Albert Speer Read online

  David Edgar

  ALBERT SPEER

  based on the book

  Albert Speer: His Battle with the Truth

  by Gitta Sereny

  NICK HERN BOOKS

  London

  www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Author’s Note

  Original Production

  Epigraph

  Characters

  Albert Speer

  Afterword

  Appendix:

  Principal Characters

  Chronology of the Third Reich 1933–45

  About the Author

  Copyright and Performing Rights Information

  To Stephanie

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Gitta Sereny’s Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth is a 720-page book, written with the utmost historical rigour, about a man whose long life was dominated by the defining event of the twentieth century. In order to write a stage play based on this work I have had to conflate characters, combine scenes and concentrate the incidents on which they are based.

  As ever, the aim of this is better to reveal the truth. This is a vulnerable procedure in a play based on a biography in which the truth is pursued but also questioned. I am hugely grateful for the chance to retell the story Gitta Sereny has told so authoritatively in her book. For the consequences of doing so in a very different medium, I am responsible.

  In addition to Gitta Sereny herself, I am indebted to Michael Eaton and Hilary Norrish for their contribution to the shape and content of the play as it developed through treatment into draft. As with our earlier stage collaboration, Nicholas Nickleby, Trevor Nunn had an immense influence on the structure, sub­stance and meaning of the text, both before and during rehearsals.

  Finally, two practical notes. In order to counter the notion that Nazism could only have happened in a foreign language, I’ve anglicised most of the ranks and titles in the play. The ones left in German are those for which an English translation is mis­leading: ‘Führer’ doesn’t mean the same as ‘Leader’, ‘Gauleiter’ implies something different from ‘Governor’, and while ‘Herr’ does mean ‘Mr’ it is often used in conjunction with other titles in a way which sounds odd to an English ear. Second, where lines are broken in the text, I have indicated the point at which the next character interrupts by a slash. The rest of the first character’s line does not have to be completed: it is there to provide some overlap but also to indicate to the actor where the interrupted sentence was going.

  David Edgar, May 2000

  Albert Speer was first performed on the Lyttelton Stage at the National Theatre, London, on 16 May 2000. Press night was 25 May. The cast, in order of appearance, was:

