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Hindenburg Quote by John Provan

“locations for joining the girder sections. The empty aluminum structure had a total weight of 56,368 kg, a figure which doubled, when all equipment was placed onboard. A total of 1,599,640 man hours of labor went into the building of the LZ-129 “Hindenburg”. The price for technology is often…” quote by John Provan
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““locations for joining the girder sections. The empty aluminum structure had a total weight of 56,368 kg, a figure which doubled, when all equipment was placed onboard. A total of 1,599,640 man hours of labor went into the building of the LZ-129 “Hindenburg”. The price for technology is often measured in the lifes lost. Two workers are known to have been killed in Friedrichshafen during the construction of the “Hindenburg”.””

John Provan

About This Quote

Source Historical account: Construction of the LZ-129 Hindenburg, early 1930s

The quote highlights the massive material and labor costs of building the Hindenburg, and the human toll that technological ambition can exact.

In simple terms: Building the Hindenburg cost huge resources and lives.

Key Takeaway

Recognize human cost in large engineering projects.

Themes

technology risk human cost industrial history

Mood

somber reflective

Type

historical cautionary

When to use this quote

  • construction management
  • risk assessment
  • historical research

Key Concepts

engineering economics ethics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can modern projects better protect workers?
  • What trade‑offs are acceptable in pursuit of innovation?
A Different Perspective

Safety standards often lag behind ambitious projects.

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