Germany Works to Erase Memory of Peacemaker
By the American Free Press Staff
In late July 2011, the body of Rudolf Hess, the
deputy fuehrer to Adolf Hitler who was mur-
dered in prison in 1987, was unceremoniously
disinterred from its resting place in Wunsiedel,
a small town in Bavaria.At the behest of Hans-Jürgen
Buchta, dean of the Lutheran church there, Hess’s
body was dug up in the dark of early morning and
cremated, and the ashes were taken to a secret location for later dispersal over the ocean.The gravestone
was also removed and destroyed.
Hess is renowned for his daring efforts in1941 to
bring an end to World War II through what he called
his“flight for peace”byairplane to the UnitedKing-
dom. This act of pacifism was repaid by the Allies
with life imprisonment and an additional four years
of unnecessary, worldwide bloodshed.
TO SHUT HIM UP.
Hess’s death was officially termed a “suicide by
hanging”—an act physically impossible for the 93-
year-old man. His Tunisian caretaker, nurse Abdal-
lah Melaouhi,testified that his patient was murdered
on Aug. 17, 1987, and that he even looked the mur-
derers in the eye. The coroner,Prof.Wolfgang Spann,
stated that the marks of strangulation on the neck
indicated death ensued at the hands of another person.*
After the murder, Hess’s remains were buried at
the Lutheran Church of St. Veit in Wunsiedel. The
grave was soon a place of pilgrimage and annual
demonstrations by his admirers. Christian Bärthel, a
Lutheran evangelist from Thuringia, was told by a
resident that the Wunsiedelers were not disturbed by
those commemorating Hess.Rather,it was the counter-demonstrators who upset the locals by acting
destructively, like “wild animals.”
When the disinterment was announced, Bärthel
declared that he would hold a religious memorial
service on Aug.13,but the city forbade it.On the day
appointed, Bärthel arrived. After police detainment
for an hour, he attempted to set up a table and dis-
tribute Christian literature. He was surrounded by
uniformed police and was given written notice that
the city of Wunsiedel had banned him from the area.
Bärthel and many passers-by protested, to no avail.
After about 30 minutes, the preacher was obliged to
leave,being threatened with force by the authorities.
The authorities’ outrage was not enough.Bärthel
returned later, in order to meditate alone in the
cemetery, and was pursued by four policemen
acting for Buchta, who prohibited Bärthel from carrying out
even this peaceful activity.
——
*
THE BARNES REVIEW history magazine featured a revealing interview with Rudolf Hess’s medical aide,Abdallah Melaouhi, in its July/August 2010 issue.
THERE WAS A LOT MORE TO THIS STORY THAN IS ORDINARILY REVEALED.
By the American Free Press Staff
In late July 2011, the body of Rudolf Hess, the
deputy fuehrer to Adolf Hitler who was mur-
dered in prison in 1987, was unceremoniously
disinterred from its resting place in Wunsiedel,
a small town in Bavaria.At the behest of Hans-Jürgen
Buchta, dean of the Lutheran church there, Hess’s
body was dug up in the dark of early morning and
cremated, and the ashes were taken to a secret location for later dispersal over the ocean.The gravestone
was also removed and destroyed.
Hess is renowned for his daring efforts in1941 to
bring an end to World War II through what he called
his“flight for peace”byairplane to the UnitedKing-
dom. This act of pacifism was repaid by the Allies
with life imprisonment and an additional four years
of unnecessary, worldwide bloodshed.
TO SHUT HIM UP.
Hess’s death was officially termed a “suicide by
hanging”—an act physically impossible for the 93-
year-old man. His Tunisian caretaker, nurse Abdal-
lah Melaouhi,testified that his patient was murdered
on Aug. 17, 1987, and that he even looked the mur-
derers in the eye. The coroner,Prof.Wolfgang Spann,
stated that the marks of strangulation on the neck
indicated death ensued at the hands of another person.*
After the murder, Hess’s remains were buried at
the Lutheran Church of St. Veit in Wunsiedel. The
grave was soon a place of pilgrimage and annual
demonstrations by his admirers. Christian Bärthel, a
Lutheran evangelist from Thuringia, was told by a
resident that the Wunsiedelers were not disturbed by
those commemorating Hess.Rather,it was the counter-demonstrators who upset the locals by acting
destructively, like “wild animals.”
When the disinterment was announced, Bärthel
declared that he would hold a religious memorial
service on Aug.13,but the city forbade it.On the day
appointed, Bärthel arrived. After police detainment
for an hour, he attempted to set up a table and dis-
tribute Christian literature. He was surrounded by
uniformed police and was given written notice that
the city of Wunsiedel had banned him from the area.
Bärthel and many passers-by protested, to no avail.
After about 30 minutes, the preacher was obliged to
leave,being threatened with force by the authorities.
The authorities’ outrage was not enough.Bärthel
returned later, in order to meditate alone in the
cemetery, and was pursued by four policemen
acting for Buchta, who prohibited Bärthel from carrying out
even this peaceful activity.
——
*
THE BARNES REVIEW history magazine featured a revealing interview with Rudolf Hess’s medical aide,Abdallah Melaouhi, in its July/August 2010 issue.
THERE WAS A LOT MORE TO THIS STORY THAN IS ORDINARILY REVEALED.