Hauptpost Essen, Post office building in Essen, Germany.

Hauptpost Essen is a post office building from the early twentieth century in the Ruhr metropolis. Its facade is made of shell limestone, a light-colored natural stone, and displays the sober, functional design language of that era.

The first post office on this site was built in 1900–1903 in neo-Gothic style with a corner tower, on land formerly owned by the Waldthausen family. In March 1920 the Red Ruhr Army stormed it during the Ruhr uprising. Because the building had become too small, it was demolished in 1932; the present complex was built in stages from 1924 to 1933, and the Lindemann wing opened in January 1933.

The building displays the design approach of New Objectivity, a style that put practicality and clear forms at the center of architectural thinking. Visitors can recognize these principles in the straightforward facade and restrained decoration.

The complex lies on Hachestraße at the corner of Willy-Brandt-Platz, opposite the main station and Hotel Handelshof; the square has been a pedestrian zone since 1994. The passage An der Reichsbank, leading into the old banking quarter, is spanned by a flattened pointed arch. Parts of the buildings are now rented to non-postal businesses, and the city plans new uses for the 7,600-square-metre site.

The building was recognized as a cultural monument of the region and preserves its 1930s appearance. Its shell limestone facade shows the marks of that era without alterations to this day.