Albert Speer's House & Studio 2023 

ERROR - I said the Olympic Stadium in Munich when I meant to say Berlin. Apologies!

Congrats on the 2M subs - Well deserved!

Dr. Felton, I want to tell you why I so enjoy your work here. It's simply dignity. It's disappearing, and quickly-- but not with you. Here is an intelligent and dignified adult, an educator, a scholar, and one of the last altruistic presences. As soon as I leave you here, I resume my life of rigorous efforts at tolerating the galling and totally regrettable character all around me. You are an oasis.

Wieder einmal ein faszinierender Beitrag. Man denkt als Deutscher alles über das III. Reich und über Speer zu wissen, von wegen.... Herr Felton, klasse Beitrag, Chapeau! Beste Grüße aus Bremen

Fantastic! I wrote my History dissertation on the building projects of the Third Reich. Lots of criticisms have been levelled at Speer from an artistic perspective (quite rightly) but I think he was frankly a genius.

Dr. Felton actually teaches history. His videos are informative and I wish I had a history professor like him

The images of the studio/atelier are interesting. One would reasonably guess that the studio, which Speer designed (as Felton mentions) for his personal use, would be the most fully personal of his designs. What strikes me is the impression, at least upon casual viewing, that the studio echoes the looks of the Prairie School and American Craftsman styles of architecture, at least in some elements.The broad, uninterrupted horizontal lines, the extensive plain white walls (a wood-frame-and-stucco look, at least, if not those precise materials) highlighting the the intricate geometry of the windows, the use of deeply overhanging eaves, the blocky, lightly-ornamented ends of beams projecting under eaves and window lintels, and so forth. A useful reference for these resemblances between the studio and those architectural styles might be Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ward Willits House (Highland Park, Illinois, 1901). To be clear, I’m not saying that Speer was trying to emulate those styles, but that they may have influenced him (in his smaller-scale works like the studio) to some degree. It’s also fair to observe that a comparison of Speer’s studio with the Willits House, or any of Wright’s other houses, is a useful illustration of the difference between the work of a competent professional, and that of a great genius.

G'day Mark, I'm glad you've 'lifted the lid' on the so-called, 'Nazi Who Said Sorry'. After many years of WW2 studies, one topic I looked at was the life and career of Albert Speer. I read much about him from other historians. I’ve tried to read as many, and as much, of Speer's writings as I could stomach. The result: I've never really believed Speer's 'sob stories' of simply being the architect at the wrong place at the wrong time in history. As you would be well aware, there are, literally, volumes dedicated to the popular views that Speer was, or was not, aware of the full extent of Nazi atrocities and official policies of genocide. He used his time in prison not only churning out his ‘I’m innocent’ books but also honing his English speaking skills. In every interview I’ve seen with him it’s clear he was, in his own way, quite ‘media savvy’. He’d ‘parrot’ bits of his books during interviews and took a calm, friendly, even smiling approach to the interviewer when it was appropriate. His mock revulsion and horror at the worst of the Nazi’s crimes always looked to me to be well practiced. As you mention, former prisoners of the Nazis testified, after his imprisonment, that Speer was present when slave labourers were being punished, tortured or murdered. They, correctly, stated that as the Armaments’ Minister there was no way he could have pushed along the speed of arms production without visiting as many of the facilities under his command as possible. Hitler repeatedly urged his friendly architect to see to it that weapons were being made as swiftly as possible; both of them knowing that this was the only conceivable way Germany had any chance of winning the war. Of course, Speer glosses over the truth, suggesting he didn’t follow his Führer’s directives. He also states he only did enough, in his high position, so as not to draw the suspicions of Hitler or Martin Bormann. The many senior spies who worked for Bormann and Reichsführer, Himmler, would certainly ‘rat Speer out’ if he was deliberately lax at his job. Even though Speer was probably the closest to a friend Hitler had; a serious allegation of this kind could have made life difficult for Speer; to anyone else it would have meant death. I’ve got to begrudgingly hand it to Speer for his survival skills. It couldn’t have been easy for him considering that most, if not all of Hitler’s inner circle were intensely jealous of Speer’s relationship with their leader. It’s ironically fitting that Speer died in London while recording an interview; yet another fantasy of his own making. Thanks again, Mark. Good work at destroying the myth of the ‘Nazi Who Said Sorry’. Cheers, Bill H.

