Full Name: Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
Profession: Exotic Dancer, Courtesan and German Spy
Biography: Mata Hari was executed by firing squad for spying for Germany during World War I.
Her guilt was debated for decades, but German documents unsealed in the 1970s proved that Mata Hari was indeed a German agent.
She acquired her stage name "Mata Hari" which means "eye of the day" or "sun" in Malay while living in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). It was also in the Dutch East Indies where she learnt the exotic dances that would later make her famous.
Born: August 7, 1876
Birthplace: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Star Sign: Leo
Died: October 15, 1917 (aged 41)
Cause of Death: Execution by firing squad
Articles and Photos
Married Life
- 1895-07-11 Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan and accused spy Mata Hari (18) weds Dutch colonial army Captain Rudolph MacLeod in Amsterdam
Historical Events
- 1905-03-13 Mata Hari first performs her dance act at the Guimet Museum, Paris
- 1917-02-13 Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari is arrested in Paris on suspicion that she is a German spy
- 1917-07-24 Trial of Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari begins in Paris for allegedly spying for Germany and thus causing the deaths of 50,000 soldiers
- 1917-10-15 Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for Germany during WWI at Vincennes near Paris
Biographies and Sources
- Mother, dancer, wife, spy: the real Mata Hari - The Guardian
- Why Mata Hari Wasn't a Cunning Spy After All - National Geographic History Magazine