On August 7, it will be 150 years since (1876) Margaretha Geertruida Zelle—better known as ‘Mata Hari’—was born in Leeuwarden, in the shop house at Kelders 33. The dancer and spy was born above her parents’ hat shop. Join us on a journey through the footsteps of Mata Hari in the Leeuwarden of her youth.
Almost everyone has heard of Mata Hari—the name of the exotic dancer who was executed by firing squad in France in 1917. This ‘femme fatale’ was born in 1876 in Leeuwarden as Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. Her father, Adam Zelle, owned a hat and cap shop at Kelders 33.
In 1905, she rose to fame under her stage name Mata Hari (“eye of the sun”) as an exotic dancer in cities such as Paris and Milan. During the First World War, Mata Hari moved in circles of military officers in both Germany and France.
In 1917, she was convicted of double espionage in France and executed. Her eventful life, alleged double espionage, and tragic end captured the imagination. Books, films, and television series have been made about her life, and the renowned painter Isaac Israëls created a portrait of her.