The information contained in all of Mr. Feltons' videos is always outstanding. It's the amazing photos and video images provided that rivets me... where does he find all of them? Thank you for the history, Mr. Felton.

I ENJOY ALL OF DR FELTONS VIDEOS

Thank you for sharing 🎖️🤗🙏🏆🇺🇸

His 1936 lighting designs were way ahead of his time. Phenomenal pictures if you care to Google it. Not sure of his earlier work.

A minor correction: U. S. Army Field Grade Officers were not "majors and above"; they were (and remain) majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels - to the exclusion of the next higher officer category, General Officers (brigadier generals through Generals of the Army).

love the photo of Mark just chilling with his skis on hehe

A new Mark Felton video always makes my work day better. 🤝🤝

Thank you for all the great documentaries! They are very well researched and well done. I have learned quite a bit!

More excellent educational information! Cheers, Mark!

Hello Mark. Thank you for the interesting and highly educational video's in which you expose the past. I must say I'm amazed at the rate you turn out these documentary's. Also having 28K views in only 2 hours is quite the achievement. Guess I'm not the only history buff. Thanks again for all the great work and keep them coming.

Thanks a massive bunch for this wonderful resource of interesting WW2 history clips you're sharing with us on your channel. A tiny suggestion regarding the pronounciation of 'Troost' at 1:22, the 'oo' sound is pronounced 'o' as in 'studio' but a tad deeper. 🙂Keep up the fantastic work, and thanks again Mark!

He was as guilty as the rest. Used slave labor and he knew exactly what was going on the whole time as he was exceedingly close to Hitler and visited him 2 days before his suicide. After the war he tried to change his history and image in the Nazi party but it was disingenuous to say the least.

I’ve read Speer’s books, the first shortly after its release. It was given to me by a friend that worked for Random House. I enjoyed reading them. I especially enjoyed his comments about the production of armaments and war materials. I’ve always wondered about the accuracy of his statements concerning rare minerals and their increased scarcity as the war continued. He wrote that the lack of such minerals meant the day would soon come when the war would end, regardless of anything else. Of course, the war was ended with the Allied victory before that scenario could occur. I still wonder about the accuracy of his claims and haven’t yet found verification of them. As to whether he was a dyed-in-the-wool Nazi, of course he was, through and through.

6:04 The US armed forces named this the Hotel General Walker and I enjoyed a ski trip there with my unit in 1987! There were some ghosts in the huge building! At that time there were also the old guard quarters & buildings etc all around the area. Coincidentally, I was stationed in Mannheim, and I never realized Albert Speer was from that city, and, of course, Heidelberg is just a couple miles away from Mannheim.

I read his book, "Inside the Third Reich" and found it to be very interesting but I had a difficult time passing judgement on the man. It's not easy to ask oneself what we might do if we were in another's situation. And I had to admit that I would very likely have done very much the same as he did. I don't think the man was evil, but like most of us he did the best he could for himself and his family. His career was the most important thing to him and he did what he could to advance it.

More unique and interesting content Doctor. Thanks.

Don’t know if you’ve already done a video on this topic, but I’d be interested in seeing if there are any historical records or accounts of the armies conducting CQB in urban areas, and if there are what the initial response to this type of fighting was, as well as the tactics the armies initiated to deal with enemy forces in such scenarios. It’s a very interesting door to open, as we can see CQB is a tactic used heavily in todays conflicts. Great video as always and thank you for your dedication to educating the masses!

You are amazing in history, Thank you so much and I love your art for history ❤❤❤

Yet another very entertaining and informative video, how Speer was not given the death penalty always amazes me, where did he think the slave labourers came from ?

