--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Down in the cellar the Gestapo were…" description: "\"“Down in the cellar the Gestapo were licensed to practice was the Ministry of Justice called ‘heightened interrogation’. The rules had been drawn up by..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/robert-harris-2039_gestapo_down-in-the-cellar-the-gestapo-were-lice_1539094.jpg" --- # Down in the cellar the Gestapo were licensed to practice… ![“Down in the cellar the Gestapo were licensed to practice was the Ministry of Justice called ‘heightened interrogation’. The rules had been drawn up by civilised men in warm offices and they stipulated the presence of a doctor.” quote by Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/robert-harris-2039_gestapo_down-in-the-cellar-the-gestapo-were-lice_1539094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/robert-harris-2039_gestapo_down-in-the-cellar-the-gestapo-were-lice_1539094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/robert-harris-2039_gestapo_down-in-the-cellar-the-gestapo-were-lice_1539094.jpg) > ““Down in the cellar the Gestapo were licensed to practice was the Ministry of Justice called ‘heightened interrogation’. The rules had been drawn up by civilised men in warm offices and they stipulated the presence of a doctor.”” [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## 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 highlights the absurdity of bureaucratic language used to legitimize brutal torture, showing how civilized institutions can mask cruelty. **In simple terms:** Bureaucracy hides cruelty. Key Takeaway Question authority and language. Themes power bureaucracy human rights war ethics Mood critical somber Type analytical historical cautionary When to use this quote - legal analysis - human rights advocacy - historical research - teaching history - media criticism Key Concepts totalitarianism legalism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape perception of violence? - What safeguards can prevent abuse of legal authority? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize all legal systems as complicit, ignoring resistance within. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cellar Gestapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cellar-gestapo-5727652/) [Gestapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestapo/) [Gestapo Licensed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestapo-licensed-5727653/) [Heightened Interrogation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heightened-interrogation-5727654/) [Historical fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-fiction/) [Interrogation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interrogation/) [Nazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi/) ## Related quotes > [Well, the role of our "allies," in my view, is a scandal. 53 other countries cooperated in the kidnapping, "extraordinary rendition," of suspected terrorists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/well-the-role-of-our-allies-in-my-view-is-a-scandal-53-other/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [And I know you're not supposed to say 'Nazi Germany,' but I don't care about political correctness. You know, you had a government using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/and-i-know-you-re-not-supposed-to-say-nazi-germany-but-i-don-t-care/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [The anger I felt when the ACLU tried to disenfranchise me because my religious stayed with me. These are dangerous people who make dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hyde/the-anger-i-felt-when-the-aclu-tried-to-disenfranchise-me-because-my/) [Henry Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hyde/) > [“No wonder there are so many people with eating disorders.It’s like this diet plan is being administered by the Gestapo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-argiro/no-wonder-there-are-so-many-people-with-eating-disorders-it-s-like/) [Helen Argiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-argiro/) > [Just the minute the FBI begins making recommendations on what should be done with its information, it becomes a Gestapo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-edgar-hoover/just-the-minute-the-fbi-begins-making-recommendations-on-what-should/) [J. Edgar Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-edgar-hoover/) > [The mission of the Gestapo expanded steadily as from 1933 onward, "political criminality" was given a much broader definition than ever before and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-fitzpatrick/the-mission-of-the-gestapo-expanded-steadily-as-from-1933-onward/) [Sheila Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-fitzpatrick/) > [“I believe all sin, love, glory are this: when you slide down the knotted sheets, escaping from Gestapo headquarters, and she hugs you, there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-believe-all-sin-love-glory-are-this-when-you-slide-down-the-knotted/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“That concentration camps were ultimately provided for the same groups in all countries, even though there were considerable differences in the treatment of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/that-concentration-camps-were-ultimately-provided-for-the-same-groups/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [By the end of the war, I could pick out Jewish people almost as if I had a sixth sense about it, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diet-eman/by-the-end-of-the-war-i-could-pick-out-jewish-people-almost-as-if-i/) [Diet Eman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diet-eman/) > [Nothing whatever but the constitutional law, the political structure, of these United States protects any American from arbitrary seizure of his property and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/nothing-whatever-but-the-constitutional-law-the-political-structure/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [No socialist government conducting the entire life and industry of the country could afford to allow free, sharp or violently worded expressions of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/no-socialist-government-conducting-the-entire-life-and-industry-of/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [To put the point sharply: If an informer in the French underground who sent a friend to the torture chambers of the Gestapo was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-maltz/to-put-the-point-sharply-if-an-informer-in-the-french-underground-who/) [Albert Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-maltz/) > [Americans have no idea why they have been at war in the Middle East, Asia and Africa for a decade. They don't realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/americans-have-no-idea-why-they-have-been-at-war-in-the-middle-east/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [A large group of us were crowded into the Gestapo hall, and at that moment the circumstances of all our lives were the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/a-large-group-of-us-were-crowded-into-the-gestapo-hall-and-at-that/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Before the advent of Hitler or Stalin, who took their power from the German and the Russian people, measures were thrust upon the free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-arthur-hall/before-the-advent-of-hitler-or-stalin-who-took-their-power-from-the/) [Edwin Arthur Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-arthur-hall/) ## More by Robert Harris > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/if-one-first-gives-himself-to-the-lord-all-other-giving-is-easy/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He felt more human with his boots on. A man can face the world with something on his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-felt-more-human-with-his-boots-on-a-man-can-face-the-world-with/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Cicero most reminds me of Harold Wilson. Both men knew how to keep the show on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/cicero-most-reminds-me-of-harold-wilson-both-men-knew-how-to-keep-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The financial world is at the cutting edge of high technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-financial-world-is-at-the-cutting-edge-of-high-technology/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“To choose one's victims, to prepare one's plans minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed ... there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/to-choose-one-s-victims-to-prepare-one-s-plans-minutely-to-slake-an/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“Nature has granted man no better gift than the shortness of life. The senses grow dull, the limbs are numb, sight, bearing, gait, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/nature-has-granted-man-no-better-gift-than-the-shortness-of-life-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“A crock of shit,” Rick had called it. But actually this was worse. Shit, to quote Gore Vidal, has its own integrity. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/a-crock-of-shit-rick-had-called-it-but-actually-this-was-worse-shit/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“... unfortunately, freedom alone is not enough, by far. If there is a shortage of bread, a shortage of butter and fats, a shortage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/unfortunately-freedom-alone-is-not-enough-by-far-if-there-is-a/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [It is perseverance, and not genius that takes a man to the top. Rome is full of unrecognized geniuses. Only perseverance enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/it-is-perseverance-and-not-genius-that-takes-a-man-to-the-top-rome-is/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“No one can really claim to know politics properly until he has stayed up all night writing a speech for delivery the following day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/no-one-can-really-claim-to-know-politics-properly-until-he-has-stayed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [People perish. Books are immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/people-perish-books-are-immortal/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Does a name stick because it suits a man or does the man, unconsciously, evolve into his name?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/does-a-name-stick-because-it-suits-a-man-or-does-the-man/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He glanced around the reading room and closed his eyes, trying to keep hold of the past for a minute longer, a fattening and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-glanced-around-the-reading-room-and-closed-his-eyes-trying-to-keep/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The natural impulse of men is to follow and whoever has the strongest sense of purpose will always dominate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-natural-impulse-of-men-is-to-follow-and-whoever-has-the-strongest/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) [Explore all 184 Robert Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## More Gestapo quotes > [The anger I felt when the ACLU tried to disenfranchise me because my religious stayed with me. These are dangerous people who make dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hyde/the-anger-i-felt-when-the-aclu-tried-to-disenfranchise-me-because-my/) [Henry Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hyde/) > [A large group of us were crowded into the Gestapo hall, and at that moment the circumstances of all our lives were the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/a-large-group-of-us-were-crowded-into-the-gestapo-hall-and-at-that/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Americans have no idea why they have been at war in the Middle East, Asia and Africa for a decade. They don't realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/americans-have-no-idea-why-they-have-been-at-war-in-the-middle-east/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [To put the point sharply: If an informer in the French underground who sent a friend to the torture chambers of the Gestapo was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-maltz/to-put-the-point-sharply-if-an-informer-in-the-french-underground-who/) [Albert Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-maltz/) > [No socialist government conducting the entire life and industry of the country could afford to allow free, sharp or violently worded expressions of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/no-socialist-government-conducting-the-entire-life-and-industry-of/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Nothing whatever but the constitutional law, the political structure, of these United States protects any American from arbitrary seizure of his property and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/nothing-whatever-but-the-constitutional-law-the-political-structure/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [And I know you're not supposed to say 'Nazi Germany,' but I don't care about political correctness. You know, you had a government using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/and-i-know-you-re-not-supposed-to-say-nazi-germany-but-i-don-t-care/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [By the end of the war, I could pick out Jewish people almost as if I had a sixth sense about it, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diet-eman/by-the-end-of-the-war-i-could-pick-out-jewish-people-almost-as-if-i/) [Diet Eman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diet-eman/) > [“That concentration camps were ultimately provided for the same groups in all countries, even though there were considerable differences in the treatment of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/that-concentration-camps-were-ultimately-provided-for-the-same-groups/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“I believe all sin, love, glory are this: when you slide down the knotted sheets, escaping from Gestapo headquarters, and she hugs you, there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-believe-all-sin-love-glory-are-this-when-you-slide-down-the-knotted/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The mission of the Gestapo expanded steadily as from 1933 onward, "political criminality" was given a much broader definition than ever before and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-fitzpatrick/the-mission-of-the-gestapo-expanded-steadily-as-from-1933-onward/) [Sheila Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-fitzpatrick/) > [Well, the role of our "allies," in my view, is a scandal. 53 other countries cooperated in the kidnapping, "extraordinary rendition," of suspected terrorists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/well-the-role-of-our-allies-in-my-view-is-a-scandal-53-other/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [Just the minute the FBI begins making recommendations on what should be done with its information, it becomes a Gestapo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-edgar-hoover/just-the-minute-the-fbi-begins-making-recommendations-on-what-should/) [J. Edgar Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-edgar-hoover/) > [“No wonder there are so many people with eating disorders.It’s like this diet plan is being administered by the Gestapo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-argiro/no-wonder-there-are-so-many-people-with-eating-disorders-it-s-like/) [Helen Argiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-argiro/) > [Before the advent of Hitler or Stalin, who took their power from the German and the Russian people, measures were thrust upon the free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-arthur-hall/before-the-advent-of-hitler-or-stalin-who-took-their-power-from-the/) [Edwin Arthur Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-arthur-hall/) [Browse all 44 Gestapo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestapo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Down in the cellar the Gestapo were licensed to practice was the Ministry of Justice called ‘heightened interrogation’. 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