WILLEMSTAD – The government of Curaçao formally requested the return of important colonial-era archives from the Netherlands in 2024, according to a newly published policy response by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
The document outlines how the Netherlands plans to handle colonial archives and historical collections linked to former colonies, including Curaçao and the other Caribbean islands. It confirms that Curaçao already submitted a restitution request concerning the so-called “Old Archives of Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba until 1828” as well as archives created after 1828.
According to the Dutch government, the archives are currently held at the National Archives in the Netherlands because preservation conditions there were historically considered better and because the collections could be properly inventoried and managed.
The Dutch ministry now says the request from Curaçao will be reviewed under a new national framework dealing with colonial archives and restitution claims.
The policy response acknowledges that colonial archives contain information of “shared importance” because they document not only Dutch colonial administration but also the histories of the populations living in former colonies.
Dutch authorities state that these archives can play an important role in recognizing historical injustice connected to slavery, colonial exploitation, and unequal power structures that continue to affect society today.
The Netherlands plans to establish an independent commission of archive experts in 2026 to evaluate restitution requests. The commission will assess the legal ownership, historical origin, and circumstances under which archives were transferred to the Netherlands.
Under the proposed framework, archives that were transferred without consent or under pressure are expected in principle to be returned to their country of origin.
The Dutch government also stated that Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba will be treated similarly to sovereign states when submitting archive restitution requests.
At the same time, the Netherlands emphasized that decisions on returning archives will involve balancing the interests of all parties connected to the shared colonial history, including diaspora communities and researchers worldwide.
The policy response further confirms that the Dutch government will invest in large-scale digitization and improved access to colonial archives so that communities and researchers across the world can consult the material regardless of where the physical archives are eventually located.