Really enjoyed this, thank you, i always enjoy your work.😊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿😊

Love your vids Mark! Thanks! 😎👍

Dr Mark has made it thru that stack of stuff he meant to get to Thanks!

Interesting note - Speer was not the architect of his own atelier, which was instead designed by Munich based architect Roderick Fich, who designed many of the other buildings at the Obersalzberg, including the Gutshof, Platterhof, guard houses, SS Kaserne, and Borman’s greenhouses for der Fuhrer. Speer had become far too busy with grander schemes and war supply concerns to spend his time on small chalets

There is a Speer Family compound just outside of Heidelberg.

You can say what you can about him about using prison workers which he knew about but the man was brilliant

Let’s goo new video 😮

Thanks for the deadication in posting all of these videos mark.....z😎

Very cool Mark, I'd never seen Albert Speer's house or studio, very informative as always.

I always learn something new.

👍Thanks for video.

My late husband WWII veteran in the US army,working for NATO,and I stayed overnight In Albert Speer's big house ,I think it was in 1981,when we visited the Eagle's Nest,for me all these historical visits were very interesting especially not everybody was admitted to those historical sights

Yes i clocked out early to watch this. Cmon Mark

Your British pronunciations keeps me glued to your very informative videos.

As with the knowledge of history, we learn that those who lay with the dogs will wakeup with their fleas. Thank You Professor Felton.

Great as usual Mark.

Nice presentation!! ❤❤❤❤

The best channel on RU-vid. 🪖🫡🍸

Excellent.

These people really knew beautiful locations in which to live, that's for sure.

Much like the council in the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, I can’t help but find some redeeming virtue in Speer’s character. Even knowing what we know about him now….I feel there was still a bit more humanity left within him: and certainly compared to the rest of the leaders on trial. Certainly, he was intelligent and charming-or deviously slick depending upon your point of view, but a remarkable man nonetheless.

Top notch work Dr. Felton. Your cameo on skis at 6:23 reminded me of Hitchcock.

I've read Speer's memoir. One thing that struck me as I read the book was the fact that Speer was one of the few top-tier leaders of the party who didn't claim to be "just following orders" in defense of their war crimes. By his own admission, for what it's worth, Speer stated that he refused to go fully "scorched earth" in destroying German infrastructure as he alleged that the people would need services in order to survive after the war. Whether this is true and to what extent he actually defied orders is anyone's guess.

Absolutely fascinating

Excellent video. We've seen similar videos however nothing with the details you provide. Thank you again for sharing your videos. God bless 🙏

“Inside the Third Reich” is a great book, very instructive and interesting. Speer is a fine storyteller.

Dr Felton, you didn't mention the bit about Albert Speer dying in a Birmingham hotel whilst in bed with his mistress or coming to the UK to flog paintings by a certain A.Hitler around the same time as he was being interviewed by the BBC! I think I have that right...

I believe the stadium was in Berlin, not Munich

I remember reading once that Speer showed his father his architecture drawings for the "new" Germany. He asked his father what he thought. His father replied, "I think you have all lost your minds."

The allies used Speer at the Nuremberg Trials to get to the other Nazis that were on trial especially Hermann Goering who from what I understand hated Speer. I believe that is why Speer didn't face the hangman.

Breaking News! The American Heritage Museum is restoring a Ju87 Stuka to flying status

I think the architecture is infinitely more appealing than the banal concrete and glass city towers we have today in any generic western central business district.

Own quit a few signed copies of his memoirs. Very interesting book to read

If memory serves me right, I seem to remember Albert Speer doing an interview on the Michael Parkinson show back in the 70's. I wonder if it survived the great video tape recycling massacre and could be found in their achieves, it would be of great interest on RU-vid nowadays. Thank you for a fascinating upload..

It always surprised me how Speer escaped the hangman's noose. It seems to me he was adept at crawling around whoever was the master at the time, it always seemed to work well for him. He also had a suave, respectable look & was much more handsome than the rest of the Nazi leadership, which probably helped him. Humans always judge people partially on the way they look, we can't help it.

Looks like the Berghoff in a storage sort of way!

