rdeknijf/nationaal-archief

Nationaal Archief — Dutch National Archive

Search person-level indexed records at the Dutch National Archive. Two complementary APIs, both JSON, no browser needed.

Note: The Nationaal Archief does NOT hold civil registration records (births, marriages, deaths) — those are at regional archives via WieWasWie and OpenArchieven. The NA specializes in military, WWII, colonial, and government records.

Record types

| Source type | Description | Notes | |---|---|---| | Stamboeken | Military service record books | Army and navy | | Staten van Dienst | Military service records | By birth year cohort | | CABR dossiers | WWII collaboration investigations | Restricted until 2027, index searchable | | Tewerkgesteldenregistratie | WWII forced labor registration | | | Beheersdossier | Post-war management dossiers (NBI) | Property/persons | | Personeelsadministratie | Personnel files | VOC, government | | Verzoekschriften | Petitions archive | 1878+ | | Registratie onderscheidingen | Military decorations/honors | | | Persoonsdossiers | Personal dossiers | Various origins |

Primary method: Open Archives API

The Nationaal Archief's indexed person records are available via the same Open Archives API used by other archive skills. Archive code: ghn.

Step 1: Search for persons

curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=SURNAME&archive_code=ghn&lang=nl&number_show=20"

Parameters:

| Parameter | Description | Example | |---|---|---| | name | Search query (surname, full name, or couple) | Knijf, Jan+de+Knijf | | archive_code | Must be ghn for Nationaal Archief | ghn | | sourcetype | Filter by record type | Stamboeken, CABR dossiers, Tewerkgesteldenregistratie | | number_show | Results per page (max 100) | 20 | | start | Pagination offset | 0, 20, 40 | | lang | Language | nl, en | | sort | Sort order (negative = desc) | 1 (name), 4 (date), -4 (date desc) |

Example searches:

# All NA records for "Knijf"
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Knijf&archive_code=ghn&lang=nl&number_show=20"

# Military service records only
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Knijf&archive_code=ghn&sourcetype=Stamboeken&lang=nl&number_show=20"

# WWII forced labor records
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Knijf&archive_code=ghn&sourcetype=Tewerkgesteldenregistratie&lang=nl&number_show=20"

# CABR (collaboration) dossiers
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Knijf&archive_code=ghn&sourcetype=CABR+dossiers&lang=nl&number_show=20"

Response fields per result:

• personname — full name
• eventtype — event type
• eventdate — {day, month, year}
• eventplace — array of place names
• sourcetype — record type (Stamboeken, CABR dossiers, etc.)
• identifier — UUID for detail lookup
• url — link to OpenArchieven record page

Step 2: View full record

curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/show.json?archive=ghn&identifier=UUID&lang=nl"

Or view in browser: https://www.openarchieven.nl/ghn:UUID

The record page shows the full name, birth date/place, archive reference numbers (inventory number + dossier number), and source archive details.

Secondary method: GAF inventory API

For finding archive inventory references (useful when you need the physical file location for an on-site request):

curl -s "https://service.archief.nl/gaf/api/search?q=SURNAME&rows=10&start=0"

Parameters:

| Parameter | Description | |---|---| | q | Search term | | rows | Results per page | | start | Pagination offset | | dao | Set to true to filter for records with digital scans | | eadid | Filter by specific inventory (e.g., 2.13.259 for army records 1911-1920) |

Response fields:

• unittitle — record title (often contains person name)
• eadid — inventory number (e.g., 2.13.257)
• unitid — unit within inventory
• availability — PHYSICAL or DIGITAL
• unitdate — date range
• subtitle — archive/collection name

Useful inventory numbers (eadid):

| eadid | Description | |---|---| | 2.13.257 | Staten van Dienst Koninklijke Marine 1900-1920 | | 2.13.259 | Staten van Dienst Koninklijke Landmacht 1911-1920 | | 2.09.16.08 | Nederlands Beheersinstituut dossiers | | 2.05.117 | Buitenlandse Zaken code-archief 1945-1954 |

Workflow

For person searches (WWII, military, colonial):

1. Search via Open Archives API with archive_code=ghn
2. Filter by sourcetype if you know what record type to look for
3. Fetch full record details for matches
4. Note inventory numbers for physical records that need on-site viewing

For finding specific archive files:

1. Search GAF API with person name
2. Note eadid and unitid for the matching inventory entry
3. Check availability — if DIGITAL, scans may be viewable online
4. If PHYSICAL, note the reference for an on-site request

Limitations

• CABR dossiers are "beperkt openbaar" (restricted access) until 2027 — the index is searchable but the actual files require on-site viewing with special permission
• Most military records are physical-only — the index tells you they exist but viewing requires a visit to The Hague or a reproduction request
• Red Cross war archive (Rode Kruis Oorlogsarchief) is NOT accessible via the API — it may require on-site access or a separate search tool
• No civil registration — use WieWasWie, OpenArchieven, or regional archives for births, marriages, deaths

Output format

## Nationaal Archief Result

**Person:** [name]
**Record type:** [sourcetype]
**Event:** [type], [date] in [place]

**Archive reference:** inventory [eadid], unit [unitid]
**Availability:** [PHYSICAL / DIGITAL]
**OpenArchieven URL:** https://www.openarchieven.nl/ghn:[identifier]

**Confidence:** Tier B — official government archive record via Nationaal Archief index

For CABR dossiers, note: "Restricted access — index data only, full dossier requires on-site viewing."