The bill announced by Minister Bruins (OCW) to make the digitized Central Archive of Special Legal Proceedings (CABR) accessible online is now open for internet consultation. This proposal aims to legally balance the protection of personal data with access to government information and cultural heritage.

Minister Bruins: “It is very important that the relatives of victims from World War II can find more information about the fate of their loved ones. Furthermore, I want to encourage research and education about World War II and the Holocaust. The eyewitnesses will not be around much longer: the heritage must tell the story. To connect young people with this painful past, it is important to reach them on their own ground, and that is online.”

Previously, Bruins found himself forced to postpone the planned online opening of the war archive on January 2, 2025, following a warning letter from the AP (Authority for Personal Data). The CABR is the largest and most consulted archive on World War II in the Netherlands. The archive contains files of individuals who were investigated for collaboration with the German occupier after World War II.

The bill provides archivists the ability to weigh the importance of online accessibility of an archive against the protection of personal data. There is always an obligation to minimize privacy risks as much as possible. This legislative amendment aims to make the digitized Central Archive of Special Legal Proceedings (CABR) accessible online to a broad audience.

Access to paper files of the war archive remains possible until the legislative amendment. Due to the high interest in the CABR, the reading room of the National Archive is often fully booked.

In the second quarter of 2025, the war archive is expected to be digitally searchable on a limited scale at the National Archive. People with research interests, including relatives of victims, can conduct research in the digitized war archive under conditions at the reading room in The Hague. Currently, this applies to one-third of the war archive.

There is also consultation with the Regional Historical Centers for more capacity to enable digital research in the region later this year. Naturally, this will be done with due regard for the sufficient protection of personal data of possibly living individuals mentioned in the files.

Through internet consultations, anyone can express their opinion about laws and regulations that are in preparation. Interested parties can respond to the proposed legislative amendment until April 28. The AP, the Advisory Committee on Openness and Information Management (ACOI), the general national archivist, and the Advisory Committee on Regulatory Burden (AcTR) will also be consulted for advice.

The feedback will be processed, after which the bill will be submitted to the Council of State, the governments highest advisory body. Subsequently, the bill will be submitted to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

You can respond here until April 28, 2025