For the first time, the names of approximately 425,000 individuals suspected of collaborating with the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands have been made available online. These names represent people investigated through a special legal system established near the end of World War II, with over 150,000 facing some form of punishment.
Previously, the complete records of these investigations were only accessible at the Dutch National Archives in The Hague. The Huygens Institute, which assisted in digitizing the archive, emphasizes that this has long been a barrier for those wishing to research the Netherlands' occupation, which lasted from the German invasion in 1940 to 1945. According to the Institute, this archive holds significant stories for both current and future generations, from children seeking to understand their parents' wartime actions to historians exploring the complexities of collaboration.
The archive includes files on war criminals, the approximately 20,000 Dutch citizens who joined the German military, and suspected members of the National Socialist Movement (NSB), the Dutch Nazi party. It also contains records of those who were ultimately cleared of wrongdoing.
The online database presents only the names of suspects, along with their birth dates and places, searchable using specific personal information. It does not indicate whether an individual was convicted or the specific form of collaboration they were suspected of. However, the database provides information on which file to request for further details at the National Archives, where visitors must demonstrate a legitimate reason for accessing the files.
The release of this sensitive information has raised concerns in the Netherlands, with some fearing negative reactions. Rinke Smedinga, whose father was an NSB member and worked at the Westerbork transit camp, expressed worry about the public availability of such personal information. "You should not just let it happen as a social experiment," he said.
Tom De Smet, the director of the National Archives, acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue, noting the need to consider both the relatives of collaborators and the victims of the occupation. However, he hopes that making the archives accessible will help break the long-standing silence surrounding collaboration.
In a letter to parliament on December 19, Culture Minister Eppo Bruins highlighted the importance of transparency in confronting the difficult shared history of the Netherlands. He expressed the intention to change the law to allow for more information to be made publicly available, although privacy concerns have led to some limitations in what is online. The database also specifies that individuals who may still be alive are not included in the online records.