Discontent has arisen in the Dutch House of Representatives regarding the handling of the National War Archive, CABR. This public list includes names of individuals accused or suspected of collaborating with the German occupiers during World War II.
The veracity of these accusations remains unclear, as the underlying files are not public and can only be accessed at the National Archive, which now has a waiting period of several months. Many families and acquaintances have expressed outrage upon seeing names of loved ones on the list.
This issue has affected even Members of Parliament, leading to questions addressed to Minister Bruins of Education, Culture, and Science. D66 MP Paternotte criticized the situation, sharing a personal story about his family.
JA21 MP Eerdmans also found his grandfather on the list and demanded a correction to reflect his grandfather’s actions in hiding Jews. The list was announced as one of possible collaborators, yet it also includes Auschwitz survivors solely for having held German nationality.
SGP MP Van Dijk questioned whether this could have been anticipated. Minister Bruins stated that the publicizing of the list was discussed among various organizations and that it was intended to help descendants understand their family’s history.
Bruins denied that the process was chaotic, attributing the inclusion of resistance members and survivors to the chaotic period in which the archive was created. He promised to increase access points at regional historical centers and is working on legislation to allow online access to the dossiers while respecting privacy regulations.
Source: NOS