The Society for the Preservation of Nature Monuments under the German occupation

On 5 January 2026, the preliminary research began on the Dutch Society for the Preservation of Nature Monuments (‘Natuurmonumenten’) under the German occupation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. The research was launched in response to Natuurmonumenten’s request that NIOD investigate the actions and attitude of the organisation, its board and its individual employees in the period around the Second World War. This request, in turn, was motivated by the publication of the book Rentmeester van nature; Pieter G. van Tienhoven by Frank Saris, on the well-known Dutch nature conservationist Pieter G. van Tienhoven (2024).

The aim of the preliminary research is to examine the full scope of the relevant source material, which can then be used to formulate pertinent research questions for a (potentially) broader historical study on the actions and attitude of Natuurmonumenten during the Second World War. Areas of interest include the administrative and personal relations of those involved with Natuurmonumenten and the various occupation authorities. Attention will also be paid to the practice of nature conservation work in national and international contexts in the first half of the twentieth century.  

The results of the preliminary research will be made public after its completion. This is expected to be in the autumn of 2026