Openbaarheidsbeperking means a limitation on the public availability; an access restriction. You may come across the term in finding aids or archival descriptions.
Under the Archiefwet [Archive Law] of 1995, records created by the government are public, and access can only be restricted on three grounds:
- Privacy of living people,
- The interests of the real or its allies,
- Disproportionate disadvantage for another reason.
Repositories can also refuse access to original records if reproductions are available (e.g. scans, microfilms, photocopies) or if the material condition is too poor.
For genealogists, as a rule of thumb, records less than 110 years old may have access restrictions on them. You may be able to get an exemption to access restricted records.
Finding records in the repository. Credits: US National Archives (no known copyrights)
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