Truth & privacy in the National Archives

Apr 29, 2022 | Crime, Justice, Videos

During World War II and the Holocaust, more than 75% of the Jewish population in the Netherlands was killed. That is a higher percentage than countries like Belgium and France. During World War II, the Dutch were among the biggest opposition to the German and Nazi invasion. And because of that, many of them were prosecuted.

But the truth never came out. People in the Netherlands never found out who betrayed their parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers. Until now.

Paul Hellman and Andrea Speijer are two Dutchmen trying to find out the truth. Thanks to the access to the National Archives, they managed to dig out the criminal records of Dutch people. Following World War II, many of these criminals were prosecuted for war crimes.

The documentary focuses on several personal stories from Jewish families, but also with archives that desperately belong in the digital world. Families share their thoughts, but also arguments why the criminal records should be available to the public. There is a long history of battle and arguments between people in the Netherlands, and it boils down to the privacy of the prosecuted people and their families, and the interest of relatives of Holocaust victims.

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