On 28 May 2003 an official meeting in The Hague celebrated the restitution by the Russian government of a series of Dutch archives that were stolen by the Nazis during WW II and subsequently confiscated by the Soviet security organs. Together with other records taken from many European countries, they were stored in a top-secret repository in Moscow -- constructed by German POWs -- where they remained hidden until 1991.
The IISH received about 70 folders containing the records of a number of pacifist and anti-militarist organizations active in prewar neutral Holland, most notably:
- Amsterdamse Vredesraad
- Vereniging voor Volkenbond en Vrede
- Bond voor Internationale Vriendschap
- Vereeniging voor Internationale Vriendschap en Wereldvrede
- Vereeniging voor Internationale Vriendschap en Wereldvrede Amsterdam
- Stichting Vredeskamer in 's-Gravenhage
- Kring Amsterdam van de Nooit Meer Oorlog Federatie
- Vredepersbureau
- Humanitaire en Idealistische Radio Omroep
The restitution is the result of negotiations that started in 1992, shortly after the demise of the Soviet Union. Not everything that was lost has now been recovered, but there is hope that more may be found.
See also: Russia: Archives and Restitution