Ilse Hess was the wife of Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler's Deputy Führer and one of the most powerful figures in Nazi Germany. An early member of the Nazi Party and a committed National Socialist, she belonged to Hitler's inner circle and even helped prepare material for his political manifesto, Mein Kampf.

After her husband's mysterious flight to Scotland in 1941, Ilse continued enjoying Hitler's protection and financial support. Following Germany's defeat in the Second World War, she remained devoted to Nazi ideology, publicly defended her imprisoned husband, and maintained connections with former supporters of the Third Reich. Even decades after the collapse of Nazi Germany, Ilse Hess refused to renounce the beliefs that had shaped her life.