Frequently Asked Questions

The conversation about the restitution of cultural objects from a colonial context has been going on for some time. In 2019, then-minister Van Engelshoven (Education, Culture and Science) requested advice from the Raad voor Cultuur (Council for Culture) on how to proceed carefully with colonial collections. The advice Colonial Collection and a Recognition of Injustice was published in 2020. The recommendations in this advice are based on the recognition of historical injustice and a willingness to redress this injustice to the fullest extent possible. These recommendations were adopted by the minister in her Policy vision collections from a colonial context (in Dutch) from January 2021. In July 2022, this was followed up by a Letter to the Parliament on the implementation of this policy vision. As part of this implementation, the Colonial Collections Committee was established. This Committee advises the Minister of Education, Culture and Science on requests for the restitution of cultural objects in the possession of the State of the Netherlands. Subsequently, the Colonial Collections Consortium was formed to bring together knowledge and expertise on colonial collections, provenance research and international collaboration. The consortium supports and facilitates (provenance) research and (public) access to colonial collections, and is a central point of contact for stakeholders.

This policy concerns objects originating from former Dutch colonies that became part of the Dutch State Collection during the colonial period. The Minister of Education, Culture and Science acts as owner of these objects on behalf of the State and can decide on restitution in response to a request for restitution from a country of origin to the Netherlands. For this purpose, the independent Colonial Collections Committee advises the minister about restitution requests based on provenance research. Read more about the Colonial Collections Committee here.

No conditions will be attached to the return of objects taken from a former Dutch colony against the will of the owners. In other words, the restitution is unconditional. The country of origin and the Netherlands can talk about international cooperation that allows broad accessibility and sustainable management and conservation of cultural goods.

Archives are not part of the policy vision concerning collections from a colonial context. With archives, in addition to the physical archive, accessibility to the information they contain is also important, which is why the Council for Culture issued a separate advice for archives from a colonial context in March 2024. The report Managing shared sources relating to the colonial past (in Dutch) can be found here. Nothing is known so far about the policy vision and implementation following this advice.

The policy for careful handling of collections from a colonial context focuses on objects that are part of the Dutch State Collection. Collections owned by private individuals are not included in this policy.

If you are a private individual in possession of collections from a colonial context, you are entitled to manage your collections as you see fit. It is recommended, in alignment with the policy’s vision, to conduct provenance research to trace the history of your collections. This research may involve examining archival records, personal diaries of previous owners, or gathering oral histories from family members. Should your provenance research reveal that the collections were acquired involuntarily during the colonial period, it is advisable to consider returning them to the communities of origin. Even if no evidence of involuntary acquisition is found, you may still choose to renounce ownership by donating the collections to the communities of origin, a local museum in their region, or a museum in The Netherlands.

Museums in The Netherlands are not obliged to acquire collections that are offered by private owners. Museums first consider whether the object is an important addition to their collection and whether they can take care of it. Criteria for acquisition may vary from per museum.

From the seventeenth century onwards, the Netherlands had colonies and trading posts in several continents. Dutch soldiers, colonists and traders made their mark on local societies. This history has been characterised by violence, exploitation, oppression, racism and inequality, also with regard to ownership of and access to cultural heritage. In the context of unequal power relations during the colonial period, cultural objects were often looted or otherwise taken against the will of the owners. These objects can now often be found in the Netherlands; in museums, universities and other institutions administering collections or in private collections. There are collections with objects from colonial contexts in all shapes and sizes, including art objects, religious objects, historical objects, jewellery, natural history objects and everyday objects.

The Dutch colonial collections consist of a wide range of cultural heritage objects, including art objects, religious objects, historical objects, jewellery, natural history objects and utensils. In total there are hundreds of thousands of objects.

Provenance research is one of the core tasks of institutions administering collections. Part of this is the question whether objects from a colonial context have come into their collection in a just manner. In the case of a restitution request, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science seeks advice from the independent Colonial Collections Committee. The Committee advises on the basis of provenance research provided by the institution managing the collection. To conduct this research, the institution seeks collaboration with experts from the source country.

The provenance history of an object is often complex, and information about an object’s provenance is rarely complete. While much is known about some objects because of good documentation, little is known about others. A balance between diligence and expeditiousness is therefore sought in policy and implementation. It is up to the Colonial Collections Committee to assess the quality of provenance research and determine whether there has been involuntary loss of possession.

This requires research. This research is carried out by the managing institution, ideally in collaboration with experts from the country of origin, and if necessary supported by the Colonial Collections Consortium. Although the process of restitution starts with a request from a State, it is important for museums in the Netherlands to be transparent about the collections they manage. The Consortium supports collection accessibility by developing the datahub: a digital platform that brings together, enriches and provides insight into information about collections from a colonial context. Part of this platform are various digital research aids, which can assist you in conducting (provenance) research into Dutch colonial collections.

The Colonial Collections Consortium is a partnership between Museum Bronbeek, the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), the Rijksmuseum, and the Wereldmuseum. The State Secretary for Culture and Media brought these organisations together in 2022 because of their expertise in colonial collections, provenance research and international collaboration.

To support the Consortium, the Bureau Colonial Collections Consortium has been established at the Cultural Heritage Agency. The Bureau is the point of contact for stakeholders from countries of origin and the Netherlands. Please use the contact form to get in touch with the Bureau.

The Consortium started with five institutions that have jointly drawn up a plan of action for the period 2022 to 2025. It is currently not possible for institutions to become part of the Consortium.

The Consortium carries out several projects to support Dutch institutions managing collections to conduct provenance research. Two examples are the development of the datahub and the digital research aids. The datahub is a digital platform that brings together, enriches and provides insight into information about collections from a colonial context. It also allows researchers from source countries and from the Netherlands to add knowledge about objects. The digital research aids provide support for additional and in-depth research into objects, collectors or collections.

The Consortium also supports international collaboration, for example by facilitating international fellowship programmes and museum trainings. The Consortium supports research on collections from a colonial context through the NIAS-NIOD-KITLV Fellowship Moving Objects, Mobilising Culture in the Context of (De)colonisation. These activities provide the opportunity for Dutch collection-managing institutions to collaborate with and learn from researchers and fellows from countries of origin.  

Besides the activities of the Consortium, the policy on handling collections from a colonial context also includes grants from NWO and scholarships from Nuffic. You can find more information about these grants and scholarships here. 

Working in partnership with countries and communities of origin is essential for handling collections from a colonial context carefully and justly. Conversations with stakeholders have revealed that, besides restitution, there is a need for broad collaboration when it comes to museums and collections. The Consortium contributes to this collaboration by facilitating and co-creating museum trainings and international visitor programmes. The Consortium also brings together stakeholders from the Netherlands and countries of origin by connecting individuals and organisations.