Amazing SIR! another view of the past and too see such buildings still exist today! and sad too see other buildings that have been destroyed because of the time era that happened. History is history,,people need to get over their pc bs ! TY SIR !! the 73 yr old man from USA is still learning from you ! If I'm lucky maybe I can walk down a street in Norwich and meet you ! It would be an honor SIR !

Very interesting after war report, we must never forget that, even though these scenes look “normal” the Germans in power were quite MAD….thanks for another insight into history!

The 1939 Bechstein grand piano that my parents own just got a new darker presence

Speer was actually a guest on the Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson, not long after his release in the 1960s.

Speer was a smooth operator

I just finished his book. I thought it was a wonderful insight into the interpersonal drama of the German government. Really changed my perspective on how the government wasn't so much a single-minded arm of a dictatorship. Rather, a giant, lumbering, inefficient bureaucracy that everyone who could, sought every opportunity to exploit.

Love your channel, especially your review of Buckingham palace. But how perfect that an ad for Hugo Boss should come on during this one!

Do you teach history or something? The knowledge that you have is incredible. Do you do any medieval history? I love the Plantagenet part of English history

Incredible that he managed to escape execution

I read a book about Speer long while ago, remarkable man...too bad he was using his energy, genius and talents to serve his master, Addie Hitter Remember a coworker telling his father was one of the first to look over Berchisgarden and on a mantel were Hitters shot glasses..which he took as a souvenir...it had his initials on them

I'd love to metal detect around these houses.

Speer is such a fascinating figure ...if you ever get the chance, read his "Inside the Third Reich"

Speer's "Inside the Third Reich" memoir is an awesome read, a factual self-study of, I suppose one could label him a German patriot, who mastered logistics. I think of him as any professional conflicted between the monsters he served, and one would say became, versus the difficult alternative to escape the Nazis were that possible. One cannot ignore the calculated charm that Nazis employed though, no doubt beckoning, as you hint at, Mark, that Hitler played to Speer's interests as an architect. Inside the Third Reich has many photos of new Berlin models, that many architects would have loved to have undertaken. Still, am glad they're nearly all gone (well, the original Nazis at least): my mom was a teen living under the Nazi boot in occupied Holland, fighting starvation and the cold, she shared many stories that cast wartime reality in the cold light it deserves.

Hi Mark. Was Speer doing interviews for the BBC series "World at War" when he died.? Cheers from Australia mate.

If the Nuremberg Tribunal had known what we know now, they would have hanged him. They gave him the proper sentence based on the evidence presented to them.

2:37 How convinient you forgot to mention Edvin passed in 1934, and recieved state funeral. Helene remained supporter of the party, and I cant find anything that indicates they(she at that point) were forced to sell anything.

I've always felt Speer to be the most interesting of the Nazis. He wasn't as one dimensional as the others. This 9 minute plus video, is a nice, concise summary of Speer, the opportunist.

Speer was clever in his defense. He probably saved himself from the hangman because he apologized.

I read Speer's autobiography some years ago, and he was a very intelligent individual, but the use of slave labor is an unforgivable sin.

Another well informed doco on the German Ministry . I didn't recognise some of the AH film you included . I don't think I have seen them before ( wearing a Smart suit ). Was using a walking cane early indications he had Parkinson's? ie A friend from the club had lost his legs strength as the disease took hold

Was the filming of the history documentary mentioned at the time of his death, happen to be ‘The World at War’, narrated by Sir Lawrence Olivier?

You should do a video about Germania !!

please do a video on the Opium Wars...

Why are y’all stalking me I did nothing wrong 😭😭

Now I'm curious about the last thing he was filming. A bit like Orson Wells in Transformers.

Thank-you. I hope that you will undertake a documentary about the rise and fall of the Strasser brothers and the change of political, social and economic direction that their demise caused to be. By a change in the financing of the NASDP perhaps.

