diff --git a/processing/post/h5_addStrainTensors.py b/processing/post/h5_addStrainTensors.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eca63e317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/processing/post/h5_addStrainTensors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2.7
+# -*- coding: UTF-8 no BOM -*-
+
+import os
+import sys
+import damask
+import numpy as np
+from optparse import OptionParser
+
+scriptName = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(__file__))[0]
+scriptID = ' '.join([scriptName, damask.version])
+
+
+# ----- Helper functions ----- #
+def operator(stretch, strain, eigenvalues):
+    # Albrecht Bertram: Elasticity and Plasticity of Large Deformations
+    # An Introduction (3rd Edition, 2012), p. 102
+    return {'V#ln': np.log(eigenvalues),
+            'U#ln': np.log(eigenvalues),
+            'V#Biot': (np.ones(3, 'd') - 1.0/eigenvalues),
+            'U#Biot': (eigenvalues - np.ones(3, 'd')),
+            'V#Green': (np.ones(3, 'd') - 1.0/eigenvalues/eigenvalues)*0.5,
+            'U#Green': (eigenvalues*eigenvalues - np.ones(3, 'd'))*0.5,
+            }[stretch+'#'+strain]
+
+
+def calcEPS(defgrads, stretchType, strainType):
+    """calculate specific type of strain tensor"""
+    eps = np.zeros(defgrads.shape)  # initialize container
+
+    # TODO:
+    # this loop can use some performance boost
+    # (multi-threading?)
+    for ri in xrange(defgrads.shape[0]):
+        f = defgrads[ri, :, :].reshape(3, 3)
+        U, S, Vh = np.lingalg.svd(f)
+        R = np.dot(U, Vh)  # rotation of polar decomposition
+        if stretchType == 'U':
+            stretch = np.dot(np.linalg.inv(R), f)  # F = RU
+        elif stretchType == 'V':
+            stretch = np.dot(f, np.linalg.inv(R))  # F = VR
+
+        # kill nasty noisy data
+        stretch = np.where(abs(stretch) < 1e-12, 0, stretch)
+
+        (D, V) = np.linalg.eig(stretch)
+        # flip principal component with negative Eigen values
+        neg = np.where(D < 0.0)
+        D[neg] *= -1.
+        V[:, neg] *= -1.
+
+        # check each vector for orthogonality
+        # --> brutal force enforcing orthogonal base
+        #     and re-normalize
+        for i, eigval in enumerate(D):
+            if np.dot(V[:, i], V[:, (i+1) % 3]) != 0.0:
+                V[:, (i+1) % 3] = np.cross(V[:, (i+2) % 3], V[:, i])
+                V[:, (i+1) % 3] /= np.sqrt(np.dot(V[:, (i+1) % 3],
+                                                  V[:, (i+1) % 3].conj()))
+
+        # calculate requested version of strain tensor
+        d = operator(stretchType, strainType, D)
+        eps[ri] = (np.dot(V, np.dot(np.diag(d), V.T)).real).reshape(9)
+
+    return eps
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------
+#                                MAIN
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------
+desp = "Add column(s) containing given strains based on given stretches"
+parser = OptionParser(option_class=damask.extendableOption,
+                      usage='%prog options [file[s]]',
+                      description=desp,
+                      version=scriptID)
+msg = 'material strains based on right Cauchy-Green deformation, i.e., C and U'
+parser.add_option('-u', '--right',
+                  dest='right',
+                  action='store_true',
+                  help=msg)
+msg = 'spatial strains based on left Cauchy--Green deformation, i.e., B and V'
+parser.add_option('-v', '--left',
+                  dest='left',
+                  action='store_true',
+                  help=msg)
+parser.add_option('-0', '--logarithmic',
+                  dest='logarithmic',
+                  action='store_true',
+                  help='calculate logarithmic strain tensor')
+parser.add_option('-1', '--biot',
+                  dest='biot',
+                  action='store_true',
+                  help='calculate biot strain tensor')
+parser.add_option('-2', '--green',
+                  dest='green',
+                  action='store_true',
+                  help='calculate green strain tensor')
+msg = 'heading(s) of columns containing deformation tensor values'
+parser.add_option('-f', '--defgrad',
+                  dest='defgrad',
+                  action='extend',
+                  metavar='<string LIST>',
+                  help=msg)
+
+parser.set_defaults(right=False, left=False,
+                    logarithmic=False, biot=False, green=False,
+                    defgrad=['f'])
+
+(options, filenames) = parser.parse_args()
+
+stretches = []
+strains = []
+
+if options.right:
+    stretches.append('U')
+if options.left:
+    stretches.append('V')
+
+if options.logarithmic:
+    strains.append('ln')
+if options.biot:
+    strains.append('Biot')
+if options.green:
+    strains.append('Green')
+
+if options.defgrad is None:
+    parser.error('no data column specified.')
+
+# ----- Loop over input files ----- #
+for name in filenames:
+    try:
+        h5f = damask.H5Table(name, new_file=False)
+    except:
+        continue
+    damask.util.report(scriptName, name)
+
+    # extract defgrads from HDF5 storage
+    F = h5f.get_data(options.defgrads)
+
+    # allow calculate multiple types of strain within the
+    # same cmd call
+    for stretchType in stretches:
+        for strainType in strains:
+            # calculate strain tensor for this type
+            eps = calcEPS(F, stretchType, strainType)
+
+            # compose labels/headers for this strain tensor
+            labelsStrain = strainType + stretchType
+
+            # prepare log info
+            cmd_log = scriptID + '\t' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:])
+
+            # write data to HDF5 file
+            h5f.add_data(labelsStrain, eps, cmd_log=cmd_log)