Cookie information
What exactly are cookies?
A cookie is a text file that is used to store information for a limited period of time. Most websites use such cookies. These are automatically downloaded and stored by your browser when you first visit a website. Such a cookie contains at least two components, the name and the value of the file. In most cases, there is also a self-deletion date, which can specify any lifetime for the cookie. A distinction is therefore made between session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are automatically deleted as soon as you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain stored on your computer, depending on the lifetime specified for the cookie. They are only deleted after a certain period of time has elapsed. These cookies remember your preferred settings when you visit the website again.
Are cookies harmful?
There is no universal answer to this question. It depends on what data a website’s cookies store or do not store. And what this information is ultimately used for. Cookies can be thought of as tools, such as a hammer or a saw. They are basically intended to be useful, but can also be used for negative purposes. It is therefore important to differentiate and make an appropriate decision as to which cookies are necessary and important for you personally and which do not need to be stored. You should adjust the cookie settings on your device accordingly.
Why are cookies needed at all?
Cookies are intended to facilitate the user’s visit to the website and make it more user-friendly. For example, when shopping online, they enable the website to “remember” which products you have placed in your shopping basket when you return to the site, or to automatically display your preferred layout and font size. However, not all cookies are useful and exclusively for the benefit of the user. For example, tracking cookies are used to track your behaviour on websites and place advertisements accordingly or to make websites more user-friendly. You should therefore consider which cookies to allow and which to reject. To make this decision, it is helpful to know what types of cookies there are.
What types of cookies are there?
Functional cookies are those that are strictly necessary to ensure essential functions of the website. Without these, the website cannot be used as intended. Among other things, they ensure functionality when changing from http to https and thus compliance with increased security requirements. These cookies collect anonymised information (meaning that no connection to your person can be established) and cannot track your movements on other websites. They are only stored for the duration of the session and are therefore session cookies. Your consent to the use of these cookies is not required.
First-party cookies are defined by law as cookies that are not strictly necessary for the use of a website. However, they perform important tasks that make browsing more convenient. For example, these cookies are used to store settings you have made, such as your language selection. The information they contain is only used by the website you have visited.
Performance cookies are those that collect information about how visitors use a website. This means which pages a user visits most frequently and whether error messages are displayed. These cookies do not store any further information. They are used exclusively to improve user-friendliness and to tailor websites more specifically to the user. This data is also stored exclusively in anonymised form.
If third-party content is integrated into a website, this third-party provider may set cookies while you are not directly on its website. These cookies are called third-party cookies. These enable the third party to store information about you as a user and identify you when you visit its own website, in order to present a website tailored to you. This is possible, for example, when embedding YouTube videos in a website.
§ Cookies set for marketing purposes are referred to as marketing cookies. These are used to present users with tailored and relevant advertising. They are also used to determine the frequency with which an advertisement appears and to measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign.
Where can I set my cookie preferences?
Most websites have a notice about the use of cookies. You can adjust your browser settings to allow cookies in accordance with your preferences. Most browsers allow you to accept or delete all cookies or to allow only certain types of cookies. You can prevent cookies from being stored on your device by selecting “do not accept cookies” in your browser settings. However, if you refuse to accept any cookies, this may lead to functional restrictions on websites. You can delete cookies already stored on your device at any time. For details on how this works, please refer to the instructions for your browser or device.
You can find an overview of all cookies used on this website in the consent settings under the “Services” tab: