- Summary
- "At the Nuremberg Trial and through his bestselling books, Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and minister, could successfully project an image of himself as the 'gentleman Nazi.' Using hitherto unexplored archival sources, this book looks at those aspects of his career that Speer retrospectively manipulated (e.g. his resistance to Hitler's Nero order), to construct this image. The evolution of the 'Speer myth,' analysed here, shows how West Germany's politics influenced Speer's narrative, as well as the impact that his image had on Federal Republic's efforts to cope with its past. This book also examines the role of historians and public intellectuals in and outside Germany in reinforcing the Speer myth--the British historian Hugh Trevor Roper and the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, among others"--Provided by publisher.
- Series
- Beitrage zur Aufarbeitung der NS-Herrschaft ; Band 5
Beiträge zur Aufarbeitung der NS-Herrschaft ; Band 5.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Roy, Baijayanti, 1971- author.
- Published
- Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang Edition, [2016]
1607
- Locale
- Germany
Germany (West)
Deutschland
- Contents
-
Part 1. The background
Speer and the West German politics of memory
Speer in the Third Reich : myth and reality
Part II. The evolution of Speer's memorial discourse
Justice tempered by mercy : Nuremberg Trial and the genesis of the "Speer myth"
Erinnerungen : canonization of Speer's "Master narrative"
Spandauer Tagebücher : private reflections for public consumption
Der Sklavenstaat : architect of the slave state
Part III. The "Gentleman Nazi" through the eyes of others
A very English irony : Hugh Trevor Roper's contribution to the making of the Speer legend
The two worlds of Albert Speer : an American prosecutor advocates Speer's cause
Joachim Fest's tragic hero
Gitta Sereny and "A paradox of Greek proportions"
Matthias Schmidt and the beginning of the end
Speer und Er : Albert Speer and the aesthetics of power
"For me, Mr. Speer, you are a new born baby" : the Nazi hunter's absolution.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Part 1. The background -- Speer and the West German politics of memory -- Speer in the Third Reich : myth and reality -- Part II. The evolution of Speer's memorial discourse -- Justice tempered by mercy : Nuremberg Trial and the genesis of the "Speer myth" -- Erinnerungen : canonization of Speer's "Master narrative" -- Spandauer Tagebücher : private reflections for public consumption -- Der Sklavenstaat : architect of the slave state -- Part III. The "Gentleman Nazi" through the eyes of others -- A very English irony : Hugh Trevor Roper's contribution to the making of the Speer legend -- The two worlds of Albert Speer : an American prosecutor advocates Speer's cause -- Joachim Fest's tragic hero -- Gitta Sereny and "A paradox of Greek proportions" -- Matthias Schmidt and the beginning of the end -- Speer und Er : Albert Speer and the aesthetics of power -- "For me, Mr. Speer, you are a new born baby" : the Nazi hunter's absolution.
