The design and detailing of masonry buildings was usually undertaken in the past using the simplified procedure in Section 6 of DIN 1053‐1 (1996‐11). With the changeover to the new European code, a new procedure has been made available with the simplified calculation method of DIN EN 1996‐3, which promises similarly simple and safe handling for the user. The practical implementation of this new code has been underway for some time. The article investigates the standard design cases and explains the innovations and alterations compared to DIN 1053‐1.