26 The idea emanated originally from Speer himself. Speer had developed a theory of the value of ruins (Ruinenwerttheorie), as he called it. Stated briefly, this was that the emotional effect of a ruin depended on the material used. Speer says that, to begin with, Hitler's entourage was horrified that the specially favoured architect of National Socialism should occupy himself intellectually with an epoch in which ruins were the only evidence of National Socialism. Rather by chance Hitler learnt of this and to Speer's astonishment was so impressed by the theory that he had sketches prepared showing some of the projected big buildings as ruins. (Verbal communication from Speer to the author.) The remark to Hans Frank is taken from his memoirs, Im Angesicht des Galgens.