Dutch sleuth recovers stolen documents designated by UNESCO

AMSTERDAM

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand has recovered a trove of stolen historical documents dating from the 15th to 19th centuries, including UNESCO-listed archives from the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Known as the "Indiana Jones of the Art World," Brand described the find as one of the highlights of his career, surpassing even his past recoveries of works by Picasso and Van Gogh.

The recovered documents provide rare insight into the operations of the VOC, regarded as the world's first multinational corporation. Among them is a 1602 record of the company’s first meeting, when its iconic logo — often described as the world’s first corporate emblem — was created. The archives cover a wide geographic span including Europe, Indonesia, India, South Africa, and Latin America, reflecting the VOC’s vast reach during the Dutch Golden Age.

Brand emphasized the historical significance of the collection, noting its role in understanding global history through the lens of a powerful trading and colonial empire. UNESCO has recognized the VOC archives as part of its "Memory of the World" heritage collection, calling them the most comprehensive source on early modern world history.

Also included in the trove are handwritten ship’s logs by famed Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter, detailing his early naval battles, including the 1641 Battle of St Vincent and the daring 1667 raid on the English fleet in the River Medway.

The recovery story began when Brand received an email from someone cleaning out a relative’s attic, where they found a box of old documents left behind as collateral by a friend. Suspecting their importance, Brand contacted Dutch authorities. Investigations revealed that the documents had been stolen in 2015 from the National Archives in The Hague. The main suspect, a former employee of the archives, had passed away without reclaiming the box.

Brand likened the case to recent museum thefts involving insiders and said reviewing the material felt like entering a real-life adventure novel. “Wars at sea, imperial courts, far-off lands, and intrigue — it was like stepping into Treasure Island,” he said.