Hess, Who Died Aug. 17, Finally Buried in Quiet Bavarian Rites

WUNSIEDEL, West Germany —  Former Nazi Deputy Fuehrer Rudolf Hess was buried today in the family plot in this Bavarian town. Concern about neo-Nazi demonstrations had blocked his interment when he died last summer.

Rainer Meier, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Hof, said Hess was buried early this morning with only immediate family members present. He did not name them and said he did not know from where Hess’ body had been brought.

The Wunsiedel cemetery was temporarily sealed off and police officers stood guard to prevent any disturbances, Meier said.

Hess committed suicide in West Berlin’s Spandau prison Aug. 17 at the age of 93 by hanging himself. He was the last imprisoned leader of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. After his death, dozens of neo-Nazis converged on Wunsiedel in far northeastern Bavaria to show their support for the dead Nazi.

That prompted the Hess family to move the body to an undisclosed location until the public interest declined.