Transcript Albert Speer

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Albert Speer was born in Manheim on
March 19,1905.
From a prominent wealthy upper middle
class family
Grandfather Berthold Speer was a
prosperous architect in Dortmund
designed buildings in the neo-classical
style. Grandfather Hermann Hommel
Owned largest machine tool firms in
Germany.
Father also a architect in the same town.
Absorbed the profession of architecture
naturally growing up.
Father established own architectural firm
in Mannheim, buildings were influenced
by neo-renaissance, then by quiet
classism from his model Ludwig
Hoffmann.
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In 1915 he was inspired by
the retreats and the advances of
the soldiers during world war 1.
Influenced by the Zeppelin
airfield and the uprising of the
technical revolution during the
Weimar republic.
Inflation growing and the
calamities of the market were
devastating, high unemployment,
uncertainty in the future.
Interested in the new tanks and
artillery being produced.
•In 1924 financial calamities hit Germany where
there was devastation in the markets, this forced his
grandfather to sell his firm for a fraction of the price
that it was worth.
•In 1924 he attended the institute of technology in
nearby Karlsruhe.
•Later shifted to the Institute of technology in
Munich were he remained until 1925 until hilters
political uprising and later released from prison.
•He took little interest in politics until he was
recognized at his institute. His goals were to
become a architect and to marry and have children.
•Late 1925 he now switched to the institute of
technology of Berlin- Charlottenburg. His new
professor was Heinrich Tessonow.
TO BE COMPLETED
IN 1950,DREW IN 1938
Luftfahrtminbau, 1935
construction
College and Politics
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In 1927 after 9 semesters, Speer
passed the architects license
examination, becoming an official
court architect in 1928.
The institute became center of
national socialists endeavors, who
soon gathered around his professor
Tessonow
He would later choose between a
communist Germany or a national
socialist Germany.
One of his first assignments for the
national socialists was to rebuild
the new district headquarters.
His original plan was to become a
self employed architect and marry
within 3-4 years.
Became professor Tessonow
assistant and involved Speer in
political discussions.
Speer presenting an
architectural drawing to
Hitler at the
Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
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Hitler would be delivering a
speech at the Berlin
University and the institute
of technology. His fellow
students urged him to attend.
He attended were it was held
at a beer hall at hazenheide.
He was magnetized by
Hitler's speech who spoke
with urgency with hypnotic
persuasiveness and
enthusiasm.
with hopeless unemployment
Germany would move
forward in economic recovery
with Hitler in power.
Wooden Eagle,
over 100 ft
wingspread
March1,1931
he applied to
join the national socialist
party.
1933 Nurnberg Nazi rally top
officials asked Speer to
develop designs for the rally.
It would be his first time to
meet with Hitler. In doing
Hitler quickly approved of the
designs.
At the next briefing with
Hitler he told Speer that he
was looking for a young
architect and spoke of him
with high remarks and spirits.
Hitler's top architect Troost
died on Jan 1st 1934 making
Speer party chief architect.
He
did not indulge himself with the Nazi ideologies
and did not read the required material, such as Mein
Kampf and Rosenberg, and knew little about the
atrocities that were about to be taken place in future.
He
had initial plans to rebuild Berlin. It would consist
of a 3 mile long grand Boulevard running south to
north. (Street of Magnificence)(Prachtstrasse)
1937
Hitler appointed Speer as General Building
inspector of the Reich capital, giving him the rank of
undersecretary of state in the Reich government,
giving him unimaginable powers and thus only
answering to Hitler himself.
One of Speers most beautiful work was the Zeppelin field
stadium-the Nurnberg parade grounds seen in Leni
Riefenstahl's propaganda master piece (Triumph of the Will)
The site was surrounded by 130 anti-aircraft spotlights. This
effect was known as “cathedral of Light”
This huge work would be able to fit 340,000 people.
Berlin
Olympics
1936
the Berlin Olympic
were to be taken place.
 Speer had designs to
modify the original plans
by adding a stone
exterior running along
side the stadium.
Marble Hall, new
Reich
chancellery,1938
New Reich
Chancellery
A building renovation by Speer that was
completed
Ministers of
Armaments and war
production (2/8/19425/23/1945
Feb8,1942
minister of armaments
Fritz Todt died, Hitler replaced
Speer as his successor to all
posts.
Speer went then and visited a
Berlin armament factory, he was
displeased. He then appointed
experts, rather than civil servants
to oversee the departments.
He took great responsibility for the
German war effort, despite allied
bombing Speer maintained and
increased productions. Tanks
more than doubled, production of
planes increased 80% and was
able to produce supplies to 270
army divisions including the
Goebbels, Speer, Saur
Himmler, Hitler, Speer
January
1944, Speer fell ill
with complications from a
inflamed knee. He would be
out of office for 3 months.
While he was out his political
rivals Martin Bormann and
Hermann Goering tried to
have his powers transferred
into there's
His physician was Karl
gebhardt, SS chief Heinrich
Himmler personal doctor.
Under his care he would not
get better but to feel even
more ill. There were
speculations that Gebhardt
was to try an poison Speer as
a inside job, to deplete him of
his title and influence that he
has upon Hitler.
 His wife and family soon
transferred him to Hitler’s
personal doctor Brandt, who
under him he became better.
Sent Hitler a letter of
resignation if his title were to
be jeopardized, Hitler replied
that his efforts in the war
Fall of the
Reich, last
days
During
the fall of the third Reich
Speer was suspected in a conspiracy
plot to assassinate Hitler.
By February 1945 Speer long
concluded that the war was lost. It was
harder to supply the troops with ammo
and weapons due to heavy allied
bombing in key industry ports such as
Hamburg which took severe losses in
the ball bearing industry.
Speer would later try to assassinate
Hitler buy dropping a chemical agent
into a air intake vent in the
underground bunker in Berlin. The plot
quickly failed as suddenly someone
constructed walls along the vents.
Speer would make one last far well to
his superior and his friend in the Berlin
bunker until he would escape to
Hamburg were he would be later in the
short ruled- Doenitz government.
Nuremburg trials,
life after
Spandau
After
the war he was
sentenced to 20 years in
Spandau prison in western
Berlin at the Nuremburg
Trials.
He was charged with 4
counts of crime, but
acquitted for only 2. he was
mainly sentenced for his use
of foreign forced labor.
During his stay he wrote
many biographies and
memoirs. Several being
published including his best(Inside the Third Reich) and
(Infiltration) which was a
biography of Himmler's SS.
He later died of naturally
causes visiting London in
1981 and was at the age of
76.
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