In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for determination of the position of the apparatus scanner, three localizer exposures situated orthogonally to one another are obtained during or after the insertion of the patient into the scanner. Using these three localizer exposures, an image analyzer automatically determines anatomical markers shown in the localizer exposures, which anatomical markers are dependent on the patient position in the scanner terms of their position in the localizer exposure. The spatial position of the patient is automatically determined by the image analyzer using the markers.