If you write a comment on our website, this can be a consent to save your name, e-mail address and website in cookies. This is a convenience feature so that you don't have to re-enter all this data when you write another comment. These cookies are stored for one year.

If you have an account and you log in to this website, we will set a temporary cookie to determine whether your browser accepts cookies. This cookie does not contain any personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will set up some cookies to store your login information and display options. Login cookies expire after two days and cookies for display options after one year. If you select "Stay logged in" when you log in, your login will be maintained for a fortnight. When you log out of your account, the login cookies are deleted.

When you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie is stored in your browser. This cookie does not contain any personal data and only refers to the post ID of the article you have just edited. The cookie expires after one day.

What are cookies and similar technologies?

Cookies are small files that are transmitted to your end device (e.g. your computer or smartphone) and stored there when you visit a website. A cookie usually contains the name of the website from which the cookie originates and the lifespan of the cookie (i.e. how long it remains stored on your device). Some cookies are deleted again at the end of the browser session (so-called "session cookies"). Other cookies remain on your end device ("persistent cookies"). If you visit this website again, we can record your renewed visit, even if we often do not know your identity. Cookies can also be used to collect information about your usage behaviour.

What do we use cookies and similar technologies for?

We use cookies and similar technologies (i) for the operation of our website, (ii) for statistical purposes, (iii) to improve user-friendliness and (iv) for advertising purposes. A list of the cookies and similar technologies used with details of their respective functionality can be found in Section 5 of this Cookie Policy.

• (i) Technically necessary cookies: These cookies are necessary for the technical operation of our website. They also enable security-related functionalities.

• (ii) Analysis and performance cookies: In order to continuously improve our offer and our websites, we use cookies and similar technologies (also from third parties) to collect data for statistics and analyses about the use of our websites. This enables us, for example, to determine the number of visitors and the impact of our websites and optimise content accordingly.

• (iii) Cookies to improve user-friendliness: We use cookies and similar technologies, including from third parties, to make it easier for you to use the site. For example, you can access the same product search based on a previous product search when you visit our website again. Cookies and similar technologies can also be used to speed up your future activities and experiences on our website. For example, they are used to save your preferences (language, etc.) for future visits.

• (iv) Cookies for advertising purposes: Cookies and similar technologies (including from third parties) may record your visit to our websites, the pages you have visited and the links you have clicked on. We use such information to customise our websites and the advertising displayed to your interests. We may also share this information for this purpose with third parties who process this information on our behalf.

Our cookies can also be read on our partners' websites and used for advertising purposes, for example. Such cookies and similar technologies can be used primarily to show you content according to your interests and to evaluate the use of our content.

The use of cookies and similar technologies is based on our legitimate interest in providing user-friendly and attractive websites and displaying adverts that are tailored to your interests. Cookies may also be necessary for the fulfilment of a contract.

Links

Our websites may contain links to third-party websites. These websites are not subject to this Cookie Policy and we are not responsible for their content or their handling of personal data. We recommend that you read the privacy policies of the respective websites.

Technology from third-party providers

We use the following cookies and similar technologies from third-party providers. You can use the links provided to consult the privacy policies of the providers and deactivate cookies or similar technologies.

Use of script libraries (Google Webfonts)

In order to display our content correctly and graphically appealing across browsers, we use "Google Web Fonts" from Google LLC (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter "Google") to display fonts on this website.

The privacy policy of the library operator Google can be found here:

https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

Embedded content from other websites

Posts on this website may contain embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking services and record your interaction with this embedded content, including your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to this website.

Use of Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA (hereinafter: "Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. However, due to the activation of IP anonymisation on these websites, your IP address will be shortened by Google beforehand within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to analyse your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website operator with other services relating to website activity and internet usage. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

The purpose of the data processing is to analyse the use of the website and to compile reports on activities on the website. Based on the use of the website and the Internet, further associated services are then to be provided.

Privacy policy for the use of Twitter

Functions of the Twitter service are integrated on our pages. These functions are offered by Twitter Inc, 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. By using Twitter and the "Re-Tweet" function, the websites you visit are linked to your Twitter account and made known to other users. Data such as IP address, browser type, domains accessed, pages visited, mobile phone provider, device and application IDs and search terms are transmitted to Twitter.

We would like to point out that, as the provider of the pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Twitter. Due to ongoing updates to Twitter's privacy policy, please refer to the latest version at (http://twitter.com/privacy).

You can change your data protection settings on Twitter in the account settings at http://twitter.com/account/settings. If you have any questions, please contact privacy@twitter.com.

Privacy policy for the use of Google Adsense

This website uses Google AdSense, a service for integrating adverts from Google Inc ("Google"). Google AdSense uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. Google AdSense also uses so-called web beacons (invisible graphics). These web beacons can be used to analyse information such as visitor traffic on these pages.

The information generated by cookies and web beacons about the use of this website (including your IP address) and the delivery of advertising formats is transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. This information may be passed on by Google to contractual partners of Google. However, Google will not merge your IP address with other data stored by you.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Privacy policy for the use of Google +1

You can use the Google +1 button to publish information worldwide. You and other users receive personalised content from Google and its partners via the Google +1 button. Google stores both the information that you have given +1 for content and information about the page that you viewed when you clicked +1. Your +1s can be displayed as references together with your profile name and your photo in Google services, such as in search results or in your Google profile, or in other places on websites and adverts on the Internet.

Google records information about your +1 activities in order to improve Google services for you and others.

To be able to use the Google +1 button, you need a globally visible, public Google profile, which must contain at least the name chosen for the profile. This name is used in all Google services. In some cases, this name can also replace another name that you have used when sharing content via your Google account. The identity of your Google profile can be displayed to users who know your e-mail address or have other identifying information about you.

In addition to the uses described above, the information you provide will be used in accordance with the applicable Google privacy policy (http://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/). Google may publish summarised statistics about the +1 activities of users or pass these statistics on to our users and partners, such as publishers, advertisers or associated websites.

Use of Google Maps

We use the Google Maps service on this website. Google Maps is operated by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter "Google"). This allows us to show you interactive maps directly on the website and enables you to use the map function conveniently.

You can find more information about data processing by Google in the Google data protection information. You can also change your personal data protection settings there in the data protection centre.

Embedded YouTube videos

We embed YouTube videos on some of our websites. The operator of the corresponding plugins is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA (hereinafter referred to as "YouTube"). When you visit a page with the YouTube plugin, a connection to YouTube servers is established. YouTube is informed which pages you visit. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can assign your surfing behaviour to you personally. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account beforehand.

When a YouTue video is started, the provider uses cookies that collect information about user behaviour.

Social plugins

Social media plugins are used on our websites. Under certain circumstances, information, which may also include personal data, is sent to the service provider via these plugins and may be used by them. We prevent the unconscious and unwanted collection and transmission of data to the service provider by means of a 2-click solution. To activate a desired social plugin, it must first be activated by clicking on the corresponding button. Only this activation of the plugin triggers the collection of information and its transmission to the service provider. We do not collect any personal data ourselves by means of the social plugins or through their use.

We have no influence on what data an activated plugin collects and how it is used by the provider. At present, it must be assumed that a direct connection to the provider's services is established and that at least the IP address and device-related information is collected and used. It is also possible that the service providers attempt to store cookies on the computer used. Please refer to the data protection information of the respective service provider to find out which specific data is collected and how it is used. If you are logged in to Facebook at the same time, Facebook can identify you as a visitor to a specific page.

Google AdWords

Our website uses Google Conversion Tracking. The company operating the Google AdWords services is Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. If you have reached our website via an advert placed by Google, Google AdWords will set a cookie on your computer. The cookie for conversion tracking is set when a user clicks on an advert placed by Google.

If the user visits certain pages of our website and the cookie has not yet expired, we and Google can recognise that the user has clicked on the ad and has been redirected to this page. Each Google AdWords customer receives a different cookie. Cookies can therefore not be tracked via the websites of AdWords customers. The information collected using the conversion cookie is used to generate conversion statistics for AdWords customers who have opted for conversion tracking. Customers are told the total number of users who clicked on their advert and were redirected to a page with a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive any information that can be used to personally identify users.

How we protect your data

SSL encryption

To protect the security of your data during transmission, we use state-of-the-art encryption methods (e.g. SSL) via HTTPS.