Headline:
Unveiling the Past: Dutch Collaboration Dossiers Go Online, Stirring Emotions for Families
Article:
The wait is over. Since this morning, a register containing names of those who collaborated with the occupiers during World War II, or were suspected of doing so, has been made accessible online. This move has sparked a mix of emotions and curiosity among descendants and researchers eager to delve into their family history.
Among them is Rinke Smedinga, whose father, Piet Smedinga, served as a high-ranking guard, or ‘opperwachtmeester,’ in Kamp Westerbork during the war. While Rinke has already reviewed his father’s dossier after his passing in 2001, today marked the first time he could access files relating to a friend of his father’s, Klaas Carel Faber, described as a notorious war criminal.
"I want to understand how it was," Rinke told the NOS. "My father remained silent, and he lied about things." Through Faber’s dossiers, Rinke hopes to gain further insights into his father’s life and actions during the tumultuous period.
Piet Smedinga was born in 1921 in Smilde and joined the NSB (Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging in Nederland) even before the war. After training with the Waffen-SS in Munich, he worked as an ‘opperwachtmeester’ in Kamp Westerbork and later with the ‘Ordnungspolizei.’
In a poignant moment, Rinke recalled his father taking him to Kamp Westerbork when he was 13. There, Piet shared a story about an execution in the camp, carried out by his friend Klaas, who was also part of the Ordnungspolizei.
Now, with the collaboration dossiers online, descendants like Rinke can access these records at the National Archives, shedding light on their family’s past and the complex dynamics of the war. The move has been a long time coming, offering a chance for closure and understanding for many affected by the war’s shadows.
