the lifes of mata hari
mother, divorced wife, dancer and spy
Mata Hari. More than a hundred years after her death, her life story still captures the imagination. As Mata Hari, the Frisian Margaretha Zelle conquered the hearts of the general public and some officers with her sensual temple dances. Until World War I broke out and the French accused her of espionage and an execution squad ended her life in 1917.
But behind her famous story lies another history. Why did she decide as a young mother, years before, to leave for Paris? And what does a family tragedy and a fatal marriage have to do with it? In a new permanent presentation, the Fries Museum sheds light on the four different lives of Margaretha Zelle: as a mother, as a divorced wife, as a dancer and as a spy.
