Privacy Policy

2. General Information on Data Processing
The protection of your personal data is very important to us. We process personal data exclusively in accordance with legal requirements, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Personal data is collected and processed only to the extent necessary to provide a fully functional website and to deliver our content and services.

3. Website Provision and Hosting
When you visit our website, the hosting provider automatically collects information in so-called server log files. This may include, in particular, the following data:

• IP address of the device used to access the site
• Date and time of access
• Pages and files accessed
• Browser type and version
• Operating system used
• Referrer URL

This data is processed to ensure the technical operation, security, and stability of the website. 
The web server log files generated during the use of this website are stored in a fully anonymized form. It is therefore not possible to identify any specific individuals.
The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the secure and uninterrupted provision of the website.
The website is hosted by Manitu GmbH, Welvertstraße 2, 66606 St. Wendel, Germany. A contract for data processing has been entered into with the hosting provider in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR.

4. Secure Data Transmission
This website uses SSL/TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential information. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address bar of your browser begins with “https://” and a padlock icon is displayed.
Thanks to this encryption, the data you send to us cannot be read by unauthorized third parties.

5. Contact Form
When you contact us via the contact form, the data you provide (name and email address) as well as your message will be processed in order to handle your inquiry and get in touch with you.
The information entered via the contact form is forwarded by email to the relevant staff members at Schwarzwälder Gründergeist and used exclusively to process your inquiry. If the relevant staff members are not employed at the University of Freiburg but at one of the other two partner universities, Furtwangen or Offenburg, your emails will be forwarded there. 
The legal basis for processing is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, provided that your inquiry is aimed at initiating or fulfilling a contractual relationship. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in handling inquiries pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.
The data will be stored only for as long as necessary to process your request or as required by statutory retention obligations.

6. Newsletter
On our website, you have the option to subscribe to our newsletter.
To send the newsletter, we use the rapidmail service provided by Positive Group Deutschland GmbH, Ingeborg-Krummer-Schroth-Straße 18a, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau. We have a contract with this service provider for data processing on our behalf in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR.
When you subscribe to the newsletter, the data you enter (in particular your email address) is transmitted to rapidmail and stored there. rapidmail processes the data exclusively on our behalf.
For the purpose of statistical analysis, emails sent via rapidmail contain a so-called tracking pixel, which connects to rapidmail’s servers when the email is opened. This allows us to determine whether a newsletter message has been opened. Furthermore, with the help of rapidmail, we can determine whether and which links in the newsletter message are clicked. All links in the email are so-called tracking links, which allow us to count your clicks. If you do not wish to be tracked by rapidmail, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a link for this purpose in every newsletter.
This processing is based on your consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time with future effect, for example, by using the unsubscribe link in each newsletter.

7. Social Media Presence
Schwarzwälder Gründergeist maintains profiles on Instagram and LinkedIn to provide information about its activities, events, and offerings, as well as to connect with interested parties.
When you visit our profiles on these platforms, the respective providers process users’ personal data. We generally have no influence over the nature or scope of this data processing. Information regarding the processing of personal data can be found in the privacy policies of the respective providers.
If you contact us via social media platforms—for example, through messages, comments, or reactions to posts—we process the information you provide to handle your inquiry and communicate with you.
As part of our social media activities, we may pick up on, share, or quote publicly accessible user content—such as posts, comments, mentions, or links—in our own posts, provided this is done in accordance with the settings of the respective platform and applicable legal provisions.
This processing is based on our legitimate interest in providing up-to-date information and communicating with interested parties in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

Please note that the platform operators may process personal data outside the European Union. This may entail risks, particularly with regard to the enforcement of your rights as a data subject.

• Instagram / Meta Privacy Policy
• LinkedIn / LinkedIn Privacy Policy

You can find our Social Media Privacy and Terms of Use Policy here.

8. Cookies
Our website uses only technically necessary cookies.
These cookies are required to provide the website’s basic functions and ensure its secure operation.
The legal basis for the storage and processing of technically necessary cookies is Section 25(2)(2) of the TDDDG and Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

9. Links to External Websites 
Our website contains links to external third-party websites. When you click on such a link, you will leave our website. The operators of the linked sites are solely responsible for the processing of personal data on those sites. Please refer to the respective privacy policies of those providers.

10. Your Rights
You have the following rights under applicable law:

• Right of access pursuant to Art. 15 of the GDPR
• Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 of the GDPR
• Right to erasure pursuant to Article 17 of the GDPR
• Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Article 18 of the GDPR
• Right to data portability pursuant to Article 20 of the GDPR
• Right to object pursuant to Article 21 of the GDPR
• Right to withdraw consent with future effect pursuant to Article 7(3) of the GDPR

 

11. Right to File a Complaint
You have the right to file a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority regarding the processing of your personal data.

The competent supervisory authority for Baden-Württemberg is:
The State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Baden-Württemberg
Heilbronner Straße 35
70191 Stuttgart

12. Validity of This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy to ensure that it always complies with current legal requirements or to reflect changes to our services on the website.