Ordered by effect per euro, not by what we would rather sell.
Door security in Munich
Most doors fail in one of a small number of predictable ways, and most of those are cheap to address. The expensive upgrades are rarely the ones that matter first.
The list below is ordered by how much difference each measure makes for what it costs. The last entry is one we advise against, which is why it is on the list at all.
What to do, in order
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Wie Einbruchschutz — dasselbe Motiv, englischer Alt-Text
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A protective escutcheon
The single most effective thing you can do to a flat door, and among the cheapest. A security escutcheon covers the cylinder so it cannot be gripped with a tool and snapped — which is one of the most common forced entries there is. A high-grade cylinder behind an ordinary escutcheon is largely wasted money; an ordinary cylinder behind a good escutcheon is not.
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A cylinder with anti-drill and anti-pull protection
Hardened pins resist drilling; internal features resist the cylinder being pulled out. Worth doing on any flat entrance door, and best done together with the escutcheon rather than instead of it.
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A cylinder measured to sit flush
Costs nothing extra and is routinely got wrong. A cylinder protruding more than about three millimetres past the fitting gives a tool something to grip. If yours stands proud, that is worth fixing before buying anything else.
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Hinge-side security pins
Steel pins on the hinge side that engage the frame when the door closes, so the door cannot be levered off even if the hinges are attacked. Inexpensive, unobtrusive, and relevant on outward-opening doors where the hinges are reachable.
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A crossbar lock (Panzerriegel)
A bar spanning the full width of the door and anchoring into the wall on both sides. Genuinely strong, and the right answer for a vulnerable ground-floor or basement door. It is also visible and not cheap, so it makes sense where the risk justifies it rather than everywhere.
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Window and balcony door fittings
Worth mentioning because the front door is often not the weak point. Ground-floor windows and balcony doors on accessible floors are levered far more often than doors are forced. Lockable handles and additional catches address that, and we would rather point at it than let you spend the budget on a door that was already the strongest part.
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Alarm systems
Not our field, and we will not sell you one. An alarm tells you after the fact; mechanical security stops the attempt. The police advice is the same order of priority, and we would rather you spent your money on the things above first.
Three things specific to Germany
Resistance classes are about the whole door
EN 1627 rates a tested assembly — door leaf, frame, lock, fittings — not a single component. RC 2 is the level normally recommended for homes. A shop selling you an "RC 2 cylinder" is describing a part, not a door, and upgrading one component of an otherwise ordinary door does not make it an RC 2 door. That is not a reason to do nothing; it is a reason not to overpay for one part.
State grants have been available
The KfW, Germany's state development bank, has run grant programmes for burglary protection in private homes. Whether a programme is currently open, what it covers and how much it pays change from year to year — so check the current position at kfw.de before you commit. One rule has been consistent: apply before the work is done, not after.
The police advise for free
German police forces operate crime prevention advice centres (Kriminalpolizeiliche Beratungsstellen) that will assess your situation and recommend measures without selling you anything. There is one covering Munich. We point this out deliberately: if you want to check whether what we propose is proportionate, they are the people with no interest in the answer.
Questions we are asked most
What are the RC classes?
RC stands for Resistance Class — a European standard (EN 1627) rating how long a component withstands a defined set of tools and techniques. RC 2 is the level normally recommended for homes and is what German insurers and police advice generally refer to. The important caveat is that the class applies to a tested assembly of door, frame, lock and fittings together. A door advertised as "RC 2 cylinder" is not an RC 2 door, and the distinction is where a lot of money gets wasted.
Is there financial support for this in Germany?
There has been, and it is worth checking before you start. The KfW — the state development bank — has run grant programmes for burglary protection covering measures such as security fittings, upgraded locks and crossbar locks. The conditions, the budget and whether the programme is currently open change from year to year, so check the current position on kfw.de before committing, and be aware that applications generally have to be made before the work is carried out rather than after.
Where can I get independent advice?
From the police, free of charge. German police forces run Kriminalpolizeiliche Beratungsstellen — crime prevention advice centres — which assess your situation and recommend measures without selling anything. There is one covering Munich. If you want a second opinion on anything we propose, that is the place to get it, and we mention it precisely because they have nothing to sell you.
I rent. Can I fit any of this?
Some of it, and the rule of thumb is whether it leaves marks. A cylinder swap and a screwed-on escutcheon are usually unproblematic, though you should keep the originals to reinstate when you leave. A crossbar lock anchors into the wall and is a structural alteration — that needs the landlord's agreement in writing. Many landlords say yes, because it improves their property, but ask before drilling.
Is it worth doing anything at all in an apartment building?
Yes, and more than people assume. The building entrance is usually the weakest point and is not yours to change — but your own flat door is, and it is what actually separates your belongings from a stairwell that anybody can reach by following a resident in. An escutcheon and a decent cylinder on a flat door are among the most cost-effective security spending there is.
Want someone to look at your door first?
Send a photograph of the door and the lock on WhatsApp. In most cases that is enough for us to say what is worth doing — before anybody quotes anything.