Schutzraum is an independent platform that displays shelters in Germany on a map. It helps citizens find potential shelter locations such as bunkers, underground garages, subway stations, and tunnels near them. The site is not an official recommendation but an information resource.
No. Schutzraum is an independent, private project and has no connection to the German federal government or authorities. Official information on civil protection is available from the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) and through the NINA warning app.
Yes, Schutzraum is and will remain completely free. There are no ads and no registration required. The project is funded by donations and run by volunteers.
Schutzraum is available in 12 languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian. You can change the language at any time via the language menu in the top right corner.
Yes, Schutzraum offers a free REST API. You can query shelter data by location, type, city, and other criteria. The API also provides GeoJSON for map applications. All details can be found in the API documentation.
Always follow the instructions of the responsible authorities. Install the NINA warning app from the BBK to receive current alerts. Schutzraum can help you identify potential shelter locations nearby in advance — every minute counts in an emergency. In case of danger, seek the nearest solid shelter (basement, underground garage, subway) and stay there until the all-clear is given.
Stay calm and follow any on-site instructions. Bring your emergency kit (water, medications, documents, charger). Set your phone to silent but keep it on for warning messages. Help others, especially elderly people, children, and persons with disabilities. Do not leave the shelter until the official all-clear is given.
Under the Emergency Kit menu item, you'll find a comprehensive checklist. The most important items: water (2 liters per person/day), non-perishable food, essential medications, ID and documents, flashlight, power bank and charging cable, warm clothing, and a blanket. Prepare an emergency backpack that's ready to grab.
Yes! A native app for iOS and Android is in development. In the meantime, you can use the website directly on your smartphone — it is optimized for mobile devices.
The list view works offline if you have previously visited the page. However, the map view requires an internet connection for map tiles. With the upcoming app, full offline use will also be possible.
Discuss an emergency plan with your family: Establish meeting points in case you can't reach each other. Identify the nearest shelter in your area and practice the route. Pack an emergency kit for each family member. Install the NINA warning app on all smartphones. Discuss who will take care of elderly relatives or pets.
Bunkers and above-ground bunkers are massive protective structures, mostly dating from World War II. Underground bunkers are located below ground. Underground garages offer some protection due to their subterranean construction. Subway stations are deep underground and often quickly accessible. Tunnels (highway, road, and historical tunnels) also provide protection through their solid construction. Basements are the simplest form but already offer basic protection in many buildings.
The capacity indicates approximately how many people the shelter can accommodate. For underground garages, it is calculated from the number of parking spaces (one space can accommodate several people). For bunkers, it is based on historical data. These values are estimates — actual intake capacity may differ.
The displayed condition is an estimate and is not based on an official inspection. As a rule of thumb: if a facility is still actively used (e.g. as a parking garage or subway station), it is likely in good structural condition. Facilities that are no longer in operation (e.g. decommissioned bunkers) are rated as medium to poor condition. For many historic shelters, no current information is available — the condition is then shown as "Unknown". If in doubt, we recommend checking the shelter in person.
The protection level is an estimate based on the type of shelter — it has not been measured on-site or officially certified. Generally: only active, massively built bunkers and high-rise bunkers with reinforced concrete walls, ventilation systems, and blast doors receive a "High" protection level. Parking garages, subway stations, tunnels, and basements offer some protection from debris and blast waves due to their underground location, but are rated as "Medium" to "Low" since they were not designed as shelters. The actual level of protection depends on many factors (wall thickness, depth, condition) and may vary in individual cases.
Tunnels are displayed as a simplified straight line between their entry and exit points. The actual route may differ, as tunnels often follow curves. The representation serves as an orientation for where the tunnel is approximately located and where the entrances are.
The data comes from public sources, OpenStreetMap, media reports, and community contributions. It is compiled to the best of our knowledge but may be incomplete or outdated. In particular, the structural condition and accessibility of shelters can change at any time. When in doubt, you should verify the shelter on-site yourself.
The verification checkmark means that additional research has been conducted for this shelter to improve the accuracy of the data. This may include an on-site inspection, but also research via satellite imagery, map services, online sources, media reports, interviews with local residents, or official documents. Time was specifically invested to gather information from various sources to get the most accurate picture possible. Verified shelters therefore generally have more reliable data than unverified ones. However, verification is not an official certification and does not guarantee that all information is current and correct.
No. Your location data is processed exclusively on your device to show shelters nearby. No personal data is transmitted to or stored on servers. For more information, see our privacy policy.
The data is continuously updated as new information becomes available. Users can report incorrect data at any time via the contact page. Verified shelters are checked regularly. Since the structural condition of shelters can change at any time, we recommend verifying the situation on-site yourself.
Some shelters are marked as accessible if they have an elevator or ground-level access. Unfortunately, accessibility is often limited in many historical bunkers and tunnels. On each shelter's detail page, you can find information about wheelchair accessibility and whether an elevator is available.
Currently, Schutzraum focuses exclusively on Germany. Expansion to other countries is conceivable in principle but not currently planned. Some other countries have their own civil protection databases maintained by their respective authorities.
