Dutch Fokker D.VII Fighter Looted During WWII to Be Returned

World War I-era biplane taken by Nazis was found by U.S. 'Monuments Men' in a barn in Germany.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 02:36 PM ET

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Kimberly Johnson

World War I type Fokker D.VII [Courtesy: National Military Museum]

Key Takeaways:

A WWI-era Dutch Fokker D.VII fighter, looted by Nazis during World War II, is returning to the Netherlands after eight decades to be displayed at the National Military Museum.
The aircraft was part of Hermann Göring's extensive looted collection, found by "Monuments Men" who, unaware of its true origin, gave it to the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
Its Dutch nationality was confirmed through restoration work and extensive research in the 1980s, revealing its markings and registration number.
The return is for a temporary five-year period, as unresolved details of its journey from 1940 to 1945 prevent a legal basis for permanent restitution at present.

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Eight decades after a Dutch Fokker D.VII Fighter was looted by Nazis, the World War I-era fighter biplane is set to return to the Netherlands, the National Military Museum (NMM) located there announced.

The aircraft, which is currently in the possession of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, will be on display at the Dutch military museum located in Soesterberg, Netherlands, in September.