Belgium's Railways Face Justice for WWII Holocaust Deportations

Dr. Annette Baumgartner · 2026-07-29

It's a chapter of history that many would rather forget, but Belgium is finally confronting it head-on. The country's national railway company, known as SNCB/NMBS, is now facing legal action over its role in deporting thousands of Jews during World War II. For families who lost loved ones, this lawsuit isn't just about money—it's about acknowledgment, accountability, and making sure the past is never buried. ### A Painful History Resurfaces Between 1942 and 1944, Belgian trains transported more than 25,000 Jews and Roma from the Mechelen transit camp to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fewer than 1,200 survived. For decades, the railway company operated as if those journeys never happened, but a group of survivors and descendants has now filed a lawsuit demanding recognition and compensation. The case is built on the argument that the railway company knowingly profited from these deportations. While the company has expressed regret in recent years, plaintiffs argue that regret without responsibility is hollow. They want the courts to formally declare that the railway's actions were illegal, opening the door to reparations. ### Why This Case Matters Now You might wonder why this is coming up 75 years after the war ended. The answer is complicated, but a few key factors stand out: - Survivors are aging, and many feel a moral urgency to see justice before they pass away - Newly declassified documents in Belgium and abroad have shed light on the railway's internal communications during the occupation - A broader global movement has pushed companies and governments to reckon with wartime profiteering This lawsuit is part of a larger pattern. In France, similar cases have led to settlements, and in the Netherlands, the national railway recently agreed to pay compensation to survivors. Belgium's case could set a powerful precedent for other countries still grappling with their wartime roles. ### What the Plaintiffs Are Asking For At its core, the lawsuit seeks three things. First, a formal declaration that the railway's participation in deportations was a crime against humanity. Second, financial compensation for survivors and heirs—amounts that could reach into the millions of dollars. Third, a public memorial and educational program so that future generations understand what happened. Critics of the lawsuit argue that the modern railway company is a different entity from the one that operated under Nazi occupation. But plaintiffs counter that the company's corporate identity, assets, and infrastructure remained largely intact after the war. They see this as a matter of continuity, not a technicality. ### What Happens Next The Belgian courts are expected to hear the case in the coming months, and the outcome could ripple far beyond the country's borders. Legal experts say the decision will hinge on whether the court recognizes the railway's actions as part of a systematic genocide—not just wartime logistics. For the families involved, this is deeply personal. One plaintiff, the daughter of a survivor, put it simply: "My father never talked about the train. He couldn't. But we owe it to him to make sure the world remembers who drove it." This case is a reminder that justice doesn't have an expiration date. Even 75 years later, Belgium is being asked to look back at one of its darkest hours and answer for it. Whether the courts side with the plaintiffs or not, the conversation has already begun—and it's one that can't be undone.