To understand the many aspects of Mata Hari’s life, we spoke with a variety of experts including authors of books about Mata Hari, museum curators, authors who focus on Paris in the 1900s, and an expert on WWI espionage. A relative of the renowned Indian musician, Inayat Khan, talked about Inayat Khan’s connection with Mata Hari. Dita Von Teese, the Queen of Burlesque, shared her insights about Mata Hari and two psychotherapists created an in-depth case study of Mata Hari. These interviews help unravel the intricate story of Mata Hari.
Jean-Pierre Turbergue
Chef d’entreprise Editions Italiques
Jean-Pierre Turbergue, publisher, historian, and author heads up the publishing company, Editions Italiques. Jean-Pierre was the first journalist given access to the secret French military dossier on Mata Hari, and he published the entire file in his book, “Mata Hari, Le Dossier Secret Du Conseil De Guerre.” (Mata Hari The Secret Dossier of the War Council).
Jean-Pierre also published Léon Shirmann’s thoroughly researched book, “Mata Hari D’une Machination” which finds that Mata Hari was essentially a victim of the French war machine.
Marijke Huisman, Dr.
Assistant Professor Public History, Utrecht University
Marijke is the author of a biography on Mata Hari titled Mata Hari: de levende legende (Uitgeverij Verloren, 1998).
Before her appointment at Utrecht University, in 2016, she was a post-doctoral researcher and PhD student at the Center for Historical Culture, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Marijke also worked as lecturer for the History programmes at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen and Free University in Amsterdam. Previously she was a freelance historical researcher, editor and project associate at Atria Institute on gender equality and women’s history. Marijke’s research focuses on relations between public and academic forms of history, and in particular on auto/biographical representations of the past. She is co-founder and board member of IABA Europe, the European branch of the International Auto/Biography Association.
Catherine Gourin
Author
Catherine Gourin’s new book, “Mata Hari, The True Story of a Pseudo Spy” will be available soon. Catherine hosts a weekly program on TV-Libertés, where her “Little Stories of Great History” are among the most watched topics. In particular, she dedicated an eight-episode saga to Mata Hari.
Mary McAuliffe, PhD
Author, Historian
Mary McAuliffe received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland and has taught at several universities and lectured at the Smithsonian Institution. For many years she was a regular contributor to Paris Notes. Mary has traveled extensively in France and is the author of “Twilight of the Belle Epoque”, “Dawn of the Belle Epoque” , “Paris Discovered”, and other books focused on Paris.
She lives in New York City with her husband.
Charles Rearick, PhD
Author, Professor Emeritus University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Charles Rearick , professor of history at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has written a number of books about Paris including “Pleasures of the Belle Epoque: Entertainment and Festivity in Turn-Of-The-Century France.”
Dita Von Teese
Burlesque Artist
American burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, entrepreneur and occasional actress, Dita helped re-popularize burlesque performance, as well as vintage fetish style. She was formerly married to Marilyn Manson. Dita chose her stage name by adopting the name Dita as a tribute to silent film actress Dita Parolo. For her breakthrough December 2002 Playboy cover, she was required to have a surname, so she chose Von Treese from the phonebook. But Playboy misspelled it Von Teese, a name which she then kept.
Dita Von Teese is frequently dubbed the “Queen of Burlesque” in the press. In her own words, she “puts the tease back into striptease.” Additionally, Dita became the first guest star at Paris’s Crazy Horse cabaret club with her appearance in October 2006.
Dita is known for haute couture fashions, and says, “I advocate glamour. Every day. Every minute.”
Shauna Bergh, LMFT
Psychotherapist
Shauna worked for more than a decade as a teacher and counselor in the elementary and middle school education system. She now brings her expertise in human development to working collaboratively with children and adults in a private practice psychotherapy model that incorporates both eastern and western traditions. Shauna supports her clients in a socio-cultural context utilizing an integrative mind-body approach to help them discover a greater sense of agency and purpose in their lives.
Renée Grelecki
Psychotherapist
Renée is interested in individual depth psychology as it relates to chronic, acute and complex developmental and attachment trauma. Experienced in applying integrative therapeutic approaches to support in-need populations.
Renée received her M.A. in 2016 from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She currently is a graduate teaching assistant for Counseling in Schools and a pyschotherapist for St. Elizabeth Elementary School, Oakland, CA.
Gerk Koopmans
Former Curator of the Mata Hari Collection, Museum of Friesland, Netherlands
Gerk Koopmans, historian, teacher, and author was the director for 21 years of the Verzetsmuseum Friesland (Frisian Resistance Museum). He was also the curator at the Fries Museum for the Mata Hari Collection (until 2006). Gerk is the author of several books about Leeuwarden and he spent four years on the City Council.
In 2017 he will publish a book about the life and times of Mata Hari as a girl from Leeuwarden, her native town. Gerk’s book will be published by the Historic Center of Leeuwarden in Dutch and English. It is part of a series with city walks in Leeuwarden.
Yves Rocourt, MA
Guest Conservator Mata Hari, Museum of Friesland, Netherlands
As guest curator Yves worked on the Mata Hari blockbuster exhibition called “Mata Hari: The Myth and the Maiden” (“Mata Hari: het mythe en het meisje”), as part of the Leeuwarden Cultural Capital of Europe 2018 project.
This exhibition was featured in newspapers and other media around the world, amongst others: the New York Times, Washington Post, El Pais, El Mundo, BBC, NRC and de Volkskrant. The NRC rated the exhibition with 4 out of 5 stars.
Aurelie Samuel
Chargée des collections textiles, Musée Guimet, Paris
Aurelie has been with the Musée Guimet for over 14 years and spoke with us in the library of the Musée Guimet, the exact place where Mata Hari’s first dance performance took place. She has an extensive education in art, textiles and curation. Aurelie attended L’Institut national du patrimoine 2016, Centre international d’étude des textiles anciens (CIETA) 2008-2009, Concours de chargé d’études documentaries 2006, Universite Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3 from 2003-2004, Universite Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV) 1992-1999.
Edwin Ruis
Author
Edwin Ruis is a Dutch historian and the author of Spynest, a book about British and German espionage in neutral Holland during WWI. . Edwin has appeared on Dutch TV and radio, and regularly writes for history websites and magazines. In Rotterdam, he gives historical walking tours on the themes of espionage and war.
Edwin earned his MA at the University of Leiden, 2003-2009 in the History of Political Culture and National Indentities.
Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Mahmood Khan Youskine
The Sheik, nephew of the founder of the Sufi Movement, Hazrat Inayat Khan, is an expert on the Middle East and India, and is closely involved in the development of ‘chivalry’ – in Sufism. Inayat Khan performed with Mata Hari. The Sheik is a cousin of WWII British secret agent Noor Khan, Inayat Khan’s daughter.
