Questions about the adoption of names
Adopting one or more names is easily done in three steps on the page 'Adopt a name' on this website.
Choose a name or names
Search in the database for the name or names that you want to adopt, or let the computer choose a name for you.
Enter your contact details
Enter your name, email and address so that we can send you a confirmation email of the name adoption and your certificate in the post.
Verification and payment
Verify all your details and choose how you wish to pay. You will receive a confirmation email specifying the names you have adopted and the amount you have donated.
Anyone can adopt one or more names on the Dutch Holocaust Memorial of Names. You can adopt the name of a specific victim or victims, or you can adopt names without preference for any particular individuals. Therefore you do not need to have any direct relationship victims in order to adopt names. Companies can also adopt names. You will receive a certificate as confirmation of the adoption.
Start your adoption here >>
Yes you can. The website adoption process allows you to choose a name or names from the database. If you submit an adoption request in writing, you can indicate the name(s) you wish to adopt. As a keepsake of the adoption, you will receive a certificate bearing the name or names you have adopted.
Start your adoption here >>
The database containing the names for the Dutch Holocaust Memorial of Names is based on data from the War Graves Foundation (
Oorlogsgravenstichting), the
Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre and the
Digital Monument of the Jewish Community in the Netherlands.
None of these lists is complete. Building the Dutch Holocaust Memorial of Names provides an opportunity to correct omissions and rectify mistakes on these lists. If you think that a particular name is missing or discover a mistake in the database on the Choose a name page, you can indicate this with the
Correction form.
Yes it can. After all, more than one person may want to adopt a particular name. We don’t want people to be prevented from adopting a name just because somebody else has already adopted it. Adoption is therefore not exclusive. The goal of the adoption programme, after all, is to raise enough money to build the Holocaust Memorial of Names.
You can adopt as many names as you wish. There are two ways to do this. You can look for another new name in the search menu. When you find the name you want, you can add it to your adoption list with the green cross. You can add new names like this as often as you wish, even if you let the computer choose names for you. Six names fit on each adoption certificate. Choose more than six names and you will receive more certificates. You can arrange the names in any desired order.
The second way allows you to simply select the number of names you wish to adopt. This method is primarily intended for companies, schools, municipalities and other organizations that wish to adopt a number of names with or on behalf of staff, students or residents. The certificate will then specify only the number of names adopted.
Adopting one name costs 50 euros (or 70 USD). Your contribution constitutes a donation to a recognized non-profit cultural institution for general benefit (ANBI). Because of that, your donation is 125% tax deductible on your tax return.
We urge you most strongly to adopt names via the website. That’s because the whole process of adoption, payment, production and issuing certificates is computerized. In the event that you want to adopt and really cannot do that via the website, then please phone the secretariat on: +31 (0)6 2167 0395.
Victims will be stated on the monument with their first name, family name, date of birth and age at time of death.
Every six weeks we send new data for the adoption certificates to the printer. So, normally your certificates should reach you within seven weeks, although shipment abroad may take a little longer. If you didn't receive your certificate after this period of time, please contact
our bureau. We will then find out what might have gone wrong and will see to it that you will receive the certificate as soon as possible.
Yes, you can have more copies of your certificate. We ask 10 euro's for handling, printing and sending of every additional certificate. You can send your
command to our bureau.