect the right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’). This right does not apply to processing necessary for performing a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

 

Right to Object

You have the right to object at any time, for reasons arising from your particular situation, to the processing of your personal data based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) of the GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions. The controller will no longer process your personal data unless they can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or if the processing serves to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims.

If personal data is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for such marketing; this also applies to profiling related to direct marketing. If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, your personal data will no longer be processed for these purposes.

In connection with the use of information society services, regardless of Directive 2002/58/EC, you may exercise your right to object using automated procedures based on technical specifications.

You also have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.

You may exercise your right to object at any time by contacting the respective controller.

Automated Individual Decision-Making, Including Profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produces legal effects concerning you or significantly affects you in a similar way. This does not apply if the decision:

1. is necessary for entering into or performing a contract between you and the controller,

2. is authorized by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard your rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests, or

3. is based on your explicit consent.

The controller shall implement appropriate measures to safeguard your rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests, including at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express your point of view, and to contest the decision.

You may exercise this right at any time by contacting the respective controller.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, particularly in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement if you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes this regulation.

Right to an Effective Judicial Remedy

Without prejudice to any available administrative or non-judicial remedy, including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to an effective judicial remedy if you consider that your rights under this regulation have been violated due to processing of your personal data that does not comply with this regulation.

Integration of OpenStreetMap

(1) This website uses OpenStreetMap (https://www.openstreetmap.org), a community project based on the Open Data Commons (ODbL) and a mapping service provided by the OpenStreetMap Foundation (132 Maney Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1JU, United Kingdom), to display an interactive map of relevant locations.

(2) OpenStreetMap is an open-source mapping tool. To display the map, your IP address is transmitted to OpenStreetMap. Your internet browser only establishes a connection to OpenStreetMap’s servers when you actively click on the interactive map. You can find information on how OpenStreetMap processes your data at: Privacy Policy.

(3) We have no influence over which data OpenStreetMap collects and processes. However, OpenStreetMap states that access to its services is logged, for example, via log files.

(4) The use of these tools is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR: data processing is carried out to enhance the user-friendliness of our website and is therefore in our legitimate interest.