Data Protection Statement

1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War at www.1914-1918-online.net  

1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War is maintained by the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Freie Universität Berlin (for more information about our university, click here).

Upholding the tenets of data protection and data security on our website is very important to us. We would like to take this opportunity to outline which of your personal data we collect when you visit our website, and for which purposes they are used.

As future legislative changes or changes to our internal processes may necessitate adjustments to this data protection policy, we recommend that you revisit this page at regular intervals.

We collect information from you when you access encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net. For purposes of identification and tracking unauthorized access attempts to this domain as well as for purposes of optimization of web-based services in connection with the use of the web pages of the above-named domain, user data are stored and used to create anonymized access statistics.

Section 1 – Data Controller and Scope

The data controller as defined under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter “GDPR”) – as well as other national data protection laws of individual member states and data protection regulations – is:

Freie Universität Berlin
represented by the President
Kaiserswerther Straße 16–18
14195 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (30) 838-1

We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our data protection policy. If you have any questions, please contact the Online Editorial Department:

Tel.: +49 (30) 838 73199
Email: webteam@fu-berlin.de

This data protection policy applies to the encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net website and not to any other subdomains or parent domains, which may have their own privacy policies.

We confine ourselves strictly to what is technically necessary and permitted by law. We collect and use personal data only with your prior consent or where allowed by law. It is important to us that you understand why we collect data and what we use them for. More information can be found below.

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, we will be happy to answer them. Please send an email to: 1914-1918-online@fu-berlin.de

Section 2 – Principles Governing the Processing of Personal Data

Personal data are any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes information such as your name, age, mailing or IP address, telephone number, date of birth, email address, and user behaviour. Information that does not allow us to identify you (or would only enable us to do so with disproportionate effort) because the information is anonymized, for example, is not considered personal data.

The processing of personal data (for example, when said data are collected, retrieved, used, stored, or transmitted) must always have a legal basis and/or be based on your consent. Processed personal data are erased as soon as the purpose for which they are processed has been achieved, provided that the legally stipulated storage periods no longer apply. Such processed personal data are collected, used, and stored electronically by Freie Universität Berlin.

Insofar as we process your personal data in order to provide you with specific services, we provide information below on the specific processes involved, the scope and the purpose of the data processing, the legal basis for processing, and the respective storage periods.

These personal data are not disclosed to third parties nor used outside of Freie Universität Berlin, unless you have granted us your consent to do so or we are required or authorized by law to do so (for example, in relation to law enforcement or suspected plagiarism and other copyright infringements).

Section 3 – Specific Data Processing Activities Undertaken

  1. Website provision and usage
  2. Type and scope of data processing

Whenever you access a page on our webservice, a log file containing data is automatically created and stored on the server. These data include:

  • the website you visited
  • the web page from which you accessed our web page (plus the terms entered if this was a search engine)
  • date
  • time
  • the operating system used
  • features of the display (resolution in pixels and the pixel ratio for the detection of high-resolution displays) and
  • the browser used (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc.)

The log file also stores the volume of the transmitted data, an HTTP status code (for example, to identify a successfully transmitted web page), and the IP address of the device used to access the page (e.g., PC or smartphone) – whereby the IP address is immediately anonymized by the erasure of the last octet of the address.

The data stored in the log file is collected and used solely for anonymous evaluation for statistical purposes (for example, an analysis of user behavior, which pages of the website or subdomain are accessed, which browsers are used, etc.) and thereby serves to improve our services. As IP addresses are anonymized in the way described above, they cannot be mapped to a specific user and cannot be traced to a specific IP address.

  1. Legal basis

The legal basis for our data processing is Article 6.1.1.e GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 of the Berlin Data Protection Act (BlnDSG) Section 4 of the Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHG), and Article 6.1.1.c GDPR in conjunction with Section 13.7 of the German Teleservices Act (TMG). The processing of said data is required in order to provide and maintain the website and thus serves Freie Universität Berlin in performing a task carried out in the public interest.

  1. Storage period

The log files for the ongoing and previous calendar year are stored for evaluation purposes. In this case, the IP addresses are anonymized. The data are then erased.

  1. Website statistics
  2. scope of the processing of personal data

We use a service provider for web statistics (Plausible.io) on our website to analyze the number of page views. With Plausible, no data is transmitted to servers outside the European Union. Plausible does not store any cookies and offers full compliance with GDPR as part of commissioned data processing.
Further information on the statistics provider used can be found at the following link https://plausible.io/

Your IP address is an anonymous identifier for us; we have no technical means of identifying you as an individual. You remain anonymous as a user. The Editorial Office sees this analysis as part of its Internet service. The aim is to further improve the website and customize it even more to the needs of users. The following data is collected when individual pages of our website are accessed:

  • (1) 2 bytes of the IP address of the user's accessing system
  • (2) The website accessed
  • (3) The website from which the user accessed the website (referrer)
  • (4) The subpages that are accessed from the accessed website
  • (5) The time spent on the website
  • (6) The frequency with which individual web pages are accessed during a visit

The software runs exclusively on the servers of our contractual partner. Users' personal data is only stored there on our behalf and is anonymised. The data is not passed on to third parties.

