Privacy Policy



AddThis bookmarking service
This web site makes use of AddThis plugins that enable you to set bookmarks and share interesting site content. Where AddThis is used, cookies are also set. Data thereby created (e.g. time of use or browser language) is transferred to AddThis LLC in the USA for processing. For more information on data processing by AddThis LLC and the data protection policy of AddThis LLC, please visit www.addthis.com/privacy. This web site contains details on the types of data processed and the intended purpose of such data. We do not process data of this kind. By using the AddThis field, you consent to data being processed by AddThis LLC to the extent described at www.addthis.com. However, you may block the usage of your data by means of an 'opt-out cookie' at any time. More information on this issue is also provided on the aforementioned web site of AddThis LLC.

Use of Facebook social plugins
Our Internet pages utilise social plugins ('plugins') from the social network facebook.com, which is operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA ('Facebook'). These plugins are identified by one of the Facebook logos or bear the suffix 'Facebook social plugin'. A list of Facebook Social Plugins showing their appearance may be viewed here: http://developers.facebook.com/plugins. When you access one of our Internet pages containing a plugin of this kind, your browser establishes a direct link with the Facebook servers. The content of the plugin is transferred directly to your browser by Facebook and thereby incorporated into the web site; for this reason, we have no control over the volume of data collected by Facebook via the plugin. We therefore draw attention to our level of knowledge: where plugins are incorporated, Facebook obtains the information you call up on one of our Internet pages. If you are logged in to Facebook at the time, Facebook can assign your visit to your Facebook account. When you interact with a plugin (for example, by pressing the Like button or posting a comment), the relevant data is sent straight from your browser to Facebook, where it is stored. If you are not a member of Facebook, Facebook may still ascertain and store your IP address. For more information on the purpose and extent of data collection and the subsequent processing and usage thereof by Facebook as well as your rights in this regard and settings to protect your privacy, please refer to Facebook's data use policy: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php. If you have a Facebook account and do not wish Facebook to collect your data via our Internet pages and link this to your account data already stored with Facebook, you must log out of Facebook before visiting our Internet pages. It is also possible to block Facebook social plugins by means of add-ons for your browser such as 'Facebook Blocker'.

Use of Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). 
Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. 
In case of activation of the IP anonymization, Google will truncate/anonymize the last octet of the IP address for Member States of the European Union as well as for other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. 
Only in exceptional cases, the full IP address is sent to and shortened by Google servers in the USA. 
On behalf of the website provider Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website provider. 
Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. 
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. 
Furthermore you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en-GB. Further information concerning the terms and conditions of use and data privacy can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or at http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/analytics/privacyoverview.html. 
Please note that on this website, Google Analytics code is supplemented by “gat._anonymizeIp();” to ensure an anonymized collection of IP addresses (so called IP-masking).