Nederlands Fotomuseum ordered to pay former director €400,000 for unfair dismissal

A judge in Rotterdam has determined that the Nederlands Fotomuseum owes former director Birgit Donker €400,000, equivalent to two years' salary, due to her unjust termination. Donker was dismissed in July 2025 following anonymous claims published by De Volkskrant regarding an "unsafe" workplace and a "culture of fear." However, the Dutch Council for Journalism later deemed these claims "unverifiable and tendentious." The judge highlighted that the board had previously commended Donker in annual reports and acknowledged her success in improving the museum's finances and relocating it to a former coffee warehouse. The court mandated the museum to issue a correction on its website and distribute it to Dutch media. Donker expressed difficulty in securing freelance opportunities due to the negative press. The museum accepted the verdict and chose not to appeal. Meanwhile, De Volkskrant's editor-in-chief, Pieter Klok, affirmed the newspaper's support for the article.