  1. Legal basis for the processing of personal data

The legal basis for the processing of users' personal data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

  1. Purpose of the data processing

The processing of users' personal data enables us to analyse the use of our website. By analysing the data obtained, we are able to compile information about the use of the individual components of our website. This helps us to constantly improve our website and its user-friendliness. By anonymising the IP address, the interest of users in the protection of their personal data is adequately taken into account.

  1. Duration of storage

The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required for our recording purposes. The generated statistics and underlying data are not deleted.

  1. Data processing and contact requests
  2. Type and scope of data processing

On some pages of our website we offer you the opportunity to get in touch with us via email.  In the event that contact is made via email, the other personal data stated in the message (name, query subject, attachments, date, and time) will be processed along with the sender’s email address.

  1. Legal basis

Data processing for the purposes of making contact as described above is performed on the basis of your voluntarily given consent pursuant to Article 6.1.a GDPR. The legal basis for the processing of personal data in relation to email queries is based on Article 6.1.e GDPR in conjunction with Section 4 BerlHG.

  1. Storage period

The personal data you provide via the contact form will be retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including the resolution of your query and any subsequent follow-up. The data will only be stored beyond this period in exceptional cases, such as when required by applicable law.

Section 4 – Disclosure of Data

We will only disclose your personal data to third parties when:

  • You have given your explicit consent pursuant to Article 6.1.1.a GDPR.
  • This is legally permissible and required for the performance of a contract to which you are party pursuant to Article 6.1.1.b GDPR.
  • Disclosure of personal data is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation pursuant to Article 6.1.1.c GDPR.
  • Disclosure of personal data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Freie Universität Berlin pursuant to Article 6.1.1.e GDPR.

We will notify you if your personal data are to be disclosed due to specific circumstances in an individual case.

Section 5 – Social Media Channels

The Editorial Office of the encyclopedia manages social media channels on the twitter and facebook platforms for public relations purposes. Certain personal data is processed if you visit one of these channels. We only provide links to social media profiles. If you click on such links, you will be redirected to the respective online presence of external providers. We expressly point out that we as providers of the websites of 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War have no knowledge of the scope and content of the data obtained by social network channels nor of their use of such data. For information regarding the scope of the processing of personal data by providers of social networks and ways to protect your privacy, please find the privacy policies of these websites below:

Section 6 – Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks to the websites of third-party providers can be found on our website. Activating these hyperlinks will redirect you from our website to the website of said providers. You will recognize this from the change in URL. We bear no responsibility for the confidential processing of your data on these third-party websites, as we have no influence on whether or not these parties comply with data protection provisions. You can find further information on how your personal data are processed by these companies on their respective websites.

Section 7 – Rights of Data Subjects

As a data subject, you have the following rights concerning the processing of your personal data in line with the GDPR:

  • You have the right to request information as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed by us pursuant to Article 15 GDPR. In particular, you are entitled to information on: the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned, the categories of recipient to whom your personal data have been or will be disclosed, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, the existence of the right to request rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing of personal data or to object to such processing, the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, any available information as to the data’s source if we did not collect it, any transfer of data to a third country or to an international organization, the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, and, where applicable, meaningful information about the logic involved.
  • You shall have the right to obtain from us without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data concerning you pursuant to Article 16 GDPR.
  • You have the right to request from us the erasure of your personal data pursuant to Article 17 GDPR, provided that processing is not required for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
  • Pursuant to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to the restriction of processing where the accuracy of the personal data is contested by you, the processing is unlawful, or we no longer need the personal data but you reject their erasure because they are required by you for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims. You are also entitled to this right to restriction of processing pursuant to Article 18 GDPR if you have submitted an objection to processing pursuant to Article 21 GDPR.
  • Pursuant to Article 20 GDPR you shall have the right to receive the personal data concerning you which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and you have the right to transmit those data to another controller.
  • You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time pursuant to Article 7.3 GDPR. Subsequently we shall no longer have the right to continue the data processing based on your consent, with future effect.
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 77 GDPR. Generally, you should be able to contact the supervisory authority of your regular place of residence, your place of work, or our offices to do so.

Section 8 – Right to Object

Pursuant to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right, at any time, to object to the processing of your personal data based on Article 6.1.1.e or Article 6.1.1.f GDPR for reasons arising from your particular situation. Freie Universität Berlin will cease to process the personal data, unless we are able to demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override the interests, rights, and freedoms of the data subject or where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

Section 9 – Data Security and Security Measures

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data confidentially. To prevent the manipulation, loss, or misuse of your personal data we have stored, we implement comprehensive technical and organizational security precautions that are regularly reviewed and adapted to the latest state of technological progress. This includes using recognized encryption processes such as SSL and TLS. However, due to the structure of the internet, it is possible that data protection regulations and the aforementioned security measures are not observed by other individuals or institutions who do not fall within the sphere of our responsibility. Data disclosed by unencrypted means, for example via email, is especially vulnerable to third-party access. We are unable to influence this by technical means. It is the responsibility of the user to protect the data they have made available against misuse by using encryption or other similar methods.

Section 10 – Chief Data Protection Officer of Freie Universität

The external Data Protection Officer of the Controller is:

  • Dr. Karsten Kinast, LL.M., Attorney at Law
    KINAST Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
    Hohenzollernring 54
    50672 Cologne
    Tel.: +49 (0)221 - 222 183 - 0
    Email: datenschutz@fu-berlin.de

The Deputy Data Protection Officer of Freie Universität is: