Court rules heritage group was rightly excluded from Nazi bunker sale

A Dutch court has upheld the decision to exclude heritage organization BOEi from bidding for the former bunker of Nazi leader Arthur Seyss-Inquart at the Clingendael estate in Wassenaar. The District Court of The Hague ruled on Tuesday that the exclusion was justified because BOEi's representatives had contacted the only other bidder, breaching the tender rules.

BOEi had wanted to purchase and restore the historic bunker, but its bid was rejected by the Central Government Real Estate Agency.

BOEi contacted the only other bidder, a real estate entrepreneur from The Hague, after the tender had closed. The heritage organization proposed that the entrepreneur buy the bunker while allowing BOEi to carry out its restoration plans.

The State viewed the proposal as an attempt to coordinate the bids, arguing that the entrepreneur could submit a lower offer without having to compete against BOEi. The heritage organization was subsequently disqualified.

BOEi challenged the decision in summary proceedings, but the District Court of The Hague ruled on Tuesday that its exclusion was justified.

It is not yet clear what the ruling means for the sale of the bunker, now that only one bidder remains. “We cannot comment on the next steps in the sales process,” the Central Government Real Estate Agency said.

During World War II, Arthur Seyss-Inquart served as Reich Commissioner, leading the German occupation of the Netherlands. He took up residence at the seized Clingendael estate near The Hague, where a heavily fortified bunker was built in the surrounding woods in 1942. Designed to resemble a farmhouse, the structure was officially named Command Post Clingendael and featured concrete walls several meters thick. It was designated a national heritage monument in 2015.

The Central Government Real Estate Agency listed the bunker for sale last year, requiring potential buyers to submit plans for its future use. Those plans had to reflect and respect the building's historical significance.

BOEi, short for the National Society for the Restoration and Repurposing of Cultural Heritage, owns several other historic sites in the Netherlands. These include the former ENCI limestone quarry in Maastricht, the Singraven estate in Twente, and the former Blokhuispoort prison in Leeuwarden.