News item | 16-12-2025 | 4:00 PM
From February 2, 2026, there will be more room for citizens and scientists to digitally consult the Central Archives for Special Legal Affairs (CABR). Anyone with a research interest, such as relatives of victims, can, under certain conditions, conduct research in the war archives at 11 Regional Historical Centers. There will also be a facility aimed at scientific research at the NIOD in Amsterdam. Minister Gouke Moes (OCW) wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives. Earlier this year, a temporary facility was opened in the National Archives in The Hague, where interest exceeded the available space.
The CABR is the largest and most consulted archive on the Second World War in the Netherlands. The archive contains files of people who were investigated after the Second World War because they were suspected of collaboration with the German occupier. For a long time, research in the CABR was only possible by consulting the paper files. Digitization ensures that the war archives are much more accessible. For example, it is possible to search by names of victims. To date, approximately 30% of the war archives have been digitized.
Minister Moes: “There is great interest in the digitized war archive. With this expansion, the temporary facility is accessible throughout the country. Given the advanced age of many interested parties, it is important to offer this option close to home. Relatives and other involved parties can search by names or places. This offers them the opportunity to find out the fate of loved ones from the war years after 80 years.”
A temporary facility will be created for scientific research at the NIOD, the institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam. From the beginning of February it will be possible to reserve a place at the RHCs and the NIOD. More information about registration can be found at that time on the websites of the relevant organizations.
Online searchability law change
The temporary facility has a limited capacity and is an emergency solution to provide access to the digitized part of the war archives. To make the CABR fully searchable online for everyone, with context and linked to other war resources, the minister plans to send a proposal for a change in the law to the House of Representatives in January 2026. This change should ensure a better balance between protecting personal data and guaranteeing access to government information and cultural heritage.
Adequate protection of personal data
When developing the temporary facility, sufficient protection of personal data was carefully considered. The War for the Judge consortium (National Archives, WO2Net, NIOD and Huygens Institute) has taken all kinds of measures to safeguard the privacy of living people. Visitors who discover documents during their research that should not be shown can indicate this. This may concern personal data of a living person, a photo subject to portrait rights 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 not to show a document is justified.