The Rotterdam District Court ruled on Monday that the dismissal of Birgit Donker as director of the Nederlands Fotomuseum was wrongful.
The court found that the supervisory board acted with severe culpability.
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The museum must pay Donker 400,000 euros gross, equivalent to two years' salary. It must also publish a rectification across various media outlets.
According to the court, the supervisory board failed to provide a valid reason for her termination.
It also unfairly blocked her email access after her suspension, preventing a proper defense.
The museum described the ruling as disappointing but said it would accept the decision in the best interest of the institution's future.
Donker had served as director since 2018 before being suspended in June of last year and dismissed a month later.
The allegations involved creating a socially unsafe work environment and a culture of fear.
The court found no evidence that she caused these conditions or withheld information from the board. It noted that the museum professionalized and improved financially under her leadership.
The court acknowledged that some employees resisted her swift measures, including high workload and the forced departure of two long-term staff members.
However, her actions yielded strong organizational results.
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"In the draft version of the article, the director was accused of narcissism, toxic management, and a reign of terror," the court stated, referencing a critical article published by de Volkskrant shortly before her dismissal.
