Rudolph Hess

The name Rudolph Hess means different things to different people. As Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi Party he is venerated amongst neo-Nazis, while to others he is an evil man who was party to some of the most horrible atrocities committed against humanity. Born in Egypt, Hess moved to Germany when he was 14. At the outbreak of World War 1 he began his military service, enlisting in the army, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant in the Imperial Air Corps.

Following a speech in 1920, Hess became a devoted follower of Adolph Hitler, assuming a position as his secretary. As well as partially editing Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, Hess became a deputy party leader and was third in line for command of Germany. Marginalized by other Nazi leaders in the 30s, it is believed Hess was trying to broker a peace deal with the British when we flew to Scotland in 1941. However, he was arrested by authorities upon arrival and detained for the rest of the war.

Following the war, Hess was a defendant in the infamous Nuremberg trial where he was found guilty on two of four counts and sentenced to life in prison. He served his sentence in Spandau Prison, where he died in 1987 at his own hand.

But the story doesn’t end there; many people (including his son Wolf Hess) believe that Hess was killed by the British. Another popular conspiracy theory is that the Hess in custody was not the real Rudolph Hess but rather a decoy. This stems from reports that the Hess it custody didn’t know as much about German society as he should.

These mug shots are originals of the first photos taken of Hess upon his arrival at Spandau. They are accompanied by a series of photos of Hess in his cell that were taken by the guards at the prison both with and without his knowledge. Do they show the real Hess, or an imposter?

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