1) Introduction and Contact Details of the Controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. Below, we inform you about the handling of your personal data when using our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller responsible for data processing on this website within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is Frank Lorenz, Rhetoric Excellence – Dr. Frank Lorenz, Fehmarner Str. 17, 04159 Leipzig, Germany, Tel.: 03412469994, Email: lorenz@rhetoric-excellence.de. The controller responsible for the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

2) Data Collection When Visiting Our Website

2.1 When using our website purely for informational purposes, i.e., if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect data that your browser transmits to the server (so-called “server log files”). When you visit our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

Our visited website

Date and time at the time of access

Amount of data sent in bytes

Source/reference from which you accessed the page

Browser used

Operating system used

IP address used (if applicable: in anonymised form)

Processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR based on our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be transferred or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently should specific indications of illegal use arise.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g., orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognise an encrypted connection by the string “https://” and the lock symbol in your browser line.

3) Cookies

To make the visit to our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use cookies, which are small text files that are stored on your device. Some of these cookies are automatically deleted after the browser is closed (so-called “session cookies”), while others remain on your device longer and allow the saving of page settings (so-called “persistent cookies”). You can see the storage duration in the overview of the cookie settings of your web browser.

If personal data is processed by individual cookies we use, processing is carried out either for the execution of the contract in accordance with Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, in case of given consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, or based on our legitimate interest in the best possible functionality of the website as well as a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

You can set your browser to inform you about the setting of cookies and decide individually whether to accept them or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general.

Please note that if cookies are not accepted, the functionality of our website may be restricted.

4) Contacting Us

In the context of contacting us (e.g., via contact form or email), personal data is collected. Which data is collected in the case of using a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. These data are stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for contacting you and the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for processing these data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. If your contact aims at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Your data will be deleted after the final processing of your inquiry. This is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively clarified and provided that there are no statutory retention obligations.

5) Tools and Miscellaneous

Cookie-Consent Tool

This website uses a so-called “cookie consent tool” to obtain effective user consents for consent-requiring cookies and cookie-based applications. The “cookie consent tool” is displayed to users in the form of an interactive user interface when the page is called up, on which consents for certain cookies and/or cookie-based applications can be given by ticking the appropriate boxes. Only if the respective user gives their consent by ticking the boxes are such cookies set on the respective end device.

The tool sets technically necessary cookies to save your cookie preferences. Personal user data is generally not processed in this context.

In individual cases, if personal data (such as the IP address) is processed for the purpose of storing, assigning, or logging cookie settings, this is done in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR based on our legitimate interest in a legally compliant, user-specific, and user-friendly consent management for cookies and, thus, a legally compliant design of our website.

Another legal basis for processing is Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. As the controller, we are legally obliged to make the use of technically unnecessary cookies dependent on the respective user’s consent.

Where necessary, we have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider to ensure the protection of our site visitors’ data and to prevent unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

Further information about the operator and the settings of the cookie consent tool can be found directly in the corresponding user interface on our website.

6) Rights of the Data Subject

6.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following data subject rights regarding the processing of your personal data:

Right to information according to Art. 15 GDPR;

Right to rectification according to Art. 16 GDPR;

Right to erasure according to Art. 17 GDPR;

Right to restriction of processing according to Art. 18 GDPR;

Right to notification according to Art. 19 GDPR;

Right to data portability according to Art. 20 GDPR;

Right to withdraw consent according to Art. 7(3) GDPR;

Right to lodge a complaint according to Art. 77 GDPR.

6.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA BASED ON OUR OVERRIDING LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN THE CONTEXT OF A BALANCING OF INTERESTS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING AT ANY TIME WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE FOR REASONS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED. FURTHER PROCESSING IS RESERVED IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING THAT OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING IS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE, OR DEFENCE OF LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR SUCH MARKETING PURPOSES. YOU CAN EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

7) Duration of the Storage of Personal Data

The duration of the storage of personal data is determined based on the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing, and – if relevant – additionally based on the respective statutory retention period (e.g., commercial and tax retention periods).

When processing personal data based on explicit consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, these data are stored until you revoke your consent.

If there are statutory retention periods for data that are processed within the scope of legal or similar obligations based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, these data are routinely deleted after the retention periods expire, provided they are no longer required for contract fulfilment or contract initiation and/or there is no legitimate interest on our part for further storage.

When processing personal data based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, these data are stored until you exercise your right to object according to Art. 21(1) GDPR, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

When processing personal data for the purpose of direct marketing based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, these data are stored until you exercise your right to object according to Art. 21(2) GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the specific information of this declaration regarding specific processing situations, stored personal data will otherwise be deleted when they are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.