Oorlogsbronnen MCP Server

1# Oorlogsbronnen MCP Server
2 
3A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI-powered access to the Oorlogsbronnen (War Sources) database. This server enables natural language interactions with historical World War II archives from the Netherlands.
4 
5## Natural Language Interaction Examples
6 
7Ask your AI assistant questions like these to explore Dutch WWII history:
8 
9- **"What happened during the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940?"**
10- **"Tell me about Anne Frank's life in hiding based on historical records."**
11- **"Show me photographs of the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-1945."**
12- **"Were any of my ancestors imprisoned in Camp Vught during the war?"**
13- **"I'm visiting Arnhem next week. What historical sites related to Operation Market Garden should I see?"**
14- **"Find information about resistance activities in Utrecht during the Nazi occupation."**
15- **"What was daily life like for Jewish families in Amsterdam before deportations began?"**
16- **"Show me firsthand accounts from people who witnessed the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945."**
17- **"What records exist about children who were hidden by Dutch families during the war?"**
18- **"I'm researching the impact of WWII on Dutch infrastructure. Can you find documents about the reconstruction of bridges and railways?"**
19 
20## Features
21 
22- 🔍 Natural language search across the Oorlogsbronnen database
23- 🏷️ Filter results by content type (person, photo, article, etc.)
24- 📊 Control the number of results returned
25- 🤖 AI-friendly JSON responses for further processing
26 
27## Installation
28 
29You can install this server in two ways:
30 
31### 1. Using Claude Desktop with NPX Package
32 
33Update your Claude configuration file (`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`):
34 
35```json
36{
37  "mcpServers": {
38    "oorlogsbronnen-server": {
39      "command": "npx",
40      "args": [
41        "-y",
42        "oorlogsbronnen-mcp"
43      ]
44    }
45  }
46}
47```
48 
49After updating the configuration, restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.
50 
51### 2. From Source
52 
531. Clone this repository:
54```bash
55git clone https://github.com/r-huijts/oorlogsbronnen-mcp.git
56cd oorlogsbronnen-mcp
57```
58 
592. Install dependencies:
60```bash
61npm install
62```
63 
643. Build the project:
65```bash
66npm run build
67```
68 
694. Configure Claude Desktop by updating your configuration file (located at `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`):
70 
71```json
72{
73  "mcpServers": {
74    "oorlogsbronnen-server": {
75      "command": "node",
76      "args": [
77        "/absolute/path/to/oorlogsbronnen-mcp/dist/mcp-server.js"
78      ]
79    }
80  }
81}
82```
83 
84Replace `/absolute/path/to/oorlogsbronnen-mcp` with the actual path to your installation.
85 
86## Usage Examples
87 
88The MCP server understands natural language queries and can help you explore World War II archives. Here are some example queries you can use with Claude:
89 
90### Basic Searches
91 
92- "Use search_ww2_nl_archives to find documents about the resistance movement in Amsterdam"
93- "Search the Dutch WW2 archives for information about Jewish refugees in 1942"
94- "Look through the Netherlands war archives for records of Allied bombing raids"
95 
96### Filtering by Type
97 
98- "Use search_ww2_nl_archives to show me photographs of the liberation of Rotterdam"
99- "Find personal accounts in the Dutch WW2 archives about life in concentration camps"
100- "Search the Netherlands war archives for newspaper articles about food shortages"
101 
102### Specific Queries
103 
104- "Search the Dutch WW2 archives for documents about Anne Frank's time in Amsterdam"
105- "Use search_ww2_nl_archives to find records of the February Strike of 1941"
106- "Look through the Netherlands war archives for information about Operation Market Garden"
107 
108### Research Examples
109 
1101. **Personal History Research**:
111   ```
112   Use search_ww2_nl_archives to find any records or documents about the Rosenberg family in Amsterdam between 1940-1945
113   ```
114 
1152. **Local History**:
116   ```
117   Search the Dutch WW2 archives for photographs and documents about daily life in Utrecht during the occupation
118   ```
119 
1203. **Military Operations**:
121   ```
122   Use search_ww2_nl_archives to find firsthand accounts and official reports about the Battle of the Scheldt
123   ```
124 
125### Advanced Usage
126 
127You can combine different search criteria:
128```
129Search the Netherlands WW2 archives for photographs and personal accounts of the Dutch famine in 1944-1945, limit to 20 results
130```
131 
132## API Reference
133 
134The server exposes the following MCP tool:
135 
136### search_ww2_nl_archives
137 
138A powerful search tool designed to query the Oorlogsbronnen (War Sources) database for World War II related content in the Netherlands. This tool can be used to find historical documents, photographs, personal accounts, and other archival materials from 1940-1945.
