Access to files on suspected Nazi collaborators in the Netherlands is restricted due to privacy concerns, with full dossiers available only for the deceased, those granting permission, or for legitimate research.
The Netherlands has unveiled a database containing the names of 425,000 individuals suspected of collaborating with the Nazis during the German occupation (1940-1945). This online archive, a product of the Huygens Institute’s “War in Court” project (funded with $18.5 million), makes available names from the Central Archives for Special Criminal Jurisdiction (CABR).
While publicly accessible, privacy regulations limit access to complete dossiers. Searches require specific personal details and yield only reference numbers for physical files at the National Archives, requiring proof of legitimate interest for access. The database doesn’t indicate convictions or the nature of alleged collaboration.
The database, initially based on a phonetically-organized card system prone to errors, was digitized in 2010, merging scanned documents with manually entered data. Not all names have corresponding files, and searches are limited to suspect names only.
The digitization project, launched in 2023, aims to scan 30 million documents over four years, with 8 million already completed. The records cover individuals suspected of serving in Nazi forces, assisting German occupiers, or being members of the NSB, the main pro-Nazi party in the Netherlands.
During the occupation, over 100,000 Dutch Jews (roughly three-quarters of the Jewish population) were murdered, alongside political opponents, Roma, LGBTQ individuals, and others targeted by the Nazis.
Post-war prosecutions resulted in various sentences, including imprisonment, exile, and execution, but many cases were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Inclusion in the archive does not confirm guilt, but indicates the individual was investigated.