Netherlands Publishes List of Suspected Nazi Helpers

Some uncomfortable family histories may be unearthed in the Netherlands, where a digitized list of suspected Nazi collaborators during World War II has just been made public. The names of about 425,000 people are in the database digitized by the Huygens Institute, reports Euro News. All were investigated at the end of World War II, and their names have previously been accessible only through a physical visit to the Dutch National Archives in the Hague, notes the BBC.

"This archive contains important stories for both present and future generations," the institute says in a statement. "From children who want to know what their father did in the war, to historians researching the gray areas of collaboration." The list of names includes all those investigated for collaborating with the Nazis during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945—including those who were cleared. The BBC points out one tangible way the unearthed names could affect present-day Netherlands: Roughly 20% of residents are iffy about the children of collaborators holding public office. (More Netherlands stories.)