Albert Speer (1905-1981) was a German architect, politician and leading member of the Nazi Party. During the Second World War, Speer served as Minister of Armament and War Production. In 1945 Speer was arrested by the Allies and tried as a war criminal at the Nuremberg Trials. On 1 October 1946 he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He was released in 1966.