The Netherlands has published an online database revealing the names of nearly 425,000 individuals investigated for suspected collaboration with the Nazis during World War II.
During the German occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945, a special judicial system was established to investigate wartime collaborators, resulting in over 32 million pages of records, Reuters reported.
While more than 150,000 people faced penalties, only a fraction of the cases led to court trials. Until now, these files were accessible solely at the Dutch National Archives in The Hague.
The digitization project, supported by the Huygens Institute and Dutch ministries, aims to modernize access to the archives while balancing privacy concerns.
The online database includes names, birth dates, and locations of individuals but omits details of the allegations or verdicts.
Descendants, historians, and journalists can request access to full records in person, though sensitive information about living individuals is excluded.
Despite the limitations, the database has reignited public discourse about collaboration, wartime trauma, and the responsibilities of remembrance.
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