139 
140**When to use this tool:**
141- Searching for specific historical events during WWII in the Netherlands
142- Finding information about people, places, or organizations during the war
143- Locating photographs or documents from specific time periods or locations
144- Researching personal or family history related to WWII
145- Finding primary sources about the Dutch resistance, occupation, or liberation
146- Discovering materials about Jewish life and persecution during the war
147- Researching military operations that took place in the Netherlands
148 
149Parameters:
150- `query` (required): 
151  - Type: string
152  - Description: The main search term or phrase to look for in the archives
153  - Can include: names, places, dates, events, or descriptive terms
154  - Examples:
155    - "Anne Frank"
156    - "Rotterdam bombing 1940"
157    - "Dutch resistance Amsterdam"
158    - "Jewish deportation Westerbork"
159    - "Operation Market Garden"
160 
161- `type` (optional):
162  - Type: string
163  - Description: Filter results by specific content type
164  - Available types:
165    - "person": Individual biographical records
166    - "photo": Historical photographs
167    - "article": News articles and written documents
168    - "video": Video footage
169    - "object": Physical artifacts and objects
170    - "location": Places and geographical records
171    - "book": Published books, memoirs, and monographs
172  - Use when: You need to focus on specific types of historical materials
173  - Default: All types included
174 
175- `count` (optional):
176  - Type: number
177  - Description: Number of results to return in the response
178  - Minimum: 1
179  - Maximum: 100
180  - Default: 10
181  - Use when: You need to control the volume of returned results
182  - Note: Larger numbers will provide more comprehensive results but may take longer to process
183 
184**Response Format:**
185```json
186{
187  "results": [
188    {
189      "id": string,          // Unique identifier for the record
190      "title": string,       // Title or name of the item
191      "type": string,        // Content type (person, photo, article, etc.)
192      "description": string, // Detailed description (if available)
193      "url": string         // Direct link to view the item on Oorlogsbronnen
194    }
195  ]
196}
197```
198 
199**Example Queries and Their Tool Calls:**
200 
2011. Basic Historical Search:
202```typescript
203{
204  query: "February Strike 1941",
205  type: "article",
206  count: 5
207}
208```
209 
2102. Person Research:
211```typescript
212{
213  query: "Rosenberg family Amsterdam Jewish",
214  type: "person",
215  count: 20
216}
217```
218 
2193. Photo Collection Search:
220```typescript
221{
222  query: "liberation celebrations Amsterdam Dam Square 1945",
223  type: "photo",
224  count: 15
225}
226```
227 
228**Error Handling:**
229- The tool will return an error message if:
230  - The query is empty or contains invalid characters
231  - The specified type is not supported
232  - The count is outside the valid range (1-100)
233  - The API is temporarily unavailable
234  - Rate limits are exceeded
235 
236**Best Practices:**
2371. Start with broader searches and narrow down with specific terms
2382. Use location names to focus on specific areas
2393. Include dates when searching for specific events
2404. Combine person names with locations for family research
2415. Use type filtering to focus on specific kinds of historical materials
242 
243## Contributing
244 
245Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
246 
247## License
248 
249This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
250 
251## Acknowledgments
252 
253- Oorlogsbronnen for providing access to their valuable historical archives
254- The Model Context Protocol (MCP) community for enabling AI-powered interactions