▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁H ess ▁made ▁a ▁solo ▁flight ▁to ▁Scotland , ▁where ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁ar range ▁peace ▁tal ks ▁with ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Hamilton , ▁whom ▁he ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁prominent ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁government ' s ▁war ▁policy . ▁The ▁British ▁authorities ▁arrested ▁H ess ▁immediately ▁on ▁his ▁arrival ▁and ▁held ▁him ▁in ▁cust ody ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany ▁to ▁stand ▁trial ▁in ▁the ▁N ure m berg ▁Tri als ▁of ▁major ▁war - c rim inals ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁During ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁trial , ▁he ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁suffering ▁from ▁am nes ia , ▁but ▁he ▁later ▁admitted ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁r use . ▁The ▁Court ▁conv icted ▁him ▁of ▁cr imes ▁against ▁peace ▁and ▁of ▁consp i racy ▁with ▁other ▁German ▁leaders ▁to ▁commit ▁cr imes . ▁He ▁served ▁a ▁life ▁sentence ▁in ▁Sp and au ▁Pr ison ; ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁blocked ▁repeated ▁attempts ▁by ▁family ▁members ▁and ▁prominent ▁polit icians ▁to ▁win ▁his ▁early ▁release . ▁While ▁still ▁in ▁cust ody ▁in ▁Sp and au , ▁he ▁died ▁by ▁h anging ▁himself ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 3 . ▁After ▁his ▁death , ▁the ▁prison ▁was ▁demol ished ▁to ▁prevent ▁it ▁from ▁becoming ▁a ▁ne o - N azi ▁shr ine . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁H ess , ▁the ▁oldest ▁of ▁three ▁children , ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2