1) Describe the rise to prominence of the personality you have studied 2) Describe the personal background and the historical context of the personality you have studied
Albert Speer was a significant figure in German history due to his various architectural projects and his appointment as Minister for Armaments. Although he claimed to be apolitical, Speer joined the Nationalist accessible party on March 1st, 1931 and from there his career in the national socialist party prospered.
Due to the inflation period of 1923, Speer decided to start his architectural studies locally at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In 1924 the stabilizing inflation rate meant Speer could transfer to the more esteemed Munich Institute of Technology and a year following that he transferred to Berlin Institute of Technology. It was there that he was under the tutelage of Heinrich Tessenow, whom he held in great regard. After passing his exams in 1927, Speer became Tessenow’s assistant, and was involved in teaching seminar classes three days a week.
Although Speer claims “I was allergic to any political commitments” the students of Tessenow (who never agreed with Nazism himself) apparently coaxed him into attending a Nazi Party rally in a Berlin beer-hall on 5th December 1930.
When Hitler entered the hall he was greeted by the applauding students. Hitler like a skilled politician cunningly crafted his speech to appeal to a well-educated upper class as well as a lower class audience. He didn’t shout excitedly, but spoke with persuasion and sombrely about his visions for Germany.
Speer, of course, was enormously affected by Hitler, not just by his appearance but by his proposed solutions and offer of hope and defence against the growth of communism, answer to the ineffectual Weimar Government and the renunciation of the Treaty of Versailles.
Albert Speer joined the Nazi party on