LEEUWARDEN.- From 14 October 2017 to 2 April 2018, the Museum of Friesland in Leeuwarden presents the exhibition Mata Hari: the myth and the maiden. Exactly 100 years after her death, the museum tells this icon’s full story for the first time. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle from Leeuwarden transformed into the world-famous dancer Mata Hari at the beginning of the last century. During the First World War, she was arrested by the French secret service on suspicion of espionage and executed. More than 100 objects from the Netherlands and abroad have come to Leeuwarden especially for this exhibition. Among them is a selection of recently declassified French military files, which are being displayed in public for the first time. Mata Hari: The myth and the maiden is the largest exhibition ever about Margaretha Geertruida Zelle's life.

On 13 March 1905, Mata Hari made her dance debut in the library of Musée Guimet. From Paris she conquered dance theatres throughout Europe, from Rome to Berlin and from Vienna to Madrid. She soon became renowned for her wealthy and influential lovers and admirers. On 13 February 1917, the French secret service arrested Mata Hari. A team of secret agents had shadowed her for a while. After a trial in which she gave contradictory statements, a war tribunal found her guilty. The sentence: ‘Mort’.

Premiere
The legal files relating to the case against Mata Hari have been kept under lock and key in the French military archives in Vincennes for the last 100 years. Surveillance reports, transcripts of her hearings and key evidence, such as the intercepted telegrams of a German military attaché in Madrid, provide insights into Mata Hari's trial. These pieces are being shown for the first time in the Museum of Friesland during the exhibition.

Maiden and Mother
The exhibition takes visitors past key moments in Margaretha's life: a poetry album, school report and self-written poems about a happy youth in Leeuwarden. Recently acquired objects, letters and photographs provide new insights into her seldom-discussed role as a woman and mother in the Dutch East Indies. A baby book shows how she kept track of the development of her son Norman and daughter Non. After the loss of their son, the couple became embroiled in a divorce. The Frisian History and Literature Centre Tresoar recently acquired letters that shed light on this period, which they are providing as a loan to the exhibition. These objects show that MacLeod refused to pay alimony and denied his ex-wife contact with her daughter. Margaretha wrote about her dilemma: should she stay near her daughter or go to Paris to build a career?

Paris
The Musée Guimet in Paris is loaning the Museum of Friesland a statue of Shiva and fourteen wayang puppets for the exhibition. These objects were part of the decor for her early performances in the library of the wealthy industrialist Émile Guimet. Mata Hari's scrapbooks also date from this period. In these she fastidiously collected all the photos, posters, reviews and articles that were published about her. This personal collection is one of the highlights of the exhibition. In 1916, just before her arrest, Mata Hari was immortalised by the Dutch painter Isaac Israëls. The life-size portrait in the Kröller-Müller Museum has recently been completely restored. This is the first time the painting has been exhibited since this restoration.

Collection
After her death, Mata Hari and her exploits became the stuff of legend. She is a style icon, sex symbol and femme fatale. Her life is the subject of countless books and speaks to people’s imagination around the world. Film stars like Greta Garbo, Sylvia Kristel and Marlene Dietrich performed the role of Mata Hari. The Museum of Friesland has an extensive collection relating to Mata Hari. In the exhibition, this collection is complemented by loans from, amongst others, The National Archives in London, Musée Guimet in Paris, the French military archive in Vincennes, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the National Archive of the Netherlands, and various private collections.

Design
The Museum of Friesland takes visitors on a journey through six exhibition halls past the tumultuous life of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. The innovative exhibition concept was developed in collaboration with Studio Louter. Opera Amsterdam took care of the theatrical design.