The prison was built in 1876 and knocked down in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner , Rudolf Hess . This was to stop it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine . Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin , constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner , Rudolf Hess , to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine .