BERLIN — The bones of Adolf Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess were exhumed, cremated and secretly scattered at sea after his grave became a shrine for neo-Nazis, a cemetery official said Thursday.
Workers removed Hess’ remains from his family’s plot with the permission of his relatives, said Andreas Fabel, a cemetery administrator in the Bavarian town of Wunsiedel.
Hess was captured in 1941 when he parachuted into Scotland saying he wanted to negotiate peace between Britain and Germany. The attempt was denounced by Hitler, and Hess later said the Nazi leader knew nothing of it.
Hess, who died in 1987, became a martyr for the far right. Neo-Nazis have used the anniversary of his death as an occasion to hold rallies, with Wunsiedel often a focal point.
Hess’ relatives decided it was best to remove the remains, Fabel said. Holocaust survivors welcomed the move.
“There is now one less place of evil in the world,” said Elan Steinberg of an American survivors’ group.
The Associated Press