In Wrocław (formerly Breslau), Poland, our voivodship's government building is probably one of the very few Nazi office complexes thar survived to this day. Even today this building makes pepole feel tiny compared to its intimidating, collosal appearance. Interestingly it had little to do with Speer himself, but it's design followed the architectural demands of the Reich, as whole of Breslau, jus like Berlin, was planned to be leveled and rebuilt from scratch after the war. Ironically, this kind of happened, but not exactly as Germans had planned. City found itself within Polish borders, completly destroyed, so the job to rebuild the city fell on Poles.

Dr Felton nice Information on Otto Dietrisch hitters press secretary would be interesting He wrote a book the Hitler I knew

Apparently he was the only prisoner in this large walkways comfy prison

a complicated man. Only those who were there and really knew him can possibly know the whole truth, Thing is the war crimes trial results were sometimes victors' vengeance rather than justice.

I'm currently reading Inside the Third Reich and I find that it alternates between half-hearted contrition and supposed ignorance of what was going on in the camps. But that always feels a bit hollow when even that book mentions his attempts to improve the conditions of forced labour in the odd instance (Not that it stops the fact that they would still be forced labour...!).

Am I the only one who gets sad knowing the video is about to end? I can’t get enough of Dr. Felton’s videos. It’s like a time machine. If he ever offers a tour through Germany I am so there.

I remember getting 'Inside the Third Reich' from my university library. The librarian happened to be German and looked me in the eye while saying, "Don't believe everything you read." As a professor of library and information science, I know that librarians aren't supposed to pass judgment on reader's selections, so for him to do so, in that manner, was unusual. I took it almost as a warning. For postwar interviews with Speer and his wife, read 'Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth,' by Gitta Sereny.

All my friends were Nazis, I was a member of the Nazi party, I was always surrounded by Nazis, I liked being a Nazi when everything was going well, I built Nazi buildings and they paid me well. I ran the whole Nazi economy with slave labour but little thought for right or wrong. Was I a Nazi? Of course not. I was an architect.

I was stationed in Germany from 1978 until 1984 and it was a great adventure. My family and I stayed in the "Evergreen Lodge" in 1979. A couple of years later along with some visiting friends I stumbled through the rubble of what was left of the Berghoff. I think it was the area below the patio where you often see the videos of Hitler and his guests. I also, at different times while I was In Germany, met the sons of Patton and Rommel. This General Patton was a deputy commander of US VII Corps and Rommel's son Manfred was mayor of Stuttgart.

I met Speer at a private home in Germany in the mid 1970s. By then, at least in private settings, he dropped the whole persona about not knowing and discussed things openly. Did he seem remorseful? I personally think the truest statement I heard from him is that he wished Hitler had been killed before he had the chance to commit suicide and drag Germany farther down into destruction. As far as his job was concerned, I don't think he had remorse about using whatever means necessary to try to prolong the war.

I lived several times in both France and Germany and took an interest in Speer for a couple of reasons. Firstly, my father was yanked out of medical school in Marseille following the collapse of Vichy and forced to work as a medic for the Organization Todt while it constructed defenses along the French Riviera. And secondly, because I worked in both the French and German automotive industries and am fascinated by the roles they played in WWII. While Peugeot basically actively collaborated (I once played golf with Eric Peugeot LOL), François Michelin reached a deal early on in which he would supply the Nazis as long as they never entered any of his factories. Apparently, he only allowed an SS Colonel to enter the premises just to show him they they had placed dynamite at the base of all the main pillars. So Michelin delivered the tires to the gates of their own plants, where the Germans loaded them on to their trucks. It only came to light later that what Michelin was protecting was their top secret project - the radial tire - which they launched just after the war, and with a seventeen year patent, which enabled them to become the largest tire company in the world. Anyway, in France, the conventional wisdom is that the French judges voted against the death penalty for Speer at Nuremberg, because he switched the production of non-military consumer goods (such as white goods) to France, allowing Germany to focus on armaments, while still allowing some consumer goods (made in France) to satisfy the German public. At the same time, it allowed France to become quite strong in certain product categories after the war, contributing to the post-war French economic boom (1945-1975) - known in France as "Les Trente Glorieuses." I've not seen research on this, but this is what the French believe about Speer.