Albert Speer
Albert Speer was a German architect and prominent Nazi.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Albert Speer was an active architect during the 1930s. (AUDIO: A Thousand Tiny Wings [+]Loading...["A Thousand Tiny Wings (audio story)"]) He was a member of Adolf Hitler's inner circle. In 1945, he visited the Führerbunker and offered help to Eva Braun to leave Berlin, which she declined. Speer left the bunker and was able to leave Berlin prior to Red Army forces capturing its main airport.
He would later stand trial at the Nuremberg Trials. According to Claire Aldwych, Speer was the only defendant to plead guilty. (PROSE: The Shadow in the Glass [+]Loading...["The Shadow in the Glass (novel)"]) Speer would receive a twenty-year prison sentence. (PROSE: Dead Romance [+]Loading...["Dead Romance (novel)"])
Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]
Chris Cwej, after watching a BBC2 documentary on the Nuremberg trials, felt Speer was trying to look regretful in order to avoid a twenty-year sentence. (PROSE: Dead Romance [+]Loading...["Dead Romance (novel)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
In the real world, Albert Speer actually pleaded not guilty to all charges at the Nuremberg trial. Speer did, however, try to give the impression of apologising to the court while stopping short of admitting personal responsibility. He was ultimately found guilty of two of the four charges against him, and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Speer's subsequent attempts to deflect responsibility and portray himself as the "good Nazi" led rise to what is known as "the Speer myth".
He was portrayed by Alex Jennings in the 2000 play Albert Speer.
