Dutch spy Mata Hari’s death sentence order on display in Fries Museum

The Fries Museum in Leeuwarden recently acquired the original death sentence order for Dutch spy Mata Hari, the museum announced on Tuesday. The document is currently on display in the Mata Hari presentation on the first floor of the museum.

The document, called Bulletin No. 1, clearly states on the basis of what articles the Dutch spy was found guilty and what punishment she was sentenced to - the death sentence. Bulletin No. 1 was given to the museum by an anonymous donor, who bought it at an auction. "This document is like the end of the journey: it shows her death. All that remains is the question: was she really guilty?" Curator Yves Glain said on the importance of the donation. Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leeuwarden on August 8th, 1876, according to the museum. She took the stage name Mata Hari while working as an exotic dancer and courtesan in Paris in 1905. Her love for, and popularity with, rich men and senior officers made her able to move in high military circles. She was eventually convicted as a spy and killed by firing squad on October 15th, 1917.