Hauptwache, Baroque guard building in central Frankfurt, Germany.

Hauptwache is a Baroque guard building in central Frankfurt, defined by a symmetrical facade with ornate details, tall windows, and stone walls from around 1730. It houses a cafe and connects underground to multiple U-Bahn and S-Bahn transit lines.

The building was constructed around 1730 and served as headquarters for Frankfurt's city guard until 1866. Its role changed when Prussia annexed the previously independent city and reorganized the administrative structures.

The square beside the building was called Paradeplatz until 1864, reflecting its military role; the name An der Hauptwache replaced the earlier Schillerplatz in the early 1900s. The neighbouring Normaluhr clock became the city centre's best-known meeting point for appointments.

The building is centrally located and easily accessible through direct connections to rail and U-Bahn stations below. Visitors should note that cafe access is straightforward, though underground areas can be crowded during rush hours.

The Hauptwache was dismantled in 1967 to dig the U-Bahn tunnel beneath it, then rebuilt in its original form and reopened in 1968. The first reconstruction after the war had been a simplified version finished in 1954, with an altered roof. The present building therefore reproduces the 1729–30 design of city architect Johann Jakob Samhaimer rather than wartime fabric.