Did you know that there was a “Kaiser of Abergavenny”? Well, that is a nickname often attributed to high ranking Nazi officer, Rudolf Hess, at least!

Who Was Rudolf Hess & Why the Nickname of “Kaiser of Abergavenny”?

Hess, who was appointed “Deputy Führer” to Adolf Hitler in 1933, making him one of the highest ranking Nazis and a close ally of Hitler. Not only was he a close ally, but also one of his oldest – and it helped that they were ideological soulmates. Hess had been fully devoted to Hitler and his ideas since a 1920 Munich rally and would go on to be known as something even more than a useful devotee of Hitler; he was his friend and one of the few people with unlimited access to the man.

By the time of the Second World War‘s early years, however, this perception had changed and Hess had become somewhat sidelined and isolated by Hitler’s growing trust in Martin Ludwig Bormann, meaning Hess was able to act without Hitler paying particularly close attention – a clear benefit of the trust and friendship they shared.

Hess embarked on an ambitious “peace mission” to the United Kingdom with the intention of convincing King George VI to dismiss Winston Churchill to Canada and take Britain out of the war – Hess hoped Britain would agree and allow Nazi Germany “free reins” in Europe in exchange for peace.

In short, his peace mission would go wrong; he would be captured in Scotland and, after being declared both suicidal and mentally unwell, he would be sent to Maindiff Court Hospital in Abergavenny on 26 June 1942. He would spend his next three years here.

Hess was allowed regular walks along the grounds of the hospital and supervised drives around the countryside, with his presence at White Castle being a semi-regular site over his three years in Cymru. This three year stint gained him the local nickname of “Kaiser of Abergavenny”.

Hess would be tried during the Nuremberg Trials, where he would be found guilty of crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He would hang himself on 17 August 1987, then 93 years of age.

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Niklas George

Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.