News item | 27-05-2025 | 15:30
On July 1, the digitized part of the Central Archive Special Judicial Safety (CABR) will be searchable at the National Archives (NA) in The Hague. People with an investigation interest, such as the relatives of victims, can investigate this in the reading room under certain conditions. It is currently a third of the total war archive. On June 23, a week before the opening, interested parties can reserve via the website of it after a place behind the computer. The National Archive has taken various measures to protect the privacy of possibly still living persons in the files.
The Cabr is the largest and most consulted archive about the Second World War in the Netherlands. The archive includes files of people who were investigated after the Second World War because they were suspected of collaboration with the German occupier. Until now, research in the CABR has only been possible by consulting the paper files.
Minister Eppo Bruins (OCW): ,, The digitization of our war archive is very important. The paper archive with a length of four kilometers has been formed with files in name. Only by digitizing the archive and making it fully searchable is it possible for, for example, to search for the relatives of victims or neighbors of hiding providers in the archive. They can search for the name of victims or places for the first time. This opens new possibilities to be able to find out after 80 years what the fate was of family or other loved ones in the war years. “
With five computers, the temporary facility has a limited capacity in the reading room of the National Archive. More is not feasible for the National Archives. It is expected that there is more interest than there is room at the NA. That is why there is consultation with the Regional Historical Centers to make digital research possible in the region later this year. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is allocating 5.1 million euros for the technical development of the temporary provision, the layout of the facility at the NA and in the long term at the regional historical centers throughout the country.
Sufficient protection of personal data
In the development of the temporary facility, good look at sufficient protection of personal data. The Consortium War in court (National Archives, WW2Net, NIOD and Huygens Institute) has taken all kinds of measures to guarantee the privacy of living people. Visitors who discover documents during their research that should not be shown can be indicated. It can be the personal data of a person who is still alive, a photo on which portrait rights rest or personal documents such as a letter or diary. These documents will not be shown for the time being and an independent committee will then assess whether the request to show a document is well -founded.
The Minister has asked the Dutch Data Protection Authority for advice on the temporary provision. In addition, he also consulted the war war in court and the general government archivist. The measures that have already been taken are largely in line with the advice of the AP. A number of additional measures are also processed in the system before it opens on 1 July.
For example, the minister finds it very important that visitors are pointed out to the requirements set by the AVG for the processing and distribution of personal data and various measures have been taken for this. The terminals are protected against the distribution of digital pieces and it is not permitted to make copies of the digitized archive.
Registering the search behavior of visitors is the only advice from the AP that the minister does not fully take over. He finds it a violation of privacy to follow search behavior, to record and check visitors who are researching the fate of their families or conducting research from a scientific perspective.
Amendment
The temporary provision is an emergency solution. For the possibility of consulting the CACT via the internet, the minister made a proposal to amend the law. This change must make it possible to find a better balance between the importance of protecting personal data and the importance of accessing government information and cultural heritage.
Various organizations such as the AP, the Public Access and Information Management Advisory Court and the General State Archivist have now given advice on the bill. Individuals and other stakeholders have been able to respond via an internet consultation. These advice and feedback are studied and processed, after which the bill is submitted to the Council of State, the highest advisory body of the government. The bill is then offered to the Lower and Senate.