Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer was born in Mannheim on 19 March 1905. His father, also Albert, was an architect. Under pressure from his father, the young Speer gave up his wish to study mathematics and instead followed family tradition to study architecture. Through the 1920s Speer studied in Karlsruhe, Munich and Berlin. On passing his exams in 1927 Albert Speer worked as assistant to Professor Heinrich Tessenow from 1927 until 1930. Speer, who had previously shown little interest in politics, encouraged by some of his students attended a political meeting in Berlin in late 1930. There he would hear Adolf Hitler speak for the first time. The meeting hall was packed with students and the young architect came away much impressed by Hitler. Albert Speer joined the Nazi Party soon after.
Despite family opposition, Albert Speer married Margarete Weber on 28 August 1928 in Berlin. Speer’s mother Luise, in particular, disapproved of his choice believing his wife’s family were of a lower class. The couple would have six children, Albert, Hilde, Fritz, Margarete, Arnold and Ernst. However in early 1931 financial constraints led to the young architect losing his job. Speer, now unemployed began looking for work. Fortunately, Speer had good contacts within the NSDAP. He was offered work renovating the Party’s office building in Berlin. Soon after the Nazis came to power in 1933, Speer received a commission from Dr Joseph Goebbels to carry out the renovation work on the Propaganda Ministry building on Berlin’s Wilhelmplatz.
Speer was later commissioned to submit designs for the Nürnberg Stadium. This led to a first meeting with Adolf Hitler. Many such meetings followed. Hitler warmed to the young architect. It has been said that Hitler may have seen many of his own youthful aspirations reflected and fulfilled in Albert Speer. The Führer, himself something of a frustrated architect, admired and respected Speer for his flair, skill and imagination. Speer soon became one of Hitler’s inner circle. The Führer would describe Speer as a ‘kindred spirit’. The young architect was invited to live on the Obersalzberg above Berchtesgaden. Speer designed and constructed his own studio close to his new home on the Obersalzberg. Hitler and Speer would spend many hours discussing plans and building projects in the studio during Hitler’s numerous impromptu visits, where the Führer often presented his own sketches and drawings.