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Dutch Project Publishes 425,000 WWII Collaborators' Names Amid Privacy Concerns

Jan 2, 2025, 11:35 AM

The Dutch project 'War in Court' has digitally released a list of names of nearly 425,000 individuals suspected of collaborating with Nazi occupiers during World War II. These names, drawn from the Central Archive of Special Criminal Jurisdiction (CABR), were made public following the expiration of a law that restricted access to the archive. The CABR, consisting of 32 million pages, includes dossiers on suspects, victims, and witnesses. Privacy concerns, raised by the Dutch Data Protection Authority, led to a temporary measure by the Dutch minister to delay the full online release of these dossiers. Instead, researchers, descendants, and historians can consult the dossiers in person at the National Archives in The Hague. Currently, a searchable online register of 300,000 names is available. Notable figures listed include Matthias Schmitz, a member of the German Sicherheitspolizei, and Maarten Kuiper, a Dutch SS officer involved in the execution of resistance fighter Hannie Schaft. While only a fifth of the listed individuals faced court proceedings, the archive is considered an invaluable resource for historical research and remembrance.