Cookies

What are cookies?

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.

In the following we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following data protection declaration.

Whenever you surf the Internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, which is basically the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data from you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser transmits the “user-related” information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers each cookie has its own file, in others such as Firefox all cookies are stored in a single file.

The graphic below shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as B. Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, since each cookie stores different data. The expiry time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans or other “pests”. Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga

Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152312089247-9

Purpose: Differentiation of website visitors

Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

At least 4096 bytes per cookie
At least 50 cookies per domain
At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the data protection declaration. At this point we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are 4 types of cookies:

Essential cookies

These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed if a user puts a product in the shopping cart, then continues surfing on other pages and only goes to the checkout later. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart, even if the user closes their browser window.

Functional cookies

These cookies collect information about user behaviour and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and behaviour of the website in different browsers.

Targeting cookies

These cookies ensure a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies

These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to provide the user with individually tailored advertising. This can be very useful, but also very annoying.

Usually, when you visit a website for the first time, you will be asked which of these types of cookies you would like to allow. And of course this decision is also stored in a cookie.

If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called “HTTP State Management Mechanism” .

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the respective cookie. More details can be found below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

Which data are processed?

Cookies are little helpers for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalise which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the processed or stored data in the following data protection declaration.

Storage duration of cookies

The storage period depends on the respective cookie and is specified below. Some cookies are deleted after less than an hour, others can remain stored on a computer for several years.

You can also influence the storage period yourself. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also “Right of objection” below). Furthermore, cookies that are based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, whereby the legality of storage remains unaffected until then.

Right to object – how can I delete Cookies?

You decide for yourself how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting or deactivating cookies or only partially allowing them. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, activate and manage Cookies in Chrome

Safari: Manage Cookies and Website data with Safari

Firefox: Delete, Manage and remove Cookies to delete data stored by Websites on your computer

Microsoft Edge: Delete and Manage Cookies

If you generally do not want any cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. You can decide for each individual cookie whether you allow the cookie or not. The procedure differs depending on the browser. It is best to search for the instructions in Google with the search term “Delete cookies Chrome” or “Deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in place since 2009. It states that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Within the EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these directives. In some countries, the cookie guidelines have not been implemented as national law.

For cookies that are absolutely necessary, even if no consent has been given, there are legitimate interests (Article 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR), which in most cases are of an economic nature. We want to provide visitors to our website with a pleasant user experience and certain cookies are often strictly necessary for this.

If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this will only happen with your consent. In this respect, the legal basis is Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

Which cookies do we use and why do we use them?

As part of our cookie management tool, you can manage functional cookies yourself. The declaration of your consent will be saved so that we do not have to ask you each time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if required by law. This is stored either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. Depending on the provider of the cookie management tool, the storage period of your cookie consent varies. This data (e.g. pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, detailed information on the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually stored for up to

This is done due to our predominantly legitimate interest in the functionality and user-friendliness of our website Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

Essential WordPress Session Cookies: These only help to load the website faster and to use it properly, the cookies are deletes when ending the browser session.

They are also session cookies as they expire once the user logs out or exits the page. Mainly cookies are used for login to dashboard.

We use 3 types:

wordpress_logged_in_[hash]: to indicate when you are logged in, and who you are. This cookie is maintained on the front-end of the website as well when logged in.
wp-settings-{time}-[UID]: to customize the view of your admin interface and the front-end of the website. The value represented by [UID] is the individual user ID of the user as given to them in the users’ database table.
wordpress_test_cookie: to check if the cookies are enabled on the browser to provide appropriate user experience to the users. This cookie is used on the front-end, even if you are not logged in.
These cookies are strictly necessary without which the website will not function properly.

This is done due to our predominantly legitimate interest in the functionality and user-friendliness of our website Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

Essential Borlabs Cookie: We use BorlabsCookie on our website, which is, among other things, a tool for storing your cookie consent. The cookies are deletes when ending the browser session. Service provider is the German company Borlabs – Benjamin A. Bornschein, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany. You can find out more about the data processed by using BorlabsCookie in the privacy policy at https://de.borlabs.io/datenschutz/.

Functional Language Cookies: WordPress Mutilanguage (WPML) is used as a cookie to store the current language settings. It expires after 1 day.

The use is based on the legal basis Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can revoke your consent with effect for the future at any time under the CMP settings.