h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Rudolf Hess was the last inmate of Spandau Prison. When he died, one of my husband's colleagues said 'Now that Rudolf Hess is
dead, I really think they ought to pull down Spandau Ballet.' (Spandau Ballet was a 'New Romantics' pop group from the '80s, for
those of you that don't know)

I didn't personally know the man but i hear that he's not alive any more.
Is that true?

Yes

Really?

Named after the writhing dance performed by people as they were gassed.
I thought he was killed somewhere in the UK? What was his position? What did he do (apart from aiding and abetting evil eugenic swine)?

Rudolf Hess was the an old comrade of Hitler's. When Hitler came to power in 1933 Rudolf Hess became the Deputy Fuhrer. Although a man of some standing in Nazi Germany, as far as I can tell, he didn't really do anything except idolize Hitler, along with the rest of Germany. The defining moment in Hess's life came in 1941, when, he flew to Scotland in a Messerchmitt 110 twin-engined fighter, apparently to see the Duke of Hamilton. He wanted to use the Duke of Hamilton to get access to Churchill, where he would try and come to some peaceful solution between Britain and Germany. It is not really known whether or not Hitler sanctioned this bizarre approach for peace, some say he did, others he didn't. What is known is that Hitler didn't really see Britain, and America, as enemies compared to the 'Bolshevik hordes' of Soviet Russia. If my memory serves me correctly, Hess flew to Britain in April or May 1941. Germany started Operation Barbarossa, the attack to the East into Soviet territory, on June 22, so perhaps it was a strange attempt at recruiting a Western alliance against the Soviets. Another plan similar to this was also put forward towards the end of the war by Himmler, the head of the SS, who wanted an armistice with the Western Allies who would band together to fight Communism. This didn't happen.
Hess then became something of a footnote in history. He spent the rest of the war imprisoned in the tower of London, the last person to be held there, then after the war he was tried at Nuremburg with the rest of the surviving Nazi hierarchy. Most were executed, one or two were acquitted, but Hess was banged up for life in Spandau, where he eventually killed himself in the eighties.

he he you said 'Hitler'

I try my hardest to fill a gap in someone's knowledge to the best of my meagre ability, and do I get any thanks? Do I f**k. Oh well, whatever, never mind.