  Albert Speer

  Alex Jennings

  Nuremberg Prosecutor

  William Gaunt

  Nuremberg Judge

  John Nolan

  Spandau Prison, 1947

  French Officer

  Patrick Baladi

  Russian Director

  Charles Millham

  Nuremberg Judge

  John Nolan

  Guard

  Stephen Ballantyne

  Soviet Guard

  Patrick Marlowe

  Konstantin von Neurath,

  Pip Donaghy

  foreign minister

  Admiral Karl Dönitz

  Martin Chamberlain

  Baldur von Schirach

  David Weston

  Hitler Youth leader

  Rudolf Hess

  Hitler’s Deputy

  Sylvester Morand

  Walther Funk,

  Iain Mitchell

  economics minister

  Admiral Erich Raeder

  Benny Young

  Georges Casalis,

  Jonathan Cullen

  Calvinist pastor

  Germany and the Occupied Territories, 1931–45

  Rudolf Wolters, architect

  Simon Day

  Hans Tessenow, architect

  Pip Donaghy

  Architecture students

  Patrick Baladi,

  Stephen Ballantyne,

  Giles Smith,

  Chris Vance

  Adolf Hitler

  Roger Allam

  Colonel Nicolas von Below,

  Adrian Penketh

  adjutant

  Karl Hanke, party official,

  Iain Mitchell

  later Gauleiter

  Margret Speer, Speer’s wife

  Jessica Turner

  Anne-Marie Wittenberg,

  Christine Kavanagh

  later Kempf,

  Speer’s secretary

  Julius Schaub, adjutant

  John Nolan

  Dr Fritz Todt,

  Pip Donaghy

  Minister of Armaments

  Speer’s Father

  William Gaunt

  Frau Maria von Below

  Imogen Slaughter

  Eva Braun

  Cathryn Bradshaw

  Frau Anni Brandt

  Tilly Blackwood

  First Adjutant

  Stephen Ballantyne

  Fräulein Johanna Wolf,

  Sally Ann Burnett

  secretary

  Second Adjutant

  Charles Millham

  Fräulein Christa Schröder,

  Elizabeth Conboy

  secretary

  Theodor Ganzenmüller,

  Patrick Baladi

  railway official

  Major in Ukraine

  Benny Young

  Ukrainian Tufties

  Chloe Angharad,

  Sally-Ann Burnett,

  Elizabeth Conboy,

  Imogen Slaughter

  Speer Construction Workers

  Patrick Marlowe,

  Martin Chamberlain,

  Giles Smith,

  Chris Vance

  State Secretary,

  John Nolan

  Ministry of Armaments

  His Assistant

  David Weston

  Ernst, Speer’s brother

  Stephen Ballantyne

  Dr Professor Friedrich Koch

  David Weston

  Heinrich Himmler

  Benny Young

  Germany and England, 1966–81

  Hans Flachsner,

  Speer’s lawyer

  Pressmen

  Martin Chamberlain,

  Charles Millham,

  John Nolan,

  David Weston,

  Chris Vance,

  Benny Young

  Heckler

  Iain Mitchell

  Albert Speer’s son

  Stephen Ballantyne

  Hilde Schramm,

  Cathryn Bradshaw

  Speer’s daughter

  Ulf Schramm, her husband

  Iain Mitchell

  Ruth, Albert’s wife

  Sally Ann Burnett

  Arnold, Speer’s son

  Chris Vance

  Fritz, Speer’s son

  Giles Smith

  Margret Nissen,

  Elizabeth Conboy

  Speer’s daughter

  Hans Nissen, her husband

  Adrian Penketh

  Ernst, Speer’s son

  Patrick Marlowe

  Waitresses

  Chloe Angharad,

  Imogen Slaughter

  Wolf-Jobst Siedler,

  William Gaunt

  Speer’s publisher

  Mrs Winteringham

  Tilly Blackwood

  Publishers

  Elizabeth Conboy,

  Charles Millham

  Chair of University Meeting

  Sally-Ann Burnett

  Hecklers

  Stephen Ballantyne,


  Chris Vance,

  David Weston

  Questioners

  Patrick Marlowe,

  Elizabeth Conboy,

  John Nolan,

  Martin Chamberlain,

  Benny Young

  Robert Raphael Geis

  Pip Donaghy

  Rabbi

  David, his assistant

  Patrick Baladi

  Hotel Waiter

  Patrick Marlowe

  Director

  Trevor Nunn

  Set Designer

  Ian MacNeil

  Costume Designer

  Joan Wadge

  Lighting Designer

  Rick Fisher

  Video Design

  Chris Laing

  Music

  Steven Edis

  Movement Director

  Kate Flatt

  Sound Designer

  Chris Shutt

  Company Voice Work

  Patsy Rodenburg

  Associate Set Designer

  Paul Atkinson

  O, would that I had never seen Wittenberg,

  never read book! and what wonders I have done,

  all Germany can witness, yea, all the world;

  for which Faustus has lost both Germany and the world,

  and must remain in hell for ever.

  Christopher Marlowe, Dr Faustus, last scene

  For the commission to do a great building,

  I would have sold my soul like Faust.

  Now I had found my Mephistopheles.

  He seemed no less engaging than Goethe’s.

  Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich

  CHARACTERS

  Albert SPEER

  Nuremberg PROSECUTOR

  Nuremberg JUDGE

  Spandau Prison, 1947

  FRENCH OFFICER

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR

  GUARD

  SOVIET GUARD

  Konstantin von NEURATH, foreign minister

  Admiral Karl DÖNITZ

  Baldur von SCHIRACH, Hitler Youth leader

  Rudolf HESS, Hitler’s Deputy

  Walther FUNK, economics minister

  Admiral Erich RAEDER

  Georges CASALIS, Calvinist pastor

  Germany and the Occupied Territories, 1931–45

  Rudolf WOLTERS, architect

  Hans TESSENOW, architect

  Adolf HITLER

  Karl HANKE, party official, later Gauleiter

  MARGRET Speer, Speer’s wife

  ANNEMARIE Wittenberg (later Kempf), Speer’s secretary

  Colonel Nicolas VON BELOW, adjutant

  Julius SCHAUB, adjutant

  Dr Fritz TODT, Minister of Armaments

  Speer’s FATHER

  FRAU Maria VON BELOW

  EVA BRAUN

  FRAU Anni BRANDT

  Two young ADJUTANTS (at the Berghof)

  FRÄULEIN Johanna WOLF, secretary

  FRÄULEIN Christa SCHRÖDER, secretary

  Theodor GANZENMÜLLER, railway official

  MAJOR in Ukraine

  Six members SPEER construction SQUAD

  STATE SECRETARY, Ministry of Armaments

  His ASSISTANT

  ERNST, Speer’s brother

  DR Professor Friedrich KOCH

  Heinrich HIMMLER, Reichsführer-SS

  Germany and England, 1966–81

  Hans FLACHSNER, Speer’s lawyer

  ALBERT, Speer’s son

  HILDE Schramm, Speer’s daughter

  ULF Schramm, her husband

  RUTH, Albert’s wife

  ARNOLD, Speer’s son

  FRITZ, Speer’s son

  MARGRET (JNR) Nissen, Speer’s daughter

  HANS Nissen, her husband

  ERNST (JNR), Speer’s son

  Wolf-Jobst SIEDLER, Speer’s publisher

  MRS WINTERINGHAM

  Young PUBLISHERS

  CHAIR of University Meeting

  Two HECKLERS

  Five QUESTIONERS

  Robert Raphael GEIS, Rabbi

  DAVID, his assistant

  Architecture Students, Ukrainian Tufties, Staff Officers, Adjutants, Pressmen and Hecklers, Publishers and Partygoers, Audience at University Meeting

  ACT ONE

  ‘For five years I lived in this world of plans,

  and in spite of all their defects and absurdities

  I still cannot entirely tear myself away from it all’.

  Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich

  ACT ONE

  1.1.1  Heidelberg, 1970s

  Around 70 years old, ALBERT SPEER sits in a chair, sleeping and dreaming. He remembers the charges and sentences passed at the Nuremberg trial of the Nazi leaders.

  PROSECUTOR. The Defendant Speer – between 1932 and 1945 was: A member of the Nazi Party, Reichsleiter, member of the Reichstag, Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions, Chief of the Organization Todt, General Plenipotentiary for Armaments in the Office of the Four Year Plan, and Chairman of the Armaments Council.

  JUDGE. In accordance with Article 27 of the Charter, the International Military Tribunal will now pronounce the sentences on the defendants convicted in this indictment. Defendant Joachim von Ribbentrop, on the counts of the indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging. Defendant Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

  PROSECUTOR. The defendant Speer used the foregoing positions and his personal influence in such a manner that: He participated in the military and economic planning and preparation of the Nazi conspirators for Wars of aggression and Wars in Violation of International Treaties, Agreements, and Assurances set forth in Count One and Count Two of the Indictment . . .

  JUDGE. Defendant Julius Streicher, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

  PROSECUTOR. . . . and he authorized, directed, and participated in the War Crimes set forth in Count Three of the Indictment . . .

  JUDGE. Defendant Fritz Sauckel, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging.

  PROSECUTOR. . . . and the Crimes against Humanity set forth in Count Four of the Indictment, including more particularly the abuse and exploitation of human beings for forced labour in the conduct of aggressive war.

  JUDGE. Defendant Albert Speer! On the counts of the indictment on which you have been convicted, the Tribunal sentences you to death by hanging!

  SPEER wakes in terrible agitation.

  SPEER. Not – yet.

  1.2.1  Spandau, 18 July 1947

  The RUSSIAN DIRECTOR and a FRENCH OFFICER and GUARDS await prisoners in a reception hall in Spandau prison. Seven concentration camp uniforms set out. A door opens and a GUARD admits Konstantin von NEURATH, wearing shabby civilian clothes.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR (from a list, to NEURATH, emphatically, but with terrible pronunciation). Konstantin von Neurath. Foreign Minister. Fifteen year.

  FRENCH OFFICER. On admission, the prisoners will undress completely. Prisoners will be addressed by their convict number, in no circumstances by name.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR. Now you are Number one.

  NEURATH undresses. KARL DÖNITZ is admitted.

  Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz: ten year. Number Two.

  DÖNITZ undresses. Baldur von SCHIRACH is admitted.

  Baldur von Schirach. Hitler youth leader, twenty year. Number Three.

  SCHIRACH undresses. HESS is admitted.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR. Ah. Hess. Hitler Deputy, till 1941. Sentence to life. Is number four.

  HESS doesn’t undress. SPEER admitted. He is 42.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR. Albert Speer, Arm Minister, 20 year.

  SPEER sizes up the situation.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR. I say a lucky man.

  GUARD (shouts to HESS). Undress!

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR. His number five.

  HESS and SPEER begin to undress. We sense hostility from the other PRISONERS to SPEER. Walter FUNK is admitted.

  RUSSIAN DIRECTOR (to FUNK and RAEDER). Walter Funk, Reichsminister f
or Economics. Number six, for life.

  Erich RAEDER is admitted.

  And Admiral Erich Raeder is number seven. Also life.

  As the later PRISONERS finish undressing, the FRENCH OFFICER continues to read out the rules. GUARDS gesture to them to go and dress in the concentration camp uniforms. HESS is swaying.