Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026. This English version is provided for information; in case of doubt, the German version prevails.

1. Controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is:

Deutsch-Simbabwische Gesellschaft e.V.
represented by its President, Dr Reinhold Hemker
Tannenweg 14
48432 Rheine
Germany
Telephone: +49 5975 8989
Email: kontakt@dsg-ev.de

Our association is not legally required to appoint a data protection officer. If you have any questions about data protection, please contact us at the address above.

2. General information

We only process personal data to the extent necessary to operate this website, present our content or handle your enquiries, donations and memberships. Terms such as “personal data” and “processing” are defined in Article 4 GDPR.

3. Hosting

This website is hosted by IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany. The servers are located in the European Union. IONOS processes data exclusively on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions (processing on behalf of the controller under Article 28 GDPR). The legal basis is our legitimate interest in providing our website securely and reliably (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

4. Server log files

When you visit this website, the web server automatically records information transmitted by your browser: IP address, date and time of access, page or file requested, amount of data transferred, referrer URL (the previously visited page), browser and operating system used. This data is technically necessary to display the website and to ensure its stability and security (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Log files are automatically deleted or anonymised after a short period unless they are needed to investigate a security incident.

5. SSL/TLS encryption

For security reasons, this website uses SSL/TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by “https://” in the address bar and the padlock symbol in your browser.

6. Website statistics with Independent Analytics

We use the WordPress plugin “Independent Analytics” to evaluate the use of our website statistically (e.g. number of page views, pages visited, referring websites, device type). The analysis takes place exclusively on our own server; no data is passed on to third parties and no cookies are set. IP addresses are not stored in plain text but only processed in pseudonymised form, so that no conclusions can be drawn about you as a person. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in improving our website (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

7. Cookies

We do not use cookies for advertising or analytics. A technically necessary cookie (“pll_language”) may be set to remember the language you have chosen (German/English). The legal basis is Section 25(2) no. 2 of the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG) in conjunction with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. You can delete or block cookies in your browser settings at any time.

8. Fonts

The fonts used on this website are loaded locally from our own server. No connection is made to servers operated by Google or other providers.

9. Videos

Videos on this website are played directly from our own server. No video platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo are embedded.

10. Contacting us by email or telephone

If you contact us by email or telephone, we process the information you provide (e.g. name, email address, telephone number and the content of your message) in order to deal with your enquiry. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry relates to a membership or contract, and otherwise our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). The data will be deleted once your enquiry has been dealt with, provided there are no statutory retention obligations.

11. Membership and donations

If you become a member or transfer a donation to us, we process the data required for this purpose (e.g. name, address, email address, bank details, amount of fee or donation) in order to manage your membership, collect fees, issue donation receipts and inform you about the association’s activities. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (membership) and Article 6(1)(c) GDPR (statutory retention obligations under German tax law). The data will be deleted after your membership ends or after the statutory retention periods have expired (generally 10 years under Section 147 of the German Fiscal Code).

12. Links to other websites and social networks

Our website contains links to external websites, for example to partner organisations and to our Instagram profile. These are simple links; visiting our website does not transmit any data to these providers. Only when you follow a link do the privacy policies of the respective provider apply.

13. Your rights

You have the right at any time to

access the data stored about you (Article 15 GDPR),
rectification of inaccurate data (Article 16 GDPR),
erasure (Article 17 GDPR),
restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR),
data portability (Article 20 GDPR),
object to processing based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (Article 21 GDPR),
withdraw consent with effect for the future (Article 7(3) GDPR).

To exercise these rights, simply contact kontakt@dsg-ev.de.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Article 77 GDPR). The authority responsible for us is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of North Rhine-Westphalia (LDI NRW), Kavalleriestraße 2–4, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany, www.ldi.nrw.de.

14. Changes to this privacy policy

We will update this privacy policy if our website or the legal requirements change. The version published here applies.