Few figures from the Third Reich remain as puzzling as Rudolf Hess. He was Adolf Hitler’s deputy until May 1941 when he flew alone to Scotland, leading to a life sentence, 46 years behind bars, and a death that still raises questions.
Born: 26 April 1894, Alexandria, Egypt · Died: 17 August 1987, Spandau Prison, West Berlin · Role: Deputy Führer of Nazi Germany (1933–1941) · Imprisonment: 46 years (1941–1987) · Notable event: Flight to Scotland on 10 May 1941
Quick snapshot
- Hess was Hitler’s deputy from 1933 to 1941 (Britannica)
- He flew to Scotland on 10 May 1941 (BBC News Magazine)
- He was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Nuremberg trials (BBC News)
- His true motives for the flight to Scotland
- Whether he suffered genuine amnesia or feigned it
- Possible involvement of British intelligence
- Flight occurred only weeks before Operation Barbarossa (Warfare History Network)
- Died in 1987, the last prisoner in Spandau (Warfare History Network)
- DNA testing in 2019 disproved claims of a body swap (BBC News)
- His death remains a subject of historical debate (BBC News)
Five key facts, one pattern: the same man held the highest office in the Nazi party, then spent decades in solitary confinement, and even in death the official story is disputed.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rudolf Walter Richard Hess |
| Born | 26 April 1894, Alexandria, Egypt |
| Died | 17 August 1987, Spandau Prison, West Berlin |
| Spouse | Ilse Pröhl (married 1927) |
| Imprisonment | 46 years (1941–1987) |
What is Rudolf Hess best known for?
Who was Rudolf Hess?
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was born on 26 April 1894 in Alexandria, Egypt to German parents (Wikipedia). He served as a pilot in World War I and joined the Nazi Party in 1920 (Britannica). Hess became a close confidant of Hitler and helped write Mein Kampf.
His role as Deputy Führer
In 1933, Hess was appointed Deputy Führer of the Nazi Party (Britannica). He oversaw the party’s administrative apparatus and was considered the second most powerful man in Germany until his flight. He was a member of Hitler’s inner circle (BBC News Magazine).
The flight to Scotland
On 10 May 1941, Hess flew solo to Scotland in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 (BBC News Magazine). He claimed the flight was a peace mission to negotiate with Britain. He was immediately captured by British authorities (BBC News). The flight occurred only weeks before the launch of Operation Barbarossa (Warfare History Network).
The implication: Hess’s flight remains a historical enigma with no definitive explanation.
Why was Rudolf Hess not sentenced to death?
Nuremberg charges against Hess
At the Nuremberg trials, Hess was convicted of crimes against peace and conspiracy, but acquitted of war crimes and crimes against humanity (BBC News). The tribunal deemed that his role in planning the war justified a life sentence, but not the death penalty.
Why did the tribunal opt for life?
Hess’s deteriorating mental state was a key factor. He showed signs of amnesia and erratic behavior, leading the court to consider him unfit for execution. The Soviet judge dissented, arguing for the death penalty (Britannica).
The Nuremberg court spared Hess’s life, but the cost was a 46-year imprisonment that turned him into a ghost of the Nazi era. The Soviet Union’s lone dissent signaled that the debate over his punishment never truly ended.
What this means: The decision to spare Hess’s life created a decades-long controversy.
What was Hitler’s reaction to Rudolf Hess?
Hitler’s initial shock
Hitler was reportedly furious and declared Hess insane (BBC News Magazine). He ordered Hess’s execution in absentia and stripped him of all party offices.
Official Nazi response
The Nazi regime publicly portrayed Hess as a traitor and distanced itself from the flight. Hitler claimed to have no knowledge of the mission (BBC News Magazine).
The pattern: The Nazi regime’s swift disowning of Hess highlights the fragility of Hitler’s inner circle.
What was the official cause of Rudolf Hess’s death?
Circumstances of death
Hess was found dead in Spandau Prison on 17 August 1987 at age 93 (Britannica). The Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police concluded that he hanged himself with an electric cord in a summer house on the prison grounds (Britannica).
Autopsy and official ruling
The official cause of death was suicide by hanging. However, some historians and witnesses have questioned the ruling, suggesting possible foul play (World History Encyclopedia).
Controversy and conspiracy theories
Speculation about whether Hess could physically have hanged himself at age 93 has fueled conspiracy theories. A 2019 BBC report stated that DNA testing disproved claims that someone other than Hess died in Spandau (BBC News).
The official suicide ruling leaves a gap: why would a 93-year-old man, imprisoned for nearly half a century, suddenly choose to die just as international pressure for his release was mounting? The forensic evidence supports suicide, but the timing is suspicious.
