Search NIMH (Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie) records for Dutch military personnel. 178,897 records accessible via OpenArchieven API (archive_code=nim): Stamboeken (141K), Persoonskaarten (64K), Persoonsdossiers (26K), Krijgsgevangenedossiers/POW files (22K), Koninklijke Besluiten/decorations (16K), Flying Personnel (900). Coverage ~1700-1929. Also documents the formal request process for post-1920 military records. Use this skill when: "search NIMH", "military history", "navy records", "marine records", "stamboek", "krijgsgevangene", "POW records", "military decoration", "/nimh", or when looking for Dutch military service records. Also use for KNIL-adjacent searches (note: KNIL pension records are at SAIP, not NIMH). No login required for online records.
Search Dutch military personnel records from the Netherlands Institute for Military History. Part of the Ministry of Defence.
NIMH's indexed records are in OpenArchieven under archive code nim.
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=SURNAME&archive_code=nim&lang=nl&number_show=25"
| Source type | Records | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stamboeken | 141,348 | Regimental service records (1700-1929) |
| Persoonskaarten | 64,758 | Personnel cards |
| Persoonsdossiers | 26,457 | Personal files |
| Krijgsgevangenedossier | 22,579 | WWII POW files |
| Koninklijk Besluit |
| 16,251 |
| Royal decrees (decorations) |
| Database Vliegend Personeel | 901 | Flying personnel |
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
name | Surname (required) | Brouwer |
archive_code | Must be nim | nim |
sourcetype | Filter by record type | Stamboeken, Krijgsgevangenedossier |
number_show | Results per page (max 100) | 25 |
start | Pagination offset | 0, 25 |
# All NIMH records for "Brouwer"
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Brouwer&archive_code=nim&lang=nl&number_show=25"
# Only Stamboeken (military service books)
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Brouwer&archive_code=nim&sourcetype=Stamboeken&lang=nl&number_show=25"
# POW records
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Brouwer&archive_code=nim&sourcetype=Krijgsgevangenedossier&lang=nl&number_show=25"
# Military decorations
curl -s "https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/search.json?name=Brouwer&archive_code=nim&sourcetype=Koninklijk+Besluit&lang=nl&number_show=25"
Same as other OpenArchieven searches:
personname, relationtype, eventtype, eventdate, eventplacesourcetype, archive_code, identifier, urlRecord detail: https://api.openarchieven.nl/1.1/records/show.json?archive=nim&identifier=UUID&lang=nl
Browser view: https://www.openarchieven.nl/nim:UUID
These have more detailed search forms than the OpenArchieven API:
| Database | URL | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Napoleon army | archieven.nl search with miadt=2231 | 53,000 |
| Merchant Marine WWII | archieven.nl search with miadt=2231 | 65,000 |
| Dapperheidsonderscheidingen | archieven.nl search with miadt=2231 | 1815-1963 |
| Women's Auxiliary Corps | archieven.nl search with miadt=2231 | WWII |
These overlap with the OpenArchieven data but offer different filters (role, date range). Use as a fallback if API search is insufficient.
Personnel records for people born after 1920 are NOT in any online database. They must be requested from the Ministry of Defence:
URL: https://www.defensie.nl/onderwerpen/archief/persoonsarchief
What you get:
Process:
NIMH has some KNIL-adjacent records (stamboeken with colonial postings),
but dedicated KNIL pension and service records are at SAIP (Stichting
Administratie Indonesische Pensioenen) — saip.nl. SAIP has no skill yet.
## NIMH Result
**Person:** [name]
**Record type:** [sourcetype]
**Event:** [type], [date] in [place]
**Archive reference:** NIMH via OpenArchieven
**Record URL:** https://www.openarchieven.nl/nim:[identifier]
**Confidence:** Tier B — official military archive record via NIMH index