Old Files Reveal New Disputes Over a Family’s Nazi Past

A surprising message on Instagram put Judith Zilversmit, an Amsterdam journalist, on a path to uncover unsettling details about her family’s past. In October 2023, an unknown woman reached out to her about a betrayal during World War II involving Zilversmit’s family.

The sender, Ingeborg Boelen, a Belgian residing near the Dutch border, revealed a startling connection. She had discovered her grandmother’s involvement with Nazi collaborators through an old newspaper article, describing how her grandmother betrayed Zilversmit’s father and family during the war.

For several months now, I’ve had a knot in my stomach. I would like to share something with you, but I am so afraid of writing something wrong.

The message revealed that Boelen had secured her grandmother’s criminal file from a Belgian archive. This file contained specifics about her grandmother’s collaboration with the Nazis. Boelen offered to share this information, encouraging Zilversmit to reach out if interested.

Zilversmit, then 49, was initially taken aback by this unexpected revelation and felt uneasy. She had known the broader aspects of her family’s Holocaust history. Her late father, Hans, had shared their story of fleeing Holland for Belgium when Germany invaded in 1940.

The message marked a new chapter in the family’s history, reopening wounds and sparking a new dispute over past actions and their implications today.