---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thousands of those men and boys died…"
description: "\"“Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have recently learned that their inhuman treatment was the intended policy of Himmler. He called his ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg"
---

#  Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have…

![“Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have recently learned that their inhuman treatment was the intended policy of Himmler. He called his plan Death by Exhaustion, and he implemented it. Work them hard, don't waste valuable foodstuffs on them, and let them die. They could, and would…” quote by Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg)

> ““Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have recently learned that their inhuman treatment was the intended policy of Himmler. He called his plan Death by Exhaustion, and he implemented it. Work them hard, don't waste valuable foodstuffs on them, and let them die. They could, and would, always be replaced by new slave workers from Europe's Occupied countries.””

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote exposes the deliberate Nazi policy of using forced labor to death, emphasizing cruelty and expendability of workers.

**In simple terms:** Nazi forced labor was intentionally lethal.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and oppose systemic exploitation.

Themes

human rights war crimes exploitation memory justice

Mood

somber reflective

Type

historical testimonial ethical

When to use this quote

- historical education
- human rights advocacy
- museum exhibits
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

genocide forced labor state terror ethical responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What mechanisms allow such policies to arise?
- How can societies prevent similar exploitation?

A Different Perspective

The quote may lack context about broader resistance efforts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Himmler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/himmler/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [“Gentlemen, this is a story that you shall tell your grandchildren, and mightily bored they'll be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gentlemen-this-is-a-story-that-you-shall-tell-your-grandchildren-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Sturm, Swung, Wucht”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-rommel/sturm-swung-wucht/)

[Erwin Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-rommel/)

> [“My goal is to make history come alive. My fictitious characters are woven into the tapestry of actual history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-b-huesing/my-goal-is-to-make-history-come-alive-my-fictitious-characters-are/)

C.B. Huesing

> [Himmler, Bormann, and Goebbels, they were probably bad fellows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/himmler-bormann-and-goebbels-they-were-probably-bad-fellows/)

[Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/)

> [Can Ken Starr ignore the apparent breadth of the sympathetic response to the President's speech? Facially, it finally dawned on me that the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/can-ken-starr-ignore-the-apparent-breadth-of-the-sympathetic-response/)

[Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/)

> [Himmler wants to send an expedition to Tibet to look for ancient manuscripts on the Aryans. The man is like a little schoolgirl. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/himmler-wants-to-send-an-expedition-to-tibet-to-look-for-ancient/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Certainly inside my heart I know degrees of difference. But I can't blame any of these men who share a common fate with me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-donitz/certainly-inside-my-heart-i-know-degrees-of-difference-but-i-can-t/)

[Karl Donitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-donitz/)

> [What will happen once the authentic mass man takes over, we do not know yet, although it may be a fair guess that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-will-happen-once-the-authentic-mass-man-takes-over-we-do-not/)

[Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/)

> [“I got hold of a copy of the video that showed how Saddam Hussein had actually confirmed himself in power. This snuff-movie opens with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-got-hold-of-a-copy-of-the-video-that-showed-how-saddam-hussein-had/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [Both Einstein and Freud were clever in leaving Germany, because both of them would doubtlessly have been caught by Himmler and murdered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-frank/both-einstein-and-freud-were-clever-in-leaving-germany-because-both/)

[Hans Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-frank/)

> [Remember this moment. If we don't convince the field marshal (Fedor von Bock) to fly to Hitler at once and have these orders (Commissar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-von-tresckow/remember-this-moment-if-we-don-t-convince-the-field-marshal-fedor-von/)

[Henning von Tresckow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-von-tresckow/)

> [Monsters, among other brutes, are the ones without guilt feelings. Perhaps Hitler did not have any, or Himmler, or Stalin. Maybe Mafia bosses do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/monsters-among-other-brutes-are-the-ones-without-guilt-feelings/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [I can only be responsible for my orders. I cannot be responsible for all the acts of Himmler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-pohl/i-can-only-be-responsible-for-my-orders-i-cannot-be-responsible-for/)

[Oswald Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-pohl/)

> [“In 1940, Heinrich Himmler, wanting to extend SS influence to the rocket program, pressured Wernher von Braun into joining the organization despite his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/in-1940-heinrich-himmler-wanting-to-extend-ss-influence-to-the-rocket/)

[Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/)

> [I could not tell Himmler everything because he was too false and two-faced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-schellenberg/i-could-not-tell-himmler-everything-because-he-was-too-false-and-two/)

Walter Schellenberg

## More by Mary Ann Shaffer

> [Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/reading-good-books-ruins-you-for-enjoying-bad-books/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Now that I think about it, maybe he is a werewolf. I can picture him lunging over the moors in hot pursuit of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/now-that-i-think-about-it-maybe-he-is-a-werewolf-i-can-picture-him/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Miss X has always been a ditherer -- she was a ten month baby and has not improved in any material way since then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/miss-x-has-always-been-a-ditherer-she-was-a-ten-month-baby-and-has/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [I don't want to be married just to be married. I can't think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/i-don-t-want-to-be-married-just-to-be-married-i-can-t-think-of/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [“This profusion of questions, exclamations, and tales is the new version of the Society. Its members are spread all over the world, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/this-profusion-of-questions-exclamations-and-tales-is-the-new-version/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [“I kept trying to explain and he kept shouting until I began to cry from frustration. Then he felt remorseful, which was so unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/i-kept-trying-to-explain-and-he-kept-shouting-until-i-began-to-cry/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [“A sunny nature? A light heart? I have never been so insulted. Light-hearted is a short step from witless in my book. A cackling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/a-sunny-nature-a-light-heart-i-have-never-been-so-insulted-light/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [“I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, someone I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/i-can-t-think-of-anything-lonelier-than-spending-the-rest-of-my-life/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [People don't know how chickens can turn on you, but they can -- just like mad dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/people-don-t-know-how-chickens-can-turn-on-you-but-they-can-just-like/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Treat a dog right and he'll treat you right - he'll keep you company, be your friend, never ask you no questions. Cats is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/treat-a-dog-right-and-he-ll-treat-you-right-he-ll-keep-you-company-be/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [What on earth did you say to Isola? She stopped in on her way to pick up Pride and Prejudice and to berate me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/what-on-earth-did-you-say-to-isola-she-stopped-in-on-her-way-to-pick/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [“He didn't say much at our first meeting - nor at any of our meetings since, come to think of it - but left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/he-didn-t-say-much-at-our-first-meeting-nor-at-any-of-our-meetings/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Those times, I tried to think of something happy, something I'd liked - but not something I loved, for that made it worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/those-times-i-tried-to-think-of-something-happy-something-i-d-liked/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Because there is nothing I would rather do than rummage through bookshops, I went at once to Hastings &amp; Sons Bookshop upon receiving your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/because-there-is-nothing-i-would-rather-do-than-rummage-through/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/this-obsession-with-dignity-can-ruin-your-life-if-you-let-it/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

[Explore all 73 Mary Ann Shaffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

J. Anthony Torino

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

Alan W. Powers

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have recently learned that their inhuman treatment was the intended policy of Himmler. He called his plan Death by Exhaustion, and he implemented it. Work them hard, don't waste valuable foodstuffs on them, and let them die. They could, and would, always be replaced by new slave workers from Europe's Occupied countries.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mary Ann Shaffer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-here-and-i-have-recently-learned/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-here-and-i-have-recently-learned/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/mary-ann-shaffer-8826_death_thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-her_310178.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Thousands of those men and boys died here, and I have recently learned that their inhuman treatment was the…” — Mary Ann Shaffer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mary Ann Shaffer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Thousands of those men and boys...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-here-and-i-have-recently-learned/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/thousands-of-those-men-and-boys-died-here-and-i-have-recently-learned/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
