Evaluate the Impact Albert Speer had on Germany during the period 1918 – 1945
Uploaded by enterspacecapsu on Apr 20, 2004
Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Munitions and Armaments throughout Germany’s course in World War II, had a profound impact on Germany during the period 1918-1945. This is due to the fact that as an architect, he had been responsible for the redevelopment of Berlin and other major German city centres. Also, because of his status as a senior member and a minister of the Reich parliament, he was chiefly responsible for the prolonging of the war by initiating a rapid increase in the production of armaments. He had also played a contributing effect to Germany’s violation of the Geneva Convention in the sense that he had advocated the deprival of Jewish ownership of housing properties, as well as the widespread use of Jewish and POW forced labour.
As Hitler’s favourite architect, Speer was able to carry out the plans for Hitler’s Reich Capital in Berlin. It was through Hitler’s desire to impress and bring prestige to the power of the Reich upon the rest of the world that Speer’s architecture would achieve a significant impact in Germany.
He was responsible for the design of the Nuremberg stadium, convincing Hitler that constructions out of monumental masonry were more elaborate than that of using iron and steel reinforcements, as stone would lend to a quiet magnificence as time elapsed. Additionally, Speer was able to improve on Hitler’s ideas from time to time. An instance of this was shown in the documentary ‘Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer’, where when Hitler commissioned a building to be 100 meters long, Speer added ‘at least 200 meters Mein Fuhrer’ . More importantly, him and Hitler both share the same passion for architecture; in an essay written by Speer himself, he stated that “our cities today lack a towering symbol of the community, and one cannot therefore be surprised that one’s own city also lacks such a symbol…….We know from his speeches the importance Hitler puts on improving the social conditions of every German such that they will be able to take pride in the community’s larger accomplishment. ”
For Speer’s organisational and planning skills that he had demonstrated in front of the Fuhrer, Hitler became increasingly confident of entrusting Speer with massive construction projects, such as the task of redesigning Berlin. From 1937, enormous demolition works of 52 000 apartments in Berlin were carried out under Speer’s orders. Because of both Speer and Hitler’s taste for monumental masonry,...