als ▁for ▁his ▁release , ▁beginning ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁These ▁were ▁denied , ▁mainly ▁because ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁repeatedly ▁v eto ed ▁the ▁proposal . ▁Sp and au ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁West ▁Berlin , ▁and ▁its ▁existence ▁gave ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁a ▁fo oth old ▁in ▁that ▁sector ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁Additionally , ▁Soviet ▁officials ▁believed ▁H ess ▁must ▁have ▁known ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁that ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁their ▁country ▁was ▁im min ent . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Wolf ▁R üd iger ▁H ess ▁began ▁a ▁campaign ▁to ▁win ▁his ▁father ' s ▁release , ▁gar ner ing ▁support ▁from ▁polit icians ▁such ▁as ▁Geoff rey ▁Lawrence ▁in ▁Britain ▁and ▁Wil ly ▁Brand t ▁in ▁Germany , ▁but ▁to ▁no ▁avail , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁prisoner ' s ▁advanced ▁age ▁and ▁d eter ior ating ▁health . ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Wolf ▁H ess ▁founded ▁a ▁society ▁to ▁free ▁his ▁father . ▁By ▁that ▁September ▁the ▁society ▁had ▁collected ▁ 7 0 0 ▁sign atures ▁on ▁a ▁pet ition ▁calling ▁for ▁H ess ' s ▁release . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁ 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁had ▁signed ▁the ▁pet ition . ▁The ▁American ▁historian ▁Norman ▁God a ▁wrote ▁that ▁those ▁who ▁campaign ed ▁to ▁free ▁H ess ▁rout in ely ▁ex agger ated ▁the ▁har sh ness ▁of ▁his ▁imprison ment . ▁God a