Privacy Policy

We collect, process, and store your personal data exclusively in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act of the Evangelical Church in Germany (DSG-EKD). Below, we provide information about the nature, scope, and purpose of data collection and processing.

When you visit our website, the browser on your device automatically sends information to our website’s server. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file. This automatically collected information, which is stored until it is automatically deleted, includes the date and time of the request, the name and URL of the requested file, the amount of data transferred, a notification of a successful request, the website from which the request originated (referrer URL), the IP address of the requesting device, the web browser used, the operating system used, and the name of the Internet service provider.

We process the data mentioned above to ensure that users can connect to the website without any issues, to ensure a convenient user experience on our website, to evaluate system security and stability, and for other administrative purposes.

The legal basis for data processing is set forth in Section 6(1)(4) of the DSG-EKD. Our legitimate interest stems from the purposes of data processing mentioned above. This data cannot be linked to specific individuals, and we will under no circumstances combine this data with other data sources for the purpose of drawing conclusions about your identity. We reserve the right to review this data at a later date if we become aware of specific indications of unlawful use.

Additional personal data is collected only if you provide it voluntarily—for example, when submitting an inquiry, subscribing to a newsletter, registering, placing an order, or through your browser settings.

As the operator of these websites, we take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection laws and this Privacy Policy. You can generally use our website without disclosing your identity. To the extent that personal data (such as your name, address, or email address) is collected on our website, this is always done on a voluntary basis whenever possible. If you have provided personal data to our website, we use it exclusively for the purpose of fulfilling your requests. We will only disclose or otherwise transfer personal data to third parties if this is necessary for the purpose of fulfilling your requests or if you have given your prior consent. Under no circumstances will your data be generally disclosed or sold. You naturally have the right to revoke any consent you have given at any time with future effect. Stored personal data will be deleted if you revoke your consent to its storage, if knowledge of the data is no longer necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was stored, or if its storage is otherwise prohibited by law. Data used for billing and accounting purposes will be handled in accordance with legal requirements upon a request for deletion.

Please note that data transmission over the Internet (e.g., when communicating via email) may be subject to security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to completely protect data from access by third parties.

In order to provide you with high-quality and engaging information on our website, we need to use photos in which people are recognizable. In accordance with legal requirements, we obtain permission from the individuals depicted, if necessary, before publishing such photos. However, if you happen to appear in a photo and do not consent to its publication, you have the right to request that your identity be obscured or that the photo in question be removed. To do so, simply send a brief message to our local data protection officer. We will comply with your request immediately.

If you wish to use a service offered on our website, you may be required to submit your data using a form provided for that purpose. Data processing for the purpose of providing the service we offer is carried out in accordance with Section 6(1)(2) of the DSG-EKD on the basis of your voluntary consent. The personal data collected will be automatically deleted once your request has been processed.

Your personal data will only be disclosed to third parties if you have given your express consent in accordance with § 6(1)(2) DSG-EKD, if the disclosure is necessary in accordance with § 6(1)(4) DSG-EKD to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims, and if there is no reason to believe that you have an overriding legitimate interest in preventing the disclosure of your data, in the event that there is a legal obligation to disclose your data pursuant to Section 6(1)(6) of the DSG-EKD, or if such disclosure is permitted by law and necessary pursuant to Section 6(1)(5) of the DSG-EKD for the fulfillment of contractual relationships with you. Your data will not be transferred for any other reason, nor will it be sold.

Our website uses some so-called cookies.
These are small text files that your browser automatically creates and that are stored on your device when you visit our site.
The cookies we use do not cause any damage to your device and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other malware. Most of the cookies we use are so-called “session cookies.” They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them. Temporary cookies enable us to make your visit to our website more pleasant, user-friendly, effective, and secure by allowing us to recognize your browser on your next visit, thereby preserving the settings you previously selected. However, this does not mean that we thereby gain direct knowledge of your identity.
The data processed by cookies is necessary for the stated purposes to safeguard our legitimate interests and those of third parties in accordance with Section 6(1)(4) of the DSG-EKD. Most browsers automatically accept cookies. You can configure your browser to notify you when cookies are set and to allow cookies only on a case-by-case basis, to block the acceptance of cookies in specific cases or generally, and to enable the automatic deletion of cookies when you close your browser. However, completely disabling cookies may prevent you from using all features of our website.

You have the right to:

• pursuant to Section 19 of the DSG-EKD, to request information about your personal data that we process. In particular, you may request information regarding the purposes of processing, the category of personal data, the categories of recipients to whom your data has been or will be disclosed, the planned retention period, the existence of a right to rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, or objection; the existence of a right to lodge a complaint; the origin of your data, if it was not collected by us; and the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, and, where applicable, meaningful information regarding its details;
• in accordance with § 20 of the DSG-EKD, to request without delay the correction of inaccurate personal data or the completion of your personal data stored by us;
• to request, in accordance with § 21 DSG-EKD, the deletion of your personal data stored by us, unless the processing is necessary for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and information, to fulfill a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest, or to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims;
• to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data pursuant to § 22 DSG-EKD, provided that you contest the accuracy of the data, the processing is unlawful but you object to its erasure, and we no longer need the data, but you require it to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims, or you have objected to the processing pursuant to § 25 DSG-EKD;
• In accordance with § 24 of the DSG-EKD, you have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, or to request that it be transferred to another data controller;
• In accordance with Section 11(3) of the DSG-EKD, you may revoke your consent at any time by notifying us. As a result, we may no longer continue processing the data based on this consent in the future, and
• to file a complaint with a supervisory authority in accordance with § 46 DSG-EKD. Our supervisory authority is the EKD Data Protection Officer.

If your personal data is processed on the basis of legitimate interests pursuant to Section 6(1)(4) of the DSG-EKD, you have the right, pursuant to Section 25 of the DSG-EKD, to object to the processing of your personal data, provided there are grounds for doing so that arise from your particular situation or the objection is directed against direct marketing. In the latter case, you have a general right to object, which we will honor without requiring you to specify a particular situation.

If you wish to exercise your right of withdrawal or right to object, simply send us an email.

During your visit to our website, we use the widely adopted SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol in conjunction with the highest encryption level supported by your browser. You can tell whether a particular page on our website is being transmitted securely by the closed key or lock icon displayed in the status bar at the bottom of your browser.

We also employ appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, partial or complete loss, destruction, or unauthorized access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously improved in line with technological developments.