Speer

Speer is a German surname. It is derived from the German word Speer, meaning spear, and it may have originated as an occupational name for a spear maker or for a soldier bearing a spear. The surname is found in German-speaking regions and among descendants worldwide.

Notable people with the name include Albert Speer (1905–1981), a German architect who served as Minister of Armaments and War Production for Nazi Germany from 1942 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler’s chief architects, Speer played a leading role in the regime’s construction programs and in the management of resources during the war. After World War II, he was tried at the Nuremberg Trials, convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to 20 years in Spandau Prison, from which he was released in 1966. He published memoirs, including Inside the Third Reich, which provided his account of his actions and sparked ongoing debate about responsibility and culpability under the regime.

Albert Speer Jr. (1934–2017) was his son and a prominent German architect. He led the family firm and became known for architectural and urban design projects in the postwar era, contributing to contemporary works and exhibitions. The Speer surname appears in various contexts, but the two most widely cited figures are Albert Speer and his son, whose careers in architecture have left a lasting, though controversial, imprint on German history.