World War II: names of 425,000 collaborators visible in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the names of around 425,000 suspected collaborators with the German Nazi occupiers in World War II can now be viewed online – and not everyone is happy with that. After concerns from descendants of the alleged collaborators, but also from relatives of the victims, the complete files of those people who supported the Germans and some of them committed serious crimes were initially not made available online. The files themselves can currently only be viewed in the National Archives in The Hague.

Those affected suffer from family history

For a long time in the Netherlands the finger was pointed at people who were suspected of being on the wrong side in the war. As the public broadcaster NOS reported, a recent survey showed that a fifth of Dutch people would still prefer not to have the descendants of a collaborator in public office, such as mayor or deputy. And according to the survey, the children and grandchildren of collaborators often still suffer from their family history. Those affected by the perpetrators and victims now fear that opening the archives will reopen poorly healed wounds.

The new name register provides personal data and place of residence for those affected, as well as information about which police stations and courts have dealt with the person. The numbers of the files are also mentioned, which show what the persons concerned are specifically accused of and which can be viewed in the National Archives.