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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

A building renovation by Speer that was completed

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 Luftwaffe and the Wermacht

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'sHis 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 productions were irreplaceable.

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.

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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