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Mata Hari

File:MataHari15.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Mata Hari

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Also known as Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle MacLeod, Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod

Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan and spy (1876-1917)

AI overview

Mata Hari was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who became one of history's most infamous spies during World War I, working for multiple governments while gathering intelligence. She remains a prominent historical figure because her life and execution in 1917 raise enduring questions about espionage, sexuality, and the treatment of women during wartime.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
female
Citizenship
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Place of birth
Leeuwarden
Place of death
Château de Vincennes
Employer
Deuxième Bureau
Languages spoken
Dutch
Field of work
dance
Hair colour
black hair
Conflict
World War I
Image
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod-Zelle in the Dutch East Indies - 1900.jpg
Height
173
Number of children
2
Convicted of
espionage
Significant event
arrest
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pseudonym
Mata Hari
Commons category
Mata Hari
name in native language
Mata Hari
date of death
1917-10-15
date of birth
1876-08-07
cause of death
gunshot wound
birth name
Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
manner of death
execution by firing squad
topic's main category
Category:Mata Hari
start of work period
1900-00-00
dance style
erotic dancing
ethnic group
Dutch
time period
Belle Époque
place of detention
Prison Saint-Lazare
end of work period
1917-00-00
Sources (7)

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Encyclopedic overview

Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle, Dutch: [mɑrɣaːˈreːtaː ɣeːrˈtrœydaː ˈzɛlə]; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (/ˈmɑːtə ˈhɑːri/ MAH-tə HAR-ee, Dutch: [ˈmaːtaː ˈɦaːri]; Indonesian for 'sun', lit. 'eye of the day'), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in France.

The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale. Mata Hari's story has inspired books, films, and other works. Later biographers argue that she was convicted and condemned because the French Army needed a scapegoat, and that the files used to secure her conviction contained falsifications. Some have even stated that she could not have been a spy and was innocent.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Mata Hari” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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