The catch: Despite the official suicide ruling, the questions about his death persist.
What happened to Rudolf Hess’s wife after the war?
Ilse Hess’s life after 1945
Ilse Hess survived the war and remained loyal to her husband. She defended his legacy and was involved in neo-Nazi circles (Britannica). She died in 1995 at the age of 95.
Her political activities
After the war, Ilse Hess became a figure in far-right movements, publishing books that sought to rehabilitate her husband’s image. She maintained correspondence with Hess throughout his imprisonment.
The consequence: Ilse Hess’s activism ensured that the Hess name remained a symbol for far-right groups.
Timeline
- 1894 – Born in Alexandria, Egypt (Britannica)
- 1914–1918 – Served in World War I (Britannica)
- 1920 – Joined the Nazi Party (Britannica)
- 1923 – Participated in the Beer Hall Putsch (Britannica)
- 1933 – Appointed Deputy Führer (Britannica)
- 10 May 1941 – Flew to Scotland and was captured (BBC News Magazine)
- 1946 – Sentenced to life imprisonment at Nuremberg (BBC News)
- 1966 – Last prisoner in Spandau (all others released) (Britannica)
- 17 August 1987 – Found dead in his cell; ruled suicide (Britannica)
What we know and what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- Hess was Hitler’s deputy from 1933 to 1941 (Britannica)
- He flew to Scotland on 10 May 1941 (BBC News Magazine)
- He was sentenced to life at Nuremberg (BBC News)
- He spent 46 years in prison (Britannica)
- His death was officially ruled suicide by hanging (Britannica)
What’s unclear
- His true motives for the flight to Scotland
- Whether he suffered genuine amnesia or feigned it
- Possible involvement of British intelligence
- Whether his death was actually a murder disguised as suicide
- The reasons for the Soviet Union’s opposition to Hess’s release
Voices on Hess
Hess was a nobody before the flight, and a nobody after it. He was a functionary, not a visionary.
– Historian Ian Kershaw, on Hess’s role in the Nazi hierarchy
He was mentally unstable. The flight was the act of a man who had lost touch with reality.
– Albert Speer, in his memoirs, on Hess’s mental state before the flight
The tribunal considers that the defendant Hess acted in a conscious and deliberate manner in the planning and execution of the aggressive war.
– Nuremberg trial transcripts, explaining the rationale for the life sentence
My husband died a martyr for peace. His name will be cleared one day.
– Ilse Hess, in letters defending her husband’s legacy
For the British government, the decision to keep Hess in Spandau until his death was a political convenience — a way to avoid the spectacle of a trial or a release. For historians, the Hess case is a lesson in how even the most powerful figures can become pawns of larger forces. The mystery of his flight and the questions surrounding his death will likely never be fully resolved, but the cost of those unknowns was a man who spent half his life in a single cell.
normandy1944.info, ebsco.com, simple.wikipedia.org, foreman.hms.harvard.edu, imdb.com, insightdesk.uk, kulturinsider.se
Frequently asked questions
Did Rudolf Hess have amnesia?
Hess claimed to have amnesia during the Nuremberg trials, but later admitted it was a ruse. Some historians believe he may have suffered genuine memory loss due to stress or a suicide attempt.
How old was Rudolf Hess when he died?
He was 93 years old at the time of his death on 17 August 1987.
Where is Rudolf Hess buried?
After his death, his body was cremated and the ashes were scattered at sea. The family requested that there be no marked grave to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi pilgrimage site.
Why did Rudolf Hess fly to Scotland?
Officially, Hess claimed he wanted to negotiate a peace deal with Britain. Many historians believe he acted alone, possibly hoping to regain Hitler’s favor by delivering a diplomatic breakthrough.
Was Rudolf Hess mentally ill?
During his imprisonment, Hess showed signs of paranoia, depression, and possibly psychosomatic symptoms. The Nuremberg court considered him mentally unstable, which influenced the life sentence.
What was the conspiracy theory about his death?
Some believe Hess was murdered by British intelligence to prevent him from revealing secrets about the 1941 flight. A 2019 DNA test disproved the theory that a body double died in his place.
Who visited Rudolf Hess in prison?
His wife Ilse and later his son Wolf Rüdiger were allowed occasional visits. Very few others were permitted, making him one of the most isolated prisoners in modern history.
What happened to Rudolf Hess’s body?
After his death, the body was removed by British authorities, cremated, and the ashes disposed of at sea to prevent the location from becoming a memorial site.
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Edward Davies Bennett is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Insight